Enable / Disable CD-ROM thru VB

**Lochdanon** · 07-23-2007, 02:24 AM

Hi Guys,

I have been struggling with this problem for a while and have used external programs to complete this task in the past, but it is getting tedious and I have forgotten in the past. I would like to have a button that enables / disables the CD drive so that data can be written to the cd. The reason is that I have multiple users on one system and I have caught them using the cd drive for movies ... not movies that you want customers to see.

The spread sheet that I use is mainly password protected from them - they just enter sales data, but I need to be able to enable the drive on the system, write data for the week and then disable the drive staright afterward.
Is this possible? I have seen a 'joke' on other forums (maybe this one) that will open the drive door, but I feel that this may be beyond my programming skills to complete the enable/disable feature.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

**Macdave_19** · 04-02-2009, 08:09 AM

Hi Buddy,

I don't know the answer to your question however this code opens the drive so perhaps it's a starting point for you

i hope it helps

let me know

Declare Sub mciSendStringA Lib "winmm.dll" (ByVal lpstrCommand As String, _
    ByVal lpstrReturnString As Any, ByVal uReturnLength As Long, _
    ByVal hwndCallback As Long)

Sub OpenTray()
    mciSendStringA "Set CDAudio Door Open", 0&, 0, 0
End Sub

**Kenneth Hobson** · 04-02-2009, 09:12 AM

The only way I know would be to set it via code and then reboot. This would not be feasible though since you would want to enable it without rebooting I would think.

**martindwilson** · 04-02-2009, 09:48 AM

probably do-able by group policy in windows, perhaps preventing certain file extensions being used, but i'm not about to delve into mine to find out!

**Kenneth Hobson** · 04-02-2009, 10:43 AM

If the users want to view racy magazines, as a manager, I see no difference. Standard disciplinary actions would be the same. We have a computer use Policy.

If you have an abuser and you don't want to fire them, then I guess you could disable it in the bios or use a program like this one.