How to render the optical drive inoperable?

[CougTek]

I need to block the use of an optical drive on a Thinkpad T60. The drive must not be broken physically. I see nothing in the BIOS to deactivate it. Simply deactivating it in the Device Manager is not enough as the user could be wise enough to look there. I must leave the account with administrative rights.

How can I sabbotage the optical drive in the registry? It is Windows XP.

 

[Howell]

You could disable it through group policy.

 

[Will Rickards]

Can't you just remove it?

 

[Sol]

How about removing the driver files? Device Manager should tell you what they are... Failing that maybe disassemble the whole thing and detach a ribbon cable in the drive itself, fairly good odds there'll be one...

 

[ddrueding]

Pulling the optical and putting in the spare battery/blanking plate would be choice #1 for me.

Of course, if I needed an optical and didn't have one, I'd just use a USB. That is why I superglue all the USB ports on "secure" systems.

 

[Bozo]

Go here and scroll down to cd drive disabler.

 

[CougTek]

You could disable it through group policy.

I see option to prevent remote users to connect to the optical drive, but no option to limit access from a local user.

How about removing the driver files? Device Manager should tell you what they are...

Removing cdrom.sys from Windows\system32\drivers\ does not prevent Windows from reinstalling the driver at the following reboot.

Failing that maybe disassemble the whole thing and detach a ribbon cable in the drive itself, fairly good odds there'll be one...

No ribbon cable there. The optical drive is plug directly to a connector on the motherboard inside a Thinkpad T60.

The customer doesn't want to have a hole on the side of the laptop, so removing the drive is not an option. I don't have a spare battery to fill the hole. I've seen nothing regarding the optical drive access in the registry. F-word, F-word, F-word.

I'll try Bozo's tool soon.

 

[ddrueding]

Get one cheap and break it?

 

[Howell]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555324

 

[MaxBurn]

Replace it with a hard drive caddy?

 

[blakerwry]

I'll try Bozo's tool soon.

I use it internally with good success... along with USB and floppy disabler.

You can also disable these things in device manager, or disable the removable storage service.

 

[CougTek]

It did not want to connect on the laptop from another computer. Whatever, I bought a used combo drive for 5$ and I disconnected all the ribbon cables inside. Won't work for sure. Does not even open anymore. Hole filled, customer happy.