Windows 7: computer does not recognize installation disc

i have the evaluation copy of windows 7, so when it expired i bought windows 7. i want to install it, but my dvd drive does not "see" a disc. my driver is MagicISO and the device manager says it's working and updated. can anyone help me upgrade? thx

What is the make and model of the dvd drive? MagicIso is a 3 rd party app for burning dvds. Have you tried the built in dvd burner?

i don't know the make and model of the dvd drive. i have an hp pavilion dv2000.
i thought magiciso was a 3rd party app, but it's what windows dl's automatically when i uninstall it.
i'm not sure what you mean in the last question. i've never tried to burn any dvd's if that's what your asking...

my dvd drive is a hitachi HTS542525K9A300 ata

MagicISO is not compatible with Windows 7, to my knowledge.

Try burning the ISO to DVD using ImgBurn at 4x speed with Verify - it never fails.

Or write the ISO to a flash stick: Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool or USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

herr, Welcome to SevenForums
Are you booting from the disk and not getting the install window or are you just putting the disk in the drive and it doesnot show anything? Have you set your Bios to boot from dvd drive? Is the disk retail bought from a store or is it a download from the web? Good luck to you with this problem.
Put your dvd in drive and restart
Clean Install Windows 7

go to an other computer and copy it to usb you can do this. you aloud to make one copy of the disk. Then go to the computer you want to install on. then do the install.

so at around 12am i realized that my friend gave me an external dvd burner a while back. i hooked it up, and popped the disc in, and my computer immediately recognized it. i installed Windows 7 from this disc just fine, but now in "my computer" my laptop's disc drive isn't even listed... and nothing happens when i insert various sorts of discs.

See if it shows up in Disk Management and assign it a letter.

If not, see if it shows up using Partition Wizard bootable CD.

Is this the same external DVD drive you used to install?

Is the windows 7 cd boot lagged if so that may be why.