Computer won't reconize flash drives or CD's

[Old Crow]

So for some odd reason my computer won't reconize that there is a CD in the CD drive.

Same goes for flash drives, with the additional effects that it states they need to be formatted, which if I try to format them it says it cannot complete it.

Anybody have any ideas?? All this was working about three weeks ago, then just stopped.

[Cadaver]

OS?

Have you tried to go back to last known "good" version? 

[IsYn Wooley]

OS?

Have you tried to go back to last known "good" version?

Last Known Good is overwritten once the computer makes it to the desktop.

Maybe a system restore to a point before you noticed this issue.

Is it all USB ports that do not recognize drives?

Have you tried the ones  in the back of the machine that are directly connected to the Mobo?

I mean it is kind of strange that both of these issues would occur at the same time, This kind of points to either mobo failure. Or as cadaver had pointed out a Operating System issue. (Software)

[IsYn Wooley]

An easy way to test if its motherboard or operating system is to put a boot CD in the CD drive and try to boot to it. If its motherboard/CD drive problems, it won't recognize it. If it boots, its operating system. Just to narrow it down

+1 on this.

Sound TS right there.