If installing the old drivers doesn't work, take this into consideration:
Is it the only CD-type device in your system (e.g., do you have a DVD drive, too?). If so, you need to check the jumper settings on the back of both devices. If both are set to "MASTER" you may get conflicts and one may not work. You'll need to set one to SLAVE. There's usually a diagram on the drive of how the jumpers need to be set to get each mode. If it's the only drive, check out your BIOS settings to see if the drive is even recognized by the system (press Delete when booting up). One of the windows in the BIOS setup utility should show you a list of recognized devices. If it doesn't show up, the drive could be bad or the cable/connector on the motherboard could be bad.
As much as this sucks, your best bet may be to re-install the O/S on the machine...
Good luck!