BleepingComputer.com: Can't read disks and I'm sure to blame software

Hello and thank you beforehand.

The story goes like this: once I had to submit a school project and required VMware to emulate Linux (since I was given a Toshiba laptop with the condition of not messing up with it beyond installing programs), and first VMware DID NOT work at all, and then the CD/DVD drive stopped working. I know it has to be VMware because I installed it in a desktop PC and the same thing happened, that, until I uninstalled the damn thing (which turned out as such a blessed remedy!). When I tried to uninstall in the Toshiba laptop it won't allow me to do so. I even entered into safe mode, but as you may know, Vista does not allow permission to use the uninstaller... in safe mode.

I've been trying everything, but I can't mess around in the system since it's not mine. By the way, if this helps as a hint: every time I get a disk into the drive, nothing happens until I reboot, kind of like it only reads BEFORE Windows is fully running.

That's all and thanks to everyone again.

Which kind of VMware?

VMware player?

No, VMware, the operative system emulator. "Virtual Machine Ware". It's used -I think- to emulate a different OS in the current running OS. A friend told me to use it, but as soon it ran, I could no longer read discs. Hapenned twice, and the problem fixed uninstalling. But I can't uninstall IN VISTA!!! I just tried yesterday and suffered a memory overflow (bluescreen and all). It's the same all the time.