Antiviruse programs cause all kinds of trouble with software, so I don't use them and haven't since 1997. But I've never heard of one causing trouble with hardware before, so I doubt it.
Starforce is an copy-protection virus that comes on games by some companies like Ubisoft. It hides in your computer and disables CD-copy software like Nero, and it stays when the game is uninstalled. It also interferes with the correct function of optical drives and sometimes damages them.
Wikipedia has an article on Starforce:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starforce
and near the bottom, a link to a removal tool:
http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55
I don't know if it tells you "You had Starforce and we removed it" or what, since I've never used it, but I assume it works.
P.S. I doubt that Starforce is the problem, but you never know. Besides, it's not something you want on your computer anyway
