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windows11 does not detect external cd dvd drive

Mike M 5 Reputation points
2026-04-17T18:11:08.3066667+00:00

when I plug in USB external cd/DVD drive, windows 11 does not detect the device or hardware.

drive is: JKNJX External CD DVD Drive, 8 in 1 USB 3.0 and Type-C CD Burner Player Writer with 4 USB Ports and 1 TF/SD Card Slots, Ultra Slim Optical Disk Driver for Laptop Mac PC Windows Linux OS

Yes, the JKNJX External CD DVD Drive is fully compatible with Windows 11.

I looked at the recommended registry fix for this but it is not as described in Win 11.

cd/dvd is not listed in the device manager list

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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  1. Mike M 5 Reputation points
    2026-04-21T21:05:31.52+00:00

    problem solved it was the cabling I was using

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  1. Emma1-N 6,920 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-18T03:47:21.7266667+00:00

    Welcome Mike M,

    I understand how frustrating it can be when Windows 11 does not detect your external USB CD/DVD drive and the device is not appearing in Device Manager. 

    Before moving forward, I need to narrow this down slightly: 

    • When you plug in the drive, do you see any new entries at all under Universal Serial Bus controllers in Device Manager? 
    • Are you connecting the drive directly to the PC (no USB hub), and does the drive power light or spin up when connected? 

    In addition to the previous suggestions, you could also explore these options:  

    Option 1: Check Device Manager for hidden hardware 

    • Open Device Manager 
    • Click View 
    • Select Show hidden devices 
    • Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives and USB controllers and check if the device appears grayed out 

    Option 2: Scan for hardware changes 

    • In Device Manager, click Action 
    • Select Scan for hardware changes 
    • Observe if any unknown device or USB mass storage device appears 

    Option 3: Test a different USB port and cable type 

    • Use a different USB-A or USB-C port on the PC 
    • Avoid USB hubs or docking stations 
    • If the drive has both USB-A and USB-C cables, test both 

    Option 4: Verify the device is not blocked by drivers 

    • In Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers 
    • Uninstall any entry named USB Mass Storage Device (only ones that appear after plugging in the drive) 
    • Restart Windows and reconnect the drive 

    I hope this information helps resolve your issue. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me again in this thread. 

    P.S: If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".      

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  2. Igor Leyko 110.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-04-17T18:52:03.99+00:00

    Hi,

    Each properly installed and properly operating device should be presented in the Device manager regardless of a driver installation.

    Your device is absent in Device manager, so it is either faulty or improperly connected. Can you check the device with another PC?

    And please check carefully all devices in Device manager, maybe there was a different driver installed, and the device is mentioned under improper name.

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