Unable to use an attached CD player

Hey Phillip, I think I understand what’s happening here — this usually isn’t a Windows Media Player problem, it’s more likely the drive isn’t properly initializing or Windows is struggling to read the disc.

A few practical things you can try:

First, that flickering light often means the drive is constantly trying (and failing) to read the CD. If the disc is slightly scratched or not seated properly, Windows may “hang” on it.

Try this:

• Unplug the CD drive, wait 10 seconds, and plug it into a different USB port (preferably directly into the PC, not a hub)
• Test with a different CD to rule out a bad disc
• Open This PC and see if the drive shows a readable label or just keeps loading

Also, instead of Control Panel “Eject,” try:

• Right-click drive in File Explorer → Eject
• Or restart PC, then eject before inserting any disc

If Windows still freezes or ignores it, check Device Manager → DVD/CD-ROM drives → uninstall device → restart PC so it reloads drivers.

Not sure if it helps, but I’ve seen similar issues happen with some USB external drives that are underpowered or have weak cables.

Is this an external USB CD drive or an internal laptop drive?Hey Phillip, I think I understand what’s happening here — this usually isn’t a Windows Media Player problem, it’s more likely the drive isn’t properly initializing or Windows is struggling to read the disc.

A few practical things you can try:

First, that flickering light often means the drive is constantly trying (and failing) to read the CD. If the disc is slightly scratched or not seated properly, Windows may “hang” on it.

Try this:

• Unplug the CD drive, wait 10 seconds, and plug it into a different USB port (preferably directly into the PC, not a hub)
• Test with a different CD to rule out a bad disc
• Open This PC and see if the drive shows a readable label or just keeps loading

Also, instead of Control Panel “Eject,” try:

• Right-click drive in File Explorer → Eject
• Or restart PC, then eject before inserting any disc

If Windows still freezes or ignores it, check Device Manager → DVD/CD-ROM drives → uninstall device → restart PC so it reloads drivers.

Not sure if it helps, but I’ve seen similar issues happen with some USB external drives that are underpowered or have weak cables.

Is this an external USB CD drive or an internal laptop drive?