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Switch to a new CD Rom

Anonymous
2024-08-23T15:08:48+00:00

Somehow my laptop's built-in CD-Rom (D:) doesn't work anymore - cannot reject at all!

Then I bough an external CD Rom. Every time I plus it in and it shows in (E:) drive.

I need to re-install some software, the system asks me to insert my CD to the built-in CD-Rom (D:), but cannot insert in this drive. Instead, I insert my CD to the external CD-Rom (E:). And of course, the system doesn't recognize the CD in (E:)!

Please give me a hand on how to make the system recognizes my CD in E: drive.

I am still using Window 7.

Thanks!

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  1. LemP 74,925 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-08-23T21:13:18+00:00

    What happens if you put a non-software CD or DVD (try a music CD or a commercial movie DVD if you have any) in the external drive (E:)?

    If nothing happens, double-click on the drive; what happens then?

    From your description, it sounds as if you have a small "installer" application already present on your hard drive, and when you run that, it asks that you put a cd in your D: drive. If that assumption is correct, and especially if you can successfully open a music or movie disk in the E: drive, the likely issue is that the installer is hard coded to look at the D: drive.

    The following may help:

    1. Open Disk Management (click Start, type diskmgmt.msc in the Search box, and press Enter)
    2. In the bottom pane of the Disk Management applet, right-click on the current D: drive and click "Change Drive Letter and Paths"
    3. In the next box, click "Change"
    4. Use the drop-down list to assign a new letter, for example F: and then OK your way out.
    5. Now right-click on the current E: drive and repeat steps 2-4 to change the drive letter to D: and OK your way out.

    Reboot the computer and check to see that the new drive letters are assigned to the correct devices. Then try to install the software.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-08-23T22:04:20+00:00

    Yes, music could play in the external CD-Rom and yes, you are correct "From your description, it sounds as if you have a small "installer" application already present on your hard drive ...."

    From your direction, changing names of CD-Rom drives, this is a clever way, I could re-install a software!

    Thank you so much for giving me a hand!

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-08-23T20:19:16+00:00

    Thank you very much for your consideration!

    1. Both built-in and external CD-Roms are under "Devices with Removable Storage".

    ![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/fc3cbc97-174c-4b3a-9343-fe9736ec4f77?platform=QnA"2">

  3. Under "Device Manager" both CD-Rom drivers show no warning icon at all.

![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/09c99b5f-4bff-4ab0-bc48-f092613d82f1?platform=QnA

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  • Anonymous
    2024-09-19T13:26:13+00:00

    it should have came with a driver cd with the external drive. what brand is it?

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  • LemP 74,925 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-08-23T18:36:33+00:00

    If you click Start and then click "Computer," in which category does the external drive appear? That is, is E: under "Hard Disk Drives" or "Devices with Removable Storage"?

    Similarly, take a look in Device Manager (click Start, type Device Manager in the Search box, and press Enter). There should be a category for "DVD/CD-ROM Drives." What's in this category? Are there any items in Device Manager with a warning icon?

    Generally, when an external optical drive is not recognized as an optical drive, the cause is some hardware issue in the device. If you have access to another computer, try connecting your new drive there and see if it is correctly recognized.

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