CD Drive not working

Question

Up until yesterday my external cd drive would automatically play or upload a cd on this pc into the R Drive when I powered up the pc this morning and put a cd in the drive it no longer works and doesn't display any of the cd information (CD Title or track names

Answer 1

Hello,

Try a different disc that you know can read (some discs are scratched or dirty, which can cause them to be completely unreadable).

Try connecting the optical drive to another computer:

If the other computer also can't read it: it's more likely a problem with the optical drive itself or the cable.

If the other computer can read it: it's more likely a problem with your computer's settings/drivers/drive letter.

Answer 2

Try these steps in order to restore CD drive functionality and get discs to show their contents again.

1. Check that Windows still sees the drive

• Open File Explorer and see if the CD/DVD drive still appears as a drive letter (for example, R:).
• If it is missing or shows with a warning icon:
  1. Press the Windows logo key, type Device Manager, and press Enter.
  2. Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives and check for your external drive or any device with a yellow warning icon.

2. Update or reinstall the CD/DVD drive driver If the drive is present but not working correctly:
3. In Device Manager, expand DVD/CD-ROM drives.
4. Right-click the CD/DVD device, select Uninstall device.
5. Confirm Uninstall when prompted.
6. Disconnect the external drive, restart the PC, then reconnect the drive so Windows can automatically reinstall the driver. If the problem persists, check the drive manufacturer’s website for a current driver and install it following their instructions.
7. Remove and reinstall IDE/ATAPI controllers (if the drive is still not detected or shows errors)
8. Open Device Manager again.
9. On the View menu, select Show hidden devices.
10. Expand IDE/ATAPI controllers.
11. Right‑click and Uninstall each of the following if present:
    • ATA Channel 0
    • ATA Channel 1
    • Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
    • Any additional similar entries
12. Restart the PC. Windows will reinstall these controllers automatically.
13. Fix possible corrupted registry entries for CD/DVD class Only perform this if comfortable using Registry Editor and signed in with an administrator account.
14. Press Windows logo key + R, type regedit, press Enter, and confirm Yes.
15. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
16. In the right pane:
    • If UpperFilters exists, select it and choose Edit > Delete, then confirm Yes.
    • If LowerFilters exists, select it and choose Edit > Delete, then confirm Yes.
17. Close Registry Editor and restart the PC.

Before editing the registry, back it up as described in the referenced article. Incorrect changes can cause serious system problems. After this change, some CD/DVD recording apps may need to be reinstalled.

5. Check BIOS/UEFI and chipset drivers (if still not working)

• Ensure the drive is enabled in the BIOS/UEFI if it is an internal SATA connection in an external enclosure.
• Verify with the PC or drive manufacturer that chipset/USB controller drivers are current and install any updates.

If, after these steps, the drive still does not read any discs or show disc information, test the external drive on another PC. If it fails there as well, the drive hardware may be faulty.

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References:

• Your CD or DVD drive is not recognized by Windows or other programs