How to Fix a DVD or CD Drive Not Working or Missing in Windows 10 [Updated] 2023
CD Drive For PC might make you feel old, but CD/DVD drives are now considered legacy hardware. As Windows 10 modernizes the operating system, support for such older hardware technology as optical drives is becoming increasingly spotty. This is unfortunate since many users still depend on CDs and DVDs. You might even need a DVD drive to install Windows 10 on your computer.
One of the common complaints I have encountered among users is the loss of their DVD or CD drive after upgrading. This can result from a combination of factors: a corrupt driver, out-of-date firmware, or a factory defect. Before you throw out your DVD drive and get a new one, here are some troubleshooting steps to try to get it working again.
Use Windows Update to Fix Windows 10 DVD Drive Issues
It’s not unusual for your optical drive to be working just fine in a previous version of Windows or Windows 10, then the minute you upgrade to a new version, it stops working. You can first check Windows Update, then install the latest drivers if there are any. For example, Microsoft released updates for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and version 1511 that resolved problems with optical drives. In this case, the cause of the problem was also the solution.
Click Start > Settings > Update & security. Ensure that your system is up to date and that there are no hardware driver updates to install.
How to fix a CD-ROM, DVD, or disc drive not working in Windows
Make sure you have tested more than one CD in the disc drive, as it may be one CD that is bad or dirty. The disc drive is bad or dirty if all but one or two discs fail. See the computer cleaning page for instructions on cleaning your CDs and disc drive.
If you still get errors after cleaning the drive and CDs, it’s likely the disc drive is bad.
Check Device Manager
- Open the Control Panel.
- Click or double-click the System icon.
- In Windows XP and earlier, click the Hardware tab and then the Device Manager button.
In Windows Vista and later, click the Device Manager link on the left side of the System window.
Within Device Manager, verify the CD-ROM has no exclamation marks or red Xs. If listed with a yellow exclamation mark or red X, remove the CD-ROM by highlighting the drive and pressing the delete key. Reboot the computer to reinstall the CD-ROM drive.
NoteIf the CD-ROM drive is not in the Device Manager, the drive’s cables may not be connected properly. It’s also possible that the drive is wrong and needs to be replaced.
For additional information on Device Manager, see our Device Manager page.
Corruption in Windows
Try testing the CD-ROM in Safe Mode. If the CD-ROM works in Safe Mode but not in standard Windows, a running program is causing the issue, or the drivers are corrupt. Open Device Manager, highlight and remove the CD-ROM by pressing the delete key. After deleting the CD-ROM, reboot the computer. Windows should then detect the CD-ROM and reinstall it.
NoteIf the CD-ROM drive is not in the Device Manager, the drive’s cables may not be connected properly. It’s also possible that the drive is wrong and needs to be replaced.
Try booting a CD or bootable diskette
Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and later users
If you attempted the recommendations above, boot from the Windows disc to see if the computer can detect and boot from the disc. If the computer can boot from the disc, you encounter a Windows driver-related issue. Try the above recommendations again.
Windows 98 users
If you attempted the recommendations above, try booting from a Windows 98 diskette or another bootable diskette with CD-ROM drivers to see if the CD-ROM works from MS-DOS. If the CD-ROM does work from MS-DOS, this indicates that you have a corruption issue with Windows. However, if the CD-ROM does not work, refer to the next and final possibility. Additional information on bootable disks is on our boot disk page.
Verify the computer is running in 32-bit mode
Windows 95 and Windows 98 users only.
Verify that your computer is running in 32-bit mode by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click System, and click the Performance tab. Under Performance by File System, verify it says ’32-bit’.
CD-ROM cables connected improperly
If you have recently installed or moved your computer, verify that the CD-ROM cables are connected correctly.
NoteIf the disc drive is not opening when you press the eject button, verify the CD-ROM power cable is firmly connected.
Bad CD-ROM drive
If you tried all the steps above, the drive is terrible, and you still encounter errors with reading discs in the CD-ROM drive. You can try replacing the drive and see if a new CD-ROM drive resolves the issue.
Reinstall or Update the Driver in the Device Manager
Boot to the Windows 10 desktop, then launch Device Manager by pressing the Windows key + X and clicking Device Manager. Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click the optical drive listed, then click Uninstall. Exit Device Manager, then restarts your computer. Windows 10 will detect the drive and then reinstall it. You can also use the option to Update Driver Software from within Device Manager.
Another option you can try – I notice this works for many users – involves removing and reinstalling the IDE/ATAPI drivers. Launch Device Manager again, click the View menu, then click Show hidden devices. Expand IDE/ATAPI Controllers, then uninstall each of the following:
- ATA Channel 0
- ATA Channel 1
- Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
Multiple entries might be listed for ATA Channel 0, 1, and PCI IDE Controller; uninstall them, then restart your computer. Windows 10 will detect the drive then reinstall it.
Remove Virtual Drive Software
Virtual drive software, which is used to mount disc images (ISOs) can sometimes cause conflict with physical optical drives. If you have utilities such as Daemon Tools, PowerISO, ISO Recorder, or similar software installed, remove them. Press the Windows key + x and choose Programs and Features. Highlight the program and click Uninstall.
Check Your BIOS/UEFI Settings and Update Chipset Firmware
If your CD/DVD drive isn’t detected by Windows, ensure the drive is working and recognized in your computer’s firmware. Check out our article for instructions on how to load your BIOS or UEFI firmware interface. If you see your optical drive listed in the BIOS, that’s a good sign.
If you don’t see your CD/DVD drive in the BIOS/UEFI, something is awry.
Depending on the age of your system, there is a possibility the chipset drivers for your motherboard might be out of date. Check the manufacturer’s website for your computer and browse the downloads section for your particular model. Installing the latest chipset driver may resolve the issue with your optical drive not working correctly or not being recognized in Windows.
You should also check if there are any BIOS or firmware updates for your system since these can improve Windows 10 compatibility with older hardware.
Edit Windows Registry to Fix CD Drive Issues in Windows 10
If the problem persists after exhausting these troubleshooting steps, then you can move on to making changes to the Windows 10 registry, which might restore functionality. Before carrying out any of these steps, make sure you back up your registry and create a system restore point, just in case.
Press the Windows key + x, then click Command Prompt (Admin).
Enter the following command at the prompt, hit Enter, exit the command prompt then restart your computer.
reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001
Corrupt registry entries have also been known to cause problems with hardware such as optical drives. Removing these corrupt entries might fix the problem.
Click Start, and type: regedit
Right-click regedit, then click Run as administrator
Navigate to the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
In the right pane, click UpperFilters
From the Edit menu, click Delete, then click Yes to confirm changes.
Repeat the same steps for LowerFilters.
If you don’t see an entry for LowerFilters, exit the registry, then restart your computer.
Playing DVD Movies on Windows 10
Windows 10 does not include native DVD Playback, nor does it support Blu-ray media. To do this in Windows 10, you must install compatible software that supports your optical drive. Microsoft provides a universal DVD playback app for purchase from the Windows Store. If you don’t want to purchase software, you can check the manufacturer’s website to find out if they have supported software you can use to view your media. Third-party software such as VLC Player might work with your media, and it’s free.
Conclusion
Hopefully, these tips can resurrect your optical drive. If you still cannot get the drive to work or show up in Windows 10, you can consider rolling back to your previous Windows version to see if it makes a difference; or purchasing a new drive. A convenient option is a USB external optical drive. This is not the answer many of you were hoping to hear, but it’s an option to consider (and will only set you back about $25).
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