115. How Do I Get Windows To Recognize A Missing CD/DVD Drive

There are a number of reasons why the operating system does not recognize your CD-DVD drive; it may, for instance, simply be a case that the connection to the CD/DVD drive has become loose. Alternatively, a driver problem may occur, or it may simply be a registry problem. Either way we try to address the problem here.

The BIOS

Without getting technical, the BIOS is a chip on your motherboard that, basically, starts the PC. It looks at what hardware and memory you have on your machine and checks that it can communicate with it prior to the Windows operating system kicking in. If the hardware is not being recognized then the BIOS is the first to complain.

However, before we look at the BIOS it is worth checking to see that the cable connections to the CD/DVD drive are secure. This is simple enough to do, requiring you to simply open up your computer case and physically check that the ribbon cable is connected properly to the CD/DVD and the IDE controller on the motherboard. You also need to check that the power cable to the CD/DVD drive is also connected. If this is okay then is the CD/DVD recognized by the BIOS?

To check this you can either watch the screen as you boot or enter the BIOS itself. Not all PCs display the boot options. This is because they have been disabled to make the boot process quicker. If your machine does show the boot options then you should see the machine first check the memory and then a list of devices should appear, something like this:

Primary Master: WDC WD800BD 00CAA1
Primary Slave: WDC WD800EB 00DJF0
Secondary Master: NEC DVD RW ND 1300A
Secondary Slave: None

If the BIOS has recognized the CD/DVD then there should be an entry in the Secondary Master or Slave area. If it say's 'None' then the drive has not been recognized.

With a None recognized drive you will need to consult your PC's user manual for details on accessing the BIOS (in most cases it is simply a matter of pressing the 'Del' key or some other key while the PC is booting. The BIOS menu should then appear. You should ensure that the configuration is set to 'automatic' so that the BIOS automatically picks up the CD/DVD drive. Once again, in the BIOS menu, you should see the CD/DVD drive details displayed under the Secondary IDE Master or Slave sub menu.

Driver Problems

If the BIOS recognizes the CD/DVD drive then the problem may be driver related. To check for this you need to take a look at the Device manager options in Control panel. You might also check the CD/DVD drive manufacturers' website to see if a later driver is available. If so download and install it.

Click Start.
From the Start menu click Control panel.
In the control panel window click the System icon.
The system properties window will open.
In the System properties window click the Hardware tab.
On the Hardware tab click the Device Manager button.
The Device manager window will now open.
Look for your CD/DVD drive in the available list and click the + (plus) sign to expand the menu.
Does the CD/DVD drive have a ? next to it? If it does then click on the Actions menu and, from the drop down list, select Uninstall. This will uninstall the CD/DVD drive.
After the driver has been uninstall, click the Actions option and select the Scan for hardware changes option.
Windows will now scan for any new hardware and should pick up your CD/DVD drive.
If that doesn't bring your CD/DVD back then you may need to edit the registry - see below.

Editing the Registry

Before we go you should be aware that editing the registry can be dangerous, so before you begin make sure that you have a backup copy of your registry saved in a safe place (see: 62. How Do I Backup The Registry In Windows XP). It is also wise to create a System restore point prior to changing registry entries.

Now proceed as follows:

Click Start.
From the Start menu click Run.
In the Run dialogue box type: regedit.
The registry editor will now open.
Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} and look for the Upper Filters value.
Right click on the Upper Filter Value and, from the drop down menu click Delete.
Next navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} and look for the Lower Filter value.
Again Right Click on the Lower Filter Value and, from the drop down menu, click Delete.
Finally exit the registry editor and reboot your machine.
Hopefully your CD/DVD drive should now be recognized.