CD/DVD drive not listed in Device Manager

Hi,

Stage 1 : Please do all the below even if you have done some before as it is often the total process which solves the issue.

Try this - Control Panel - Device Manager - CD/DVD - double click the device - Driver's Tab -click Update Drivers (this will likely do nothing) - then RIGHT CLICK the drive - UNINSTALL - REBOOT this will refresh the default driver stack. Even if drive is not shown continue below.

Then work your way through these - remember the drive could be bad, could have a loose cable or slight corrosion on the contacts (usually for a laptop) and other issues.

Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060 - a Mr Fixit

Manually try this fix if the 314060 Fixit did not work
http://www.pchell.com/hardware/cd_drive_error_code_39.shtml

Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs - a Mr Fixit
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982116

The CD drive or the DVD drive does not work as expected on a computer that you upgraded to Windows Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929461

When you insert a CD or a DVD, Windows Vista may not recognize the disc
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/939052

Your CD or DVD drive cannot read or write media - A Mr Fixit
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cd_dvd_drive_problems

CD/DVD drive does not appear in Windows Vista, or you receive this error during Windows Vista setup after booting from the DVD (AHCI)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952951

CD-R drive or CD-RW drive is not recognized as a recordable device
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316529/

Hardware devices not detected or not working - A Mr Fixit
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/hardware_device_problems

Another possibility is that the cables are loose. Remove ALL power, then check cables in both ends. Remove and replace, do not just snug. For laptops you can often clean the power and data contacts with a pencil eraser.

Some DVD drives do not use the Windows default drivers so check with the System maker and device maker to see if there is firmware or drivers for you drive if needed.

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Stage 2 : You could have drive issues as the CD/DVD is actually 4 drives in 1 case ( CD & DVD burn and CD and DVD read). So it is not unusual for 1 or 2 parts to not function while the others do so properly.

Did you complete the troubleshooter for the drive that still does not work? There are some registry entries that the troubleshooter does not fix and those "might" be the cause.

Check with your System Maker and Device maker for both possible firmware updates and the correct Registry entries for your drive.

These are the keys I think are the ones in question - for the CD/DVD drive sub-keys of course as there will other sub-keys in these keys. Be sure to ask for specific keys involved as well as the settings.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\IDE

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\0001\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\IDE

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

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You probably can find more info here and maybe even the exact registry settings for your CD/DVD drive from someone with the same model.

Forums - a lot of real expert help
http://club.myce.com/

CD/DVD units
http://www.myce.com/storage/

Use DevManView to locate CD/DVD in registry (be careful and make a Restore Point before changing anything) - find the device in DevManView and then Right Click on it Open in RegEdit.

DevManView - Free - an alternative to the standard Device Manager of Windows, which displays all devices and their properties in flat table, instead of tree viewer
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/device_manager_view.html

Hope this helps.