Windows 7 CD/DVD drive problem

[Resound]

CD/DVD drive locks explorer, won't play audio discs

Hi shiny people,

My optical drive was working fine under XP Pro and it was the drive I used to burn and install my copy of Win 7. Once I booted Windows 7 though, it refuses to read CDs or DVDs.

With audio CDs both Winamp and Window Media player can see the disc and even display the title and track info but refuse to play the tracks, just skipping through them really fast making an occasional clicking noise. With Data discs, either CD or DVD it shows the title of the disc in Windows Explorer but will not open the files or even display them and if you try to look at the contents of the disc, Explorer just locks up and stops responding although it will usually recover instantly if I remove the disc from the drive.

I haven't physically touched any hardware. The drivers for the motherboard are current and I've flashed the current version of the bios. I've tried the drive with multiple discs, audio, DVD video and data. I've seen the fix regarding the upper and lower filters for optical drives and that's not the issue here, I checked. I've tried both native and legacy modes for IDE in the bios. The drive is a Lite-On DH20A4P CD/DVD burner. It's an IDE drive which may or may not be meaningful. There's nothing showing exclamation marks or other warnings in the device manager.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you're encountering some issues with your CD/DVD drive after upgrading to Windows 7. Let's explore some troubleshooting steps to address the problems you're facing: 1. Check Device Manager: Since you have already checked for any warnings or errors in Device Manager, it's good to know that there are no apparent driver issues. However, you can try updating the driver for the CD/DVD drive manually, just to be thorough. 2. Compatibility Mode: Try running the CD/DVD drive in compatibility mode for Windows XP. Sometimes, older hardware may not work perfectly with newer operating systems due to compatibility issues. 3. Firmware Update: Make sure that the firmware for your Lite-On DH20A4P CD/DVD burner is up to date. Firmware updates can sometimes resolve compatibility issues with newer operating systems. 4. Testing with Bootable Media: To rule out any Windows-related issues, you can try booting your computer from a bootable CD/DVD. If the drive works fine in this scenario, the problem could be related to the Windows installation. 5. Check for Software Conflicts: Sometimes, third-party software can interfere with the proper functioning of CD/DVD drives. Temporarily disable any CD/DVD burning or emulation software to see if it makes a difference. 6. System File Checker: Run the System File Checker tool to scan for and repair corrupted system files that may be causing the issue. 7. Hardware Inspection: Although you mentioned that you haven't physically touched any hardware, it might be worthwhile to check the IDE cable connecting the drive to the motherboard and ensure it's securely plugged in. Would you like assistance with any of these steps, or have you already tried some of them? Let me know if you need further guidance on troubleshooting your CD/DVD drive issue in Windows 7.