Windows 7 DVD/CD drives don't recognize blank media

[payne9999]

I just built this PC and it had no trouble using the DVD/CD drives to load the operating system, GPU drivers etc. However, the drives don't recognize any type of blank media (CD or DVD) and I have tried several brands that I had around the office.

The Sony/Optiarc drives did not come with drivers but I did update the firmware. Win 7 informed me that they did not need drivers, and Win 7 recognized them and downloaded what it thought were the correct drivers. The devices appear to be working properly according to Win 7. However they show up in the "my computer" drive list but not in the new Win 7 device list.

So, I loaded a copy of Nero I have and it looked like it was burning OK but the audio CD I made as a test doesn't appear to have anything on it (checked with my other computer running XP).

I have tried:
1. Uninstalling the DVD/CD drives and letting the system see them as new hardware. Letting the system reload the drivers.
2.Updating the firmware from Sony's site.
3. Yelling at the computer.

I dunno what to try now, I searched the net for similar articles/forums...

Dave

System:
Win 7
i7 960
Gigabyte X58
12GB DDR3
Intel SSD's

 

[Saltgrass]

Can the drives see media that is not blank ok?

Have you tried disconnecting one of the drives if you actually have two?

If they show up in Computer, they should be in the Device manager. Do you know if they are seen during boot by the bios?

There is the UpperFilter or LowerFilter registry entry fix that some installs need to use, but I will have to look for it or you can search for the keywords.

This Microsoft site might get you started.

 

[payne9999]

The drives do read recorded media and software.

Turns out during this build the Sony drives I was sold are "read only". I have seen so many compatibility issues with my Win 7 build and I have read so many articles about issues with DVD/CD drives that I assumed it was a hardware/Software issue.

I ran Microsoft's fix utility and it came back telling me the drives were not capable of writing. Since there are 2 drives I assumed they wouldn't likely have both failed. When I dug into it on the net I found these drives to be ROM only.....

Ok, so I don't know whether to be mad or feel stupid or both.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Saltgrass]

When you are looking for hardware, it is not that hard to get into the wrong section. I was looking for a PC game once and happened to click on an advertisement for it on the website PC game page and ended up in the PS2 section and ordered the wrong game.

Maybe the place you got them will exchange them.

 

[Nibiru2012]

The drives do read recorded media and software.

Turns out during this build the Sony drives I was sold are "read only". I have seen so many compatibility issues with my Win 7 build and I have read so many articles about issues with DVD/CD drives that I assumed it was a hardware/Software issue.

I ran Microsoft's fix utility and it came back telling me the drives were not capable of writing. Since there are 2 drives I assumed they wouldn't likely have both failed. When I dug into it on the net I found these drives to be ROM only.....

Ok, so I don't know whether to be mad or feel stupid or both.

Thanks,

Dave

Dave - only CD/DVD burners will "read" the disc media for type and such. You need to get a good quality burner and you'll be fine, I would recommend either a Samsung or a Lite-On. They're both very good rated drives and get top reviews depending on model.

Yes, some people not very many have had "issues" with their DVD/CD burner drives not being recognized, it's a simple fix though and believe me out of the over 175 million copies of Windows 7 sold and installed the percentage is way less than 1/10 of 1%.

It's just that the ones having issues are posting on the forums and therefore the problem appears bigger than it truly it.

Keep a DVD ROM (read only) drive and then put in a burner too. A handy little free program you can get is called VSO-Inspector which is a free tool that reports various information about your hardware configuration. Using this freeware, you can check the listed Cd, Dvd and Blu-ray readers and writers connected to your computer, check the firmware used. The details about the media used and the speed supported by a given writer with this media. Also you can scan a burnt media for read errors and be confident about the readability of your fresh backup.

Free Download

Keep us posted on your progress.

~Nibs

 

[payne9999]

Yep, I knew it needed to be a burner but it looked (from the description) as though it was. It wasn't obvious. I have already selected a Lite-On based on NewEgg reviews. I plan on having two drives as before to make copying easier.

Also, I have used Belarc Advisor to catalog my system. It lists information about everything in the system....Type of hardware, firmware loaded, type of drives/part numbers, keys for all the software and on and on. I run it at the beginning of a build to document all the hardware, software and firmware. A very nice utility and it is also free. I run it again after any upgrade. Belarc spits out a 10 page document and even advises about software upgrades that are needed.

Thanks,

Dave