Windows 10 DVD Drive not showing up anywhere

[Tech Coyote]

Hello, my DVD drive is not showing up in computer, device manager, or even the BIOS. My current OS is Windows 10. I had to reset my PC due to the taskbar freezing up. The DVD drive was fine before the reset. But after I did the reset, my DVD drive went missing from everywhere. I can still press the button at the end of my computer to open the drive and there is lights and such. If someone can help me with this I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Make/Model of your PC please! What version of Windows was on your computer prior to the Win10 upgrade? (Win7, Win8/8.1?).

You said you reset your PC; reset it to what? Reset to Win10 or which version of Windows exactly??

It sounds like your DVD drive is getting power, but is having a problem. It's also possible you have what we call a "coincidental hardware failure". Is that DVD an internal DVD or external DVD such as USB? Is your PC a laptop or a desktop??

In either case, you can try removing the DVD drive and testing on another computer (laptop would be trickier as you would need an identical 2nd laptop same make/model to test). If a desktop DVD internal drive, this would be pretty easy. If the DVD drive works on another computer, then you scrambled something in your computer, and it needs to be serviced professionally.

Another thing you can try, is that if it's an internal DVD drive in a desktop, you can change the Motherboard end of the cable to a different port to see if the BIOS will recognize it then. If the BIOS recognizes it, Windows will usually work with it, unless your computer is really scrambled. Sometimes ports get accidentally changed or shutoff by Windows upgrades, and this may work around it. It also could be that the port on your Motheboard just happened to fail during or right after the upgraded. It's rare, but indeed does happen. Connecting your DVD to an alternate Motherboard port (such as SATA3 instead of SATA2) may fix the problem. If you do find a failed port on your Motherboard, you should tape it off and label it so you don't accidentally use it on another device such as a secondary hard drive.

If you have a laptop with an internal DVD drive, or you don't have access to a 2nd desktop PC to test the DVD drive on, you can purchase a DVD-writer very cheaply here: Link Removed
If the external DVD-writer you bought works with BIOS and Windows, then you most likely just have a failed DVD drive, and you can replace it at some point. If you aren't reloading OSes, you may be able to live with the external usb DVD-writer as the one I linked you to is under $20 US. Most folks will replace the internal DVD drive, especially in a desktop. With a laptop, these units are small enough and light enough to just throw in your laptop case when you travel. I have 2 of them; and take them with me frequently for backup purposes.

Let us know what you find and what you have.

Best of luck,
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>

 

[Tech Coyote]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Make/Model of your PC please! What version of Windows was on your computer prior to the Win10 upgrade? (Win7, Win8/8.1?).

You said you reset your PC; reset it to what? Reset to Win10 or which version of Windows exactly??

It sounds like your DVD drive is getting power, but is having a problem. It's also possible you have what we call a "coincidental hardware failure". Is that DVD an internal DVD or external DVD such as USB? Is your PC a laptop or a desktop??

In either case, you can try removing the DVD drive and testing on another computer (laptop would be trickier as you would need an identical 2nd laptop same make/model to test). If a desktop DVD internal drive, this would be pretty easy. If the DVD drive works on another computer, then you scrambled something in your computer, and it needs to be serviced professionally.

Another thing you can try, is that if it's an internal DVD drive in a desktop, you can change the Motherboard end of the cable to a different port to see if the BIOS will recognize it then. If the BIOS recognizes it, Windows will usually work with it, unless your computer is really scrambled. Sometimes ports get accidentally changed or shutoff by Windows upgrades, and this may work around it. It also could be that the port on your Motheboard just happened to fail during or right after the upgraded. It's rare, but indeed does happen. Connecting your DVD to an alternate Motherboard port (such as SATA3 instead of SATA2) may fix the problem. If you do find a failed port on your Motherboard, you should tape it off and label it so you don't accidentally use it on another device such as a secondary hard drive.

If you have a laptop with an internal DVD drive, or you don't have access to a 2nd desktop PC to test the DVD drive on, you can purchase a DVD-writer very cheaply here:
If the external DVD-writer you bought works with BIOS and Windows, then you most likely just have a failed DVD drive, and you can replace it at some point. If you aren't reloading OSes, you may be able to live with the external usb DVD-writer as the one I linked you to is under $20 US. Most folks will replace the internal DVD drive, especially in a desktop. With a laptop, these units are small enough and light enough to just throw in your laptop case when you travel. I have 2 of them; and take them with me frequently for backup purposes.

Let us know what you find and what you have.

Best of luck,
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>

I have an Dell Inspiron M731R, laptop. The operating system I had on my laptop was Windows 8.1. I upgraded it to Windows 10. Then I did a factory reset with Windows 10, but kept my files.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Ok, thanks for that info. Sounds like you'll have to purchase an External DVD writer as I mention to test out your laptop. If the external DVD works through USB as I suggest, then your internal DVD drive is most likely bad and must be replaced. This is about $30 if you do so yourself; about $100 or so at a repair shop.

The other way to test your existing internal DVD is to use factory Recovery media that came with your Dell laptop if you have it, and rollback your laptop to the version of Windows that came pre-loaded onto it--Win8.1 in your case. Of course, if your DVD isn't being recognized by the BIOS with factory Recovery Media and you cannot rollback since the DVD drive can't properly read the Recovery Discs, you can never get there anyway. But, if this occurs, you know for sure your DVD drive is faulty and must be replaced. At that point you'll have to use an external DVD drive to reload your Win8.1/10, and that can be tricky if your laptop has UEFI BIOS.

If you do have Recovery Media, and your DVD can reinstall Win8.1 and the BIOS does see it again, and Windows also sees it working--then most likely there's a glitch in your laptop Motherboard. This can sometimes be corrected by updating the BIOS on your laptop. If you've never done this before, I don't recommend you attempt it, as it's extremely high-risk; rather take your laptop to a repair shop and pay a professional to do it. Also, there's no guarantee it will solve your DVD problem with Win10.

The simpler thing to do would be to go online and order a replacement internal DVD drive made for your model Dell laptop from ebay or amazon for $30 and replace yourself. It's usually only 1 or 2 screws. However, some of the newer 8.1 laptops require you to completely remove the bottom panel to do this and that can be 10-16 screws; if this is too much for you, you can pay a local repair shop Tech to replace it, just bring him your part your ordered and pay to have him do it for you.

A final note, if you didn't get Recovery Media with your Dell laptop, and you didn't make your own with the Dell tool included with your Win8.1, you can order the Recovery Media directly from Dell for $29-$99 US and they will ship it to you in 2-3 weeks if you are in US, outside could be much longer, several weeks due to Customs.

Best of luck,
<<<BBJ>>>

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

You aren't the only one to have this issue after upgrading to Windows 10.
A number of people have reported that this process worked to restore their missing DVD drives.

"I managed to fix this one myself. The fix was for Windows 8/8.1 but it worked perfectly for Windows 10.

1. Run Command Prompt as an Administrator.

2. Copy/type the following and enter

reg.exe add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0" /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

3. Reboot the system

My DVD drive was then automatically recognized Yippee."

This was my source for this information.

Solved Windows 10 - my dvd/cd drive is not recognised, at all - Windows 10 Forums

You might want to make a restore point before you do this just to have a backup to restore to should something go wrong.

Mike

 

[Tech Coyote]

Hi

You aren't the only one to have this issue after upgrading to Windows 10.
A number of people have reported that this process worked to restore their missing DVD drives.

"I managed to fix this one myself. The fix was for Windows 8/8.1 but it worked perfectly for Windows 10.

1. Run Command Prompt as an Administrator.

2. Copy/type the following and enter

reg.exe add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0" /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

3. Reboot the system

My DVD drive was then automatically recognized Yippee."

This was my source for this information.

Solved Windows 10 - my dvd/cd drive is not recognised, at all - Windows 10 Forums

You might want to make a restore point before you do this just to have a backup to restore to should something go wrong.

Mike

Just tried that and it didn't work. I don't know how my DVD drive could've gone broke just from resetting the computer. It was completely fine before.

 

[Tech Coyote]

Ok, thanks for that info. Sounds like you'll have to purchase an External DVD writer as I mention to test out your laptop. If the external DVD works through USB as I suggest, then your internal DVD drive is most likely bad and must be replaced. This is about $30 if you do so yourself; about $100 or so at a repair shop.

The other way to test your existing internal DVD is to use factory Recovery media that came with your Dell laptop if you have it, and rollback your laptop to the version of Windows that came pre-loaded onto it--Win8.1 in your case. Of course, if your DVD isn't being recognized by the BIOS with factory Recovery Media and you cannot rollback since the DVD drive can't properly read the Recovery Discs, you can never get there anyway. But, if this occurs, you know for sure your DVD drive is faulty and must be replaced. At that point you'll have to use an external DVD drive to reload your Win8.1/10, and that can be tricky if your laptop has UEFI BIOS.

If you do have Recovery Media, and your DVD can reinstall Win8.1 and the BIOS does see it again, and Windows also sees it working--then most likely there's a glitch in your laptop Motherboard. This can sometimes be corrected by updating the BIOS on your laptop. If you've never done this before, I don't recommend you attempt it, as it's extremely high-risk; rather take your laptop to a repair shop and pay a professional to do it. Also, there's no guarantee it will solve your DVD problem with Win10.

The simpler thing to do would be to go online and order a replacement internal DVD drive made for your model Dell laptop from ebay or amazon for $30 and replace yourself. It's usually only 1 or 2 screws. However, some of the newer 8.1 laptops require you to completely remove the bottom panel to do this and that can be 10-16 screws; if this is too much for you, you can pay a local repair shop Tech to replace it, just bring him your part your ordered and pay to have him do it for you.

A final note, if you didn't get Recovery Media with your Dell laptop, and you didn't make your own with the Dell tool included with your Win8.1, you can order the Recovery Media directly from Dell for $29-$99 US and they will ship it to you in 2-3 weeks if you are in US, outside could be much longer, several weeks due to Customs.

Best of luck,
<<<BBJ>>>

Thank you, I think I'll contact dell to see what they say.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I'm guessing that this isn't a failure of your drive since I've seen dozens of people reporting the same issue.

Many of them seem to have HP computers but not all.

Here is a more complex manual fix that many people said worked for them...

Note To use this method, you must be logged on to Windows as an administrator.
If you need help verifying that you are an administrator, go to Link Removed

Important Follow the steps in this section carefully.

Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly.

Before you modify it, back up the registry for restoration in case problems occur.

To create the registry subkey, follow these steps:

Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run box. (or right-click on windows icon in lower left corner)
Type regedit in the Run box, then press Enter.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow

In the navigation pane, locate the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi

Right-click atapi, point to New, then click Key.

Type Controller0, and then press Enter.

Right-click Controller0, point to New, and then click DWORD(32-bit) Value .

Type EnumDevice1, and then press Enter.

Right-click EnumDevice1, click Modify....

Type 1 in the Value data box, and then click OK.

Exit Registry Editor.

Source...

CD/DVD DRIVE NOT DETECTED AFTER UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 10 - Page 4 - HP Support Forum - 5172346

Windows 10 doesn't seem to see things that it doesn't load drivers for, it's possible that something has just gone wrong during the reset process and the drivers didn't load.

Perhaps running reset again might fix it.

If you do find out how to resolve this please let us know, it may be helpful to someone else!!!

Mike

 

[Emily Forbes]

Hello, my DVD drive is not showing up in computer, device manager, or even the BIOS. My current OS is Windows 10. I had to reset my PC due to the taskbar freezing up. The DVD drive was fine before the reset. But after I did the reset, my DVD drive went missing from everywhere. I can still press the button at the end of my computer to open the drive and there is lights and such. If someone can help me with this I would greatly appreciate it.

Hey, try the following

· Type regedit in RUN dialogbox

· Now in Registry editor go to following:

· locate the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi
Right-click atapi, point to New, then click Key.
Type Controller0, & press Enter.
Right-click Controller0, point to New, and then click DWORD(32-bit) Value .
Type EnumDevice1, & press Enter.
Right-click EnumDevice1, click Modify....
Type 1 in the Value data box, and press OK.
Exit Registry Editor.

· Restart the computer

· Now you can access optical drive

Hope it will help you

 

[Tech Coyote]

Hi

I'm guessing that this isn't a failure of your drive since I've seen dozens of people reporting the same issue.

Many of them seem to have HP computers but not all.

Here is a more complex manual fix that many people said worked for them...

Note To use this method, you must be logged on to Windows as an administrator.
If you need help verifying that you are an administrator, go to Link Removed

Important Follow the steps in this section carefully.

Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly.

Before you modify it, back up the registry for restoration in case problems occur.

To create the registry subkey, follow these steps:

Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run box. (or right-click on windows icon in lower left corner)
Type regedit in the Run box, then press Enter.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow

In the navigation pane, locate the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi

Right-click atapi, point to New, then click Key.

Type Controller0, and then press Enter.

Right-click Controller0, point to New, and then click DWORD(32-bit) Value .

Type EnumDevice1, and then press Enter.

Right-click EnumDevice1, click Modify....

Type 1 in the Value data box, and then click OK.

Exit Registry Editor.

Source...

CD/DVD DRIVE NOT DETECTED AFTER UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 10 - Page 4 - HP Support Forum - 5172346

Windows 10 doesn't seem to see things that it doesn't load drivers for, it's possible that something has just gone wrong during the reset process and the drivers didn't load.

Perhaps running reset again might fix it.

If you do find out how to resolve this please let us know, it may be helpful to someone else!!!

Mike

I've tried this option too and it didn't work for me! :/

 

[Tech Coyote]

Hey, try the following

· Type regedit in RUN dialogbox

· Now in Registry editor go to following:

· locate the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi
Right-click atapi, point to New, then click Key.
Type Controller0, & press Enter.
Right-click Controller0, point to New, and then click DWORD(32-bit) Value .
Type EnumDevice1, & press Enter.
Right-click EnumDevice1, click Modify....
Type 1 in the Value data box, and press OK.
Exit Registry Editor.

· Restart the computer

· Now you can access optical drive

Hope it will help you

I've tried this and it didn't work for me!

 

[Emily Forbes]

I've tried this and it didn't work for me!

Did you update or reinstall the driver?

Try this:

Open Run dialog box.

Then type devmgmt.msc

In device manager, uninstall DVD/CD-ROM drives

Now restart the system

Driver will be installed automatically.

 

[Tech Coyote]

I am currently not on my laptop but when I last checked the DVD drive wasn't listed

 

[Tech Coyote]

Did you update or reinstall the driver?

Try this:

Open Run dialog box.

Then type devmgmt.msc

In device manager, uninstall DVD/CD-ROM drives

Now restart the system

Driver will be installed automatically.

I'm currently not on my laptop but when I checked device manager DVD wasn't listed

 

[Emily Forbes]

I'm currently not on my laptop but when I checked device manager DVD wasn't listed

Try this,

1. Go to Command Prompt as an Administrator.

2. Then type the following & then press enter

reg.exe add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0" /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

3. Restart the system

 

[Tech Coyote]

Try this,

1. Go to Command Prompt as an Administrator.

2. Then type the following & then press enter

reg.exe add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0" /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

3. Restart the system

I've tried that too, it said "Operation Completed Successfully", but when I restarted my computer there was nothing. When I looked in the registry it did show Controller0 there already.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Hi Tech Coyote,

What did you hear back from Dell?

Also, try accessing your BIOS when your laptop boots (usually <F1> key), and see if your BIOS shows the DVD drive connected. If it doesn't, then the DVD drive has failed, and can be tested and or replaced per my instructions in Post #4 above.

If the DVD is showing up in the Dell BIOS, that means it's a problem with Win10 most likely. If the Registry fix isn't working, and it appears you've tried it several ways, you're best bet is to do a Win8.1 factory Reset using the built-in Rescue Partition or Recovery Discs if you remembered to make them. If the DVD comes back, you can then repeat the Win10 upgrade again and see if that fixes it. If it does not, there's most a likely some kind of intermittent failure with the DVD drive itself, and the best way to test it is with an external usb DVD writer or by purchasing an exact replacement internal drive as I mentioned.

If the DVD does show up in the BIOS after the 8.1 reset, but then disappears in the Win10 upgrade #2, you could have a problem with the upgrade and your Internet connection; or it could also be a problem with your Dell BIOS being out of date. This is something best left to a professional Technician; and it will cost you $40-$120 in the US or so to do this. I don't recommend you doing the BIOS update yourself unless you've done it before, as it's EXTREMELY HIGH RISK to do so, and if you make a mistake you can brick your Motherboard which can be a $400-$1500 repair!! BIOS upgrades are generally the last resort for this type of problem. I agree that you should contact Dell and keep contacting them about this problem, and see if you can get a recommendation from them. If their support Tech recommends the BIOS update, again, you should consider shipping it directly to Dell, or find an authorized Dell Service Center such as Best Buy Geek Squad to perform the work.

I still believe it to be a Hardware problem of some sort, but as Mike & Emily have provided you with software solutions that are not working, you may have to deal with the possibility that my initial analysis is correct. Certainly purchasing an externald DVD writer for <$20 would be the cheapest solution, unless you consider just throwing in the towel and going back to 8.1 on that laptop forever!

Let us know what you found out, or your final solution if you do get it fixed so we can share with other Members here.

Best of luck,
<<<BBJ>>>

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Hi

I'm guessing that this isn't a failure of your drive since I've seen dozens of people reporting the same issue.

Many of them seem to have HP computers but not all.

Here is a more complex manual fix that many people said worked for them...

Note To use this method, you must be logged on to Windows as an administrator.
If you need help verifying that you are an administrator, go to Link Removed

Important Follow the steps in this section carefully.

Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly.

Before you modify it, back up the registry for restoration in case problems occur.

To create the registry subkey, follow these steps:

Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run box. (or right-click on windows icon in lower left corner)
Type regedit in the Run box, then press Enter.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow

In the navigation pane, locate the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi

Right-click atapi, point to New, then click Key.

Type Controller0, and then press Enter.

Right-click Controller0, point to New, and then click DWORD(32-bit) Value .

Type EnumDevice1, and then press Enter.

Right-click EnumDevice1, click Modify....

Type 1 in the Value data box, and then click OK.

Exit Registry Editor.

Source...

CD/DVD DRIVE NOT DETECTED AFTER UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 10 - Page 4 - HP Support Forum - 5172346

Windows 10 doesn't seem to see things that it doesn't load drivers for, it's possible that something has just gone wrong during the reset process and the drivers didn't load.

Perhaps running reset again might fix it.

If you do find out how to resolve this please let us know, it may be helpful to someone else!!!

Mike

>>>Mike: thanks for jumping in on this one!! Appreciate the help. I wasn't aware this was happening to other Win10RTM upgraders, so that's very useful to know too. Plus I've been off the Forums for several weeks after my wife's eye surgery (which went great by the way!). I'll definitely save this Registry Fix for other folks who suffer the same problem. As I wrote in my Post today to the OP, I think he's got bigger problems, most likely Hardware related, and gave him more info to try and go after the problem.
Cheers!
<<<Marc>>>

 

[Tech Coyote]

Hi Tech Coyote,

What did you hear back from Dell?

Also, try accessing your BIOS when your laptop boots (usually <F1> key), and see if your BIOS shows the DVD drive connected. If it doesn't, then the DVD drive has failed, and can be tested and or replaced per my instructions in Post #4 above.

If the DVD is showing up in the Dell BIOS, that means it's a problem with Win10 most likely. If the Registry fix isn't working, and it appears you've tried it several ways, you're best bet is to do a Win8.1 factory Reset using the built-in Rescue Partition or Recovery Discs if you remembered to make them. If the DVD comes back, you can then repeat the Win10 upgrade again and see if that fixes it. If it does not, there's most a likely some kind of intermittent failure with the DVD drive itself, and the best way to test it is with an external usb DVD writer or by purchasing an exact replacement internal drive as I mentioned.

If the DVD does show up in the BIOS after the 8.1 reset, but then disappears in the Win10 upgrade #2, you could have a problem with the upgrade and your Internet connection; or it could also be a problem with your Dell BIOS being out of date. This is something best left to a professional Technician; and it will cost you $40-$120 in the US or so to do this. I don't recommend you doing the BIOS update yourself unless you've done it before, as it's EXTREMELY HIGH RISK to do so, and if you make a mistake you can brick your Motherboard which can be a $400-$1500 repair!! BIOS upgrades are generally the last resort for this type of problem. I agree that you should contact Dell and keep contacting them about this problem, and see if you can get a recommendation from them. If their support Tech recommends the BIOS update, again, you should consider shipping it directly to Dell, or find an authorized Dell Service Center such as Best Buy Geek Squad to perform the work.

I still believe it to be a Hardware problem of some sort, but as Mike & Emily have provided you with software solutions that are not working, you may have to deal with the possibility that my initial analysis is correct. Certainly purchasing an externald DVD writer for <$20 would be the cheapest solution, unless you consider just throwing in the towel and going back to 8.1 on that laptop forever!

Let us know what you found out, or your final solution if you do get it fixed so we can share with other Members here.

Best of luck,
<<<BBJ>>>

I have not spoke to dell since their support isn't available until Monday (today). I will check my BIOS once again and see if my DVD drive is there or not. If it is I will most certainly go back to windows 8.1. And if my DVD drive is 'broken' I will buy an external one since sending it in for repair would be rather expensive.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Sounds good. Looking forward to hearing your final solution.

Best,
<<<BBJ>>>