Windows 7 Unable to detect/read CD/DVD

Ahjeff

New Member
My Windows 7 is unable to read any CD/DVDs I put and I've tried several methods like uninstalling driver, reboot then let it auto reinstall again. Nothing works.
My device name is optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata.

Hope someone can help me :frown:
 
To both of you...

Did this occur immediately after installing?

Obviously it worked to boot from the ISO, correct?

Are you usting the official RC directly from Microsoft?

Can you see it from Windows Explorer?

Does the drive letter show up when you go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management?
 
My Windows 7 is unable to read any CD/DVDs I put and I've tried several methods like uninstalling driver, reboot then let it auto reinstall again. Nothing works.
My device name is optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata.

Hope someone can help me :frown:
Is your Device optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata seen in Device Manager> + DVD/CDROM drives ?
To both as reghakr asked?
 
Did this occur immediately after installing? yes

Obviously it worked to boot from the ISO, correct? no idea

Are you usting the official RC directly from Microsoft? yes

Can you see it from Windows Explorer? yes

Does the drive letter show up when you go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management? yes


Is your Device optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata seen in Device Manager> + DVD/CDROM drives ? yes
 
Did this occur immediately after installing? yes

Obviously it worked to boot from the ISO, correct? no idea

Are you usting the official RC directly from Microsoft? yes

Can you see it from Windows Explorer? yes

Does the drive letter show up when you go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management? yes


Is your Device optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata seen in Device Manager> + DVD/CDROM drives ? yes


You may try this:

  1. Click Start and in Search programs and files box type REGEDIT
  2. From the top of Start menu under Programs (1) RIGHT -click REGEDIT=>Run as administrator=>Yes
  3. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Important: Export and save this key . If the troubleshoot does not help import and restore status quo.
4. In the right pane, click UpperFilters.


Note: You may also see an UpperFilters.bak registry entry. You do not have to remove that entry. Click UpperFilters only. 5.If you do not see the UpperFilters registry entry, you still might have to remove the LowerFilters registry entry. To do this, go to step 8.
6. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
7.When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
8. In the right pane, click LowerFilters.
Note: If you do not see the LowerFilters registry entry, unfortunately this content cannot help you any further

9. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
10.When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
11.Exit Registry Editor.
12.Restart the computer
Hope this helps
 
I tried that method before... cant find the UpperFliter and LowerFilter.

I tried disable and re-enable my DVD rom drive at device manager and now it cant detect the device.
I'm still able to open up the DVD rom drive before windows 7 start up, after it start up I cant open it anymore.
 
I tried that method before... cant find the UpperFliter and LowerFilter.

I tried disable and re-enable my DVD rom drive at device manager and now it cant detect the device.
I'm still able to open up the DVD rom drive before windows 7 start up, after it start up I cant open it anymore.

Did you mean to say that Device Manager does not list your optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata in the DVD/CD-ROM devices group?

If that is correct:
Go to BIOS setup at reboot by pressing the appropraite key and check if the optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata is listed under IDE devices .

Please post back.
 
Last edited:
Now...

Did this occur immediately after installing? yes

Obviously it worked to boot from the ISO, correct? no idea

Are you usting the official RC directly from Microsoft? yes

Can you see it from Windows Explorer? no

Does the drive letter show up when you go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management? no


Is your Device optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata seen in Device Manager> + DVD/CDROM drives ? no
 
I've had the same problem as well. With mine, both drives (asus CD-S480/AH ATA device, and LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1H ATA device) show up as stated in device manager. The issue here is that it says the driver is corrupt. Here's the problem, when I uninstall the driver, and scan for new devices, it installs with the same driver :mad: I just did the registry edit and am going to restart the PC now to see what happens.... :confused:

*EDIT*

NO they do not show up when I go to Computer

Did this occur immediately after installing: within 12 hours, but it was after I installed Adobe CS3 Master Collection, I was about to install Microsoft Office and then this happened....

Does the drive letter show up when you go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management? no

Problem solved with the registry edit! Thanks guys!
 
Last edited:
Did you mean to say that Device Manager does not list your optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata in the DVD/CD-ROM devices group?

If that is correct:
Go to BIOS setup at reboot by pressing the appropraite key and check if the optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata is listed under IDE devices .

Please post back.

I dont see any IDE devices under the BIOS setup. And there's no optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata listed under headers in BIOS setup.
 
yes I installed the one from the offical MS site.
And I installed it from the iso.
I was able to install my webcam software, and 3 hours later I thought; hm MS Office.
it wasnt showing anywhere.

Tried system recovery.
Helped, installed MS office, wanted to install software for bluetooth.
at 30% I dot a Blue screen, and the system restarted and did a recovery by it self.
And now my drive does not work again.

I'll try to use the method you sugested, I'm at school atm so.

I do remember it was showing some sort of an error at "Device Manager", will check and post when I get home.
 
I've had the same problem as well. With mine, both drives (asus CD-S480/AH ATA device, and LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1H ATA device) show up as stated in device manager. The issue here is that it says the driver is corrupt. Here's the problem, when I uninstall the driver, and scan for new devices, it installs with the same driver :mad: I just did the registry edit and am going to restart the PC now to see what happens.... :confused:

*EDIT*

NO they do not show up when I go to Computer

Did this occur immediately after installing: within 12 hours, but it was after I installed Adobe CS3 Master Collection, I was about to install Microsoft Office and then this happened....

Does the drive letter show up when you go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management? no

Problem solved with the registry edit! Thanks guys!
So the Problem was solved with the upperFilter and LowerFilter removal in Registry , right?
Thank you for posting back.:)
 
I dont see any IDE devices under the BIOS setup. And there's no optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata listed under headers in BIOS setup.

I'm really sorry for missing this post among 3 posters, 2 joining the thread you started with the symptom of CD/DVD device not being able to read any discs placed in the drive.

Since answers were coming from initially 2 and later a third poster it was hard to follow who is where in the troubleshoot -a real "Tower of Babel confusion" of Biblical times or more contemporaneous "The Abbot and Castello " show [ "Well, let's see, we have on the bags, Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third..." ( pastorway: Phillip's Phunnies - Who's on First? )]:D
For making things easer for me or anyone else reading this thread, I have copied the questions reghakr and I (cmn) had posted and your responses to them in a box below. Please read on...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ahjeff

My Windows 7 is unable to read any CD/DVDs I put and I've tried several methods like uninstalling driver, reboot then let it auto reinstall again. Nothing works.
My device name is optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata.

Hope someone can help me

reghakr
Did this occur immediately after installing? yes

Obviously it worked to boot from the ISO, correct? no idea

Are you usting the official RC directly from Microsoft? yes

Can you see it from Windows Explorer? yes

Does the drive letter show up when you go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management? yes
cmn
Is your Device optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata seen in Device Manager> + DVD/CDROM drives ? yes


cmn





You may try this:
  1. Click Start and in Search programs and files box type REGEDIT
  2. From the top of Start menu under Programs (1) RIGHT -click REGEDIT=>Run as administrator=>Yes
  3. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Important: Export and save this key . If the troubleshoot does not help import and restore status quo.
4. In the right pane, click UpperFilters.


Note: You may also see an UpperFilters.bak registry entry. You do not have to remove that entry. Click UpperFilters only. 5.If you do not see the UpperFilters registry entry, you still might have to remove the LowerFilters registry entry. To do this, go to step 8.
6. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
7.When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
8. In the right pane, click LowerFilters.
Note: If you do not see the LowerFilters registry entry, unfortunately this content cannot help you any further

9. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
10.When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
11.Exit Registry Editor.
12.Restart the computer
Hope this helps
Ahjeff

I tried that method before... cant find the UpperFliter and LowerFilter.

I tried disable and re-enable my DVD rom drive at device manager and now it cant detect the device.
I'm still able to open up the DVD rom drive before windows 7 start up, after it start up I cant open it anymore

cmn

Did you mean to say that Device Manager does not list your optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata in the DVD/CD-ROM devices group?

If that is correct:
Go to BIOS setup at reboot by pressing the appropriate key and check if the optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata is listed under IDE devices .

Please post back.

Ahjeff

Now...

Did this occur immediately after installing? yes

Obviously it worked to boot from the ISO, correct? no idea

Are you usting the official RC directly from Microsoft? yes

Can you see it from Windows Explorer? no

Does the drive letter show up when you go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management? no


Is your Device optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata seen in Device Manager> + DVD/CDROM drives ? no

dont see any IDE devices under the BIOS setup. And there's no optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a ata listed under headers in BIOS setup.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


When I reread the above chronology of events , after your own Device Manager troubleshoot of disabling and re-enabling the DVD device
I tried disable and re-enable my DVD rom drive at device manager and now it cant detect the device. I'm still able to open up the DVD rom drive before windows 7 start up, after it start up I cant open it anymore
the optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a previously seen in Explorer view (or click Computer> installed drives) , Disk Management Snap-in tool and Device Manager is no longer seen in those places and additionally , it is not seen in the BIOS Setup also.
If I have summarized the situation correctly my approach from now on would be:

  1. Restart the Computer and enter the BIOS Setup
  2. If there is a menu " Load Optimized defaults", Select that >Save and Exit. If " Load Optimized defaults", is unavailable the next best is to selectLoad the Fail-Safe Defaults =>Save and Exit
  3. On reboot, access Device Manager ==> DVD/CD-ROM drives group and verify the presence of optiarc dvd+-rw ad-5540a
  4. Please post back.
Thank you
 
Well here is the report my Device Manager is saying:

Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)
 
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