Windows 10 Windows Update messing up CD functionality?

[BrotherMythos]

Seems to me that since the "print nightmare" Windows Updates earlier this month, I have had issues with 2 laptops. The old one was starting to have other issues, but what sealed the deal is that I could not get Windows to recognize a music CD in File Explorer, nor did it show up in Media Monkey 5. So I assumed it was a hardware issue, though strangely the drive would play a DVD just fine!

So I got a new laptop this week. One of the first things I did was to port my Media Monkey music library from the old computer to the new one. I played a New Order CD and it worked fine. Then I went and did all the Windows Updates I was "supposed to" do. Guess what? Same damn thing happened on the new machine. I stuck a music CD in. It acknowledged in the upper right portion of the pane in File Explorer that there is a CD-ROM and it asks what files do you want to move to a disc, listing just desktop.ini . Then in MediaMonkey when I clicked on the CD drive it would say drive or disc (one of the 2) is not accessible. FreeDB (which MM uses instead of Gracenote to identify music) would not acknowledge anything was in there. And the ripping option actually came up with a window that listed how many tracks, but I got no titles for tracks or the album, just generic info -- I didn't attempt to use that as who wants to type in everything when we know the program should be able to do it.

So I looked stuff up and followed some advice on how to reset the drive and the drivers and the registry. Sadly I wound up with a Windows stop screen and then had to revert to factory settings and reinstall my programs again. I have been holding off on doing any Windows updates because I don't want to go through this again!

Anyone have advice? I assume it's more of a Windows problem. But if it's happened on 2 different laptops for me, I have to wonder if it's happened with anyone else, and what may be the solution? I think a recent Windows Update messed up the driver but I am not a supergeek.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are facing issues with recognizing music CDs on your Windows laptops after recent Windows Updates. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve this problem: 1. Check AutoPlay Settings: - Make sure that AutoPlay settings are configured correctly for Audio CDs. You can adjust these settings by going to Settings > Devices > AutoPlay. 2. Ensure Optical Drive Security Settings: - Check if the Group Policy or registry settings related to the "print nightmare" updates might be impacting the functionality of the optical drive. Try adjusting security settings related to drivers. 3. Reinstall Optical Drive Drivers: - Uninstall the device drivers for your optical drive and then restart your laptop. Windows should automatically reinstall the driver. You can also try manually downloading the latest driver from the manufacturer's website. 4. Run Hardware Troubleshooter: - Use Windows built-in Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter to automatically find and fix problems. 5. Update Windows and Drivers: - Ensure that your Windows system is fully updated, including optional driver updates. You might want to proceed with the updates cautiously, considering the issues you faced after the previous updates. 6. Test the Drive on Another Computer: - If possible, try the music CD on another computer to determine if the issue is related to the drive itself or the laptop's configuration. 7. Use Compatibility Mode: - Try running MediaMonkey in compatibility mode. Right-click on the MediaMonkey shortcut, go to Properties > Compatibility, and try different compatibility modes. 8. Restore to a Previous Point: - If the issue occurred after a recent Windows Update, consider reverting to a restore point before the updates if possible. By following these steps, you may be able to resolve the issues with recognizing music CDs on your laptops after recent Windows Updates. If the problem persists, you might need to consider reaching out to Microsoft Support or the laptop manufacturer for further assistance.