HP PCs - CD/DVD Drive Is Not Detected (Windows 10, 8)

If a window does not open when you insert a disc into the drive and the drive does not display in File Explorer, it might be a problem with the BIOS. The BIOS in your computer manages all communication between the hardware components and the operating system. If the operating system does not recognize the CD/DVD drive, check the BIOS and see if it is recognized there.

• If there is no CD/DVD drive listed in BIOS, the problem is probably hardware-related.
  • If you are using a desktop computer, skip to Check the drive cable connections.
  • If you are using a notebook computer, go to HP Customer Support for further assistance.
• If a CD/DVD drive name is listed in BIOS, the BIOS recognizes the device and the problem is most likely software-related. Continue to the next step.

Check the drive name in Device Manager, and then reinstall the drive in Device Manager to determine if Windows is able to recognize the drive.

1. In Windows, search for and open Device Manager.
2. Double-click DVD/CD-ROM drives to expand the category.
   If DVD/CD-ROM drives is not in the list, skip to Reset the computer power.
   
3. Right-click the drive name and then select Uninstall.
   
4. If a confirmation window opens, select OK or Yes.
   The drive name is removed from the list (and the DVD/CD-ROM drives category is removed if there is only one drive).
5. In Device Manager, click Action, select Scan for hardware changes, and then wait for Windows to find and install the CD/DVD drive.
   
   When the installation finishes, the drive name should display in Device Manager.
6. Open the DVD/CD-ROM drive category again and do the following actions depending on what displays in DVD/CD-ROM drives:
   • If CD/DVD drive name is missing displays, the drive is not being detected by Windows. Scan for hardware changes again to attempt to detect the drive. If the drive is still not detected, close Device Manager, reseat the drive cables if necessary, and skip to Reset the computer power to reset power.
   • If drive name is shown with an alert icon displays (the drive icon is marked with an alert symbol ), double-click the drive name to find more information. Do the following depending on what displays in the Device Status section:
     • If error code 10, 19, 31, 32, 39 or 41 displays in Device Status, a problem exists with the integration of previous CD burning software. Skip to Clear the upper and lower registry filters to remove associated control filters from the registry.
     • For any other error, refer to the information that is provided with the error code.
   • If the drive name is shown with a disabled icon (the drive icon is marked with an arrow pointing down ), the drive has been disabled. Right-click the drive name and select Enable. You might have to restart the computer. The drive should work correctly after it is enabled.
     If the drive cannot be enabled, a required software service or driver is disabled or not functioning properly.
     • Double-click IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers in Device Manager to see if there are any problems and troubleshoot them according to the error codes.
     • Resetting the BIOS might also resolve this problem.
       1. Turn off the computer.
       2. Press the Power button, then repeatedly press Esc untill the Startup Menu opens, and then press F10 to access the BIOS.

       • To reset the BIOS on a notebook computer, press F9 to Setup Defaults, press Enter, then press F10 again to Save and Exit.
       • To reset the BIOS on a desktop computer, use the arrow keys to navigate to the File tab, select Apply Defaults and Exit, press Enter, then press Enter again to confirm.
   • If the CD/DVD drive is listed as normal, with no special icons , Windows detects the drive but other software used to burn discs might not detect the drive. Go to the Software for burning discs does not recogonize the drive section for the steps to make the disc burning software detect the drive.

If a window does not open when you insert a disc into the drive and the drive does not display in File Explorer, it might be a problem with the hardware. Windows includes a troubleshooter that checks hardware, such as CD/DVD drives, for problems.

1. In Windows, search for and open Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel Search field, type Troubleshooting, and then press Enter.
   
3. In the Troubleshooting window select Hardware and Sound, and then scroll down to select Video Playback.
   
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to detect and resolve any problems.
   If the drive is still missing after using the troubleshooter, continue to the next step.

Under certain conditions the drive might lose communication with Windows even after restarting Windows, which can cause problems with CD or DVD detection. Resetting the computer power can fix this problem.

1. Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds to turn off your computer completely.
2. Wait until the computer fully shuts down, and then disconnect the power cord from the computer.
3. If you have a notebook computer, remove all batteries from their compartments, wait 10 seconds, and then reinsert the battery (or batteries). If your notebook computer has a battery that is sealed within the computer's case, or a battery that cannot be removed easily, skip this step.
4. After waiting at least 10 seconds, reconnect power to the computer.
5. Turn on the computer and wait for Windows to start. If any messages display indicating that Windows is installing new hardware, wait for Windows to finish before checking to see if the CD/DVD drive is available.

If the drive is still missing after resetting power:

• Desktop computers: Continue to the next step to check the drive cable connections.
• Notebook computers: Skip to Clear the upper and lower registry filters.

If you are using a desktop computer, perform the steps in this section to check the CD/DVD drive cable connections. If you are using a notebook computer, skip to Clear the upper and lower registry filters.

Clear the registry filters for Device Manager error codes 10, 19, 31, 32, 39 or 41.

1. Unplug all non-essential external plug and play devices, especially cameras.
2. In Windows, search for and open regedit.
3. Select Computer in the main window.
   
4. Click File, click Export, type a filename that is easy for you to remember, then click Save.
   A copy of the registry has been saved for back-up purposes to the Documents folder. If problems occur after using these steps, browse to the file and double-click it to restore the registry.
5. Click the arrow next to each of the following items in the list:
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
   • SYSTEM
   • CurrentControlSet
   • Control
   • Class
6. Select 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318. Make sure you have selected this exact key name.
7. If a LowerFilters value is listed on the right side of the Registry Editor window, select the LowerFilters value and press the Delete key. Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes.
   
8. If an UpperFilters value is also listed, select UpperFilters in the right side of the window and press the Delete key.
   Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes.
9. Delete LowerFiltersall other UpperFilters and values within the 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 key if any exist.
10. Close the Registry Editor, and then restart the computer. The disc drive should now be recognized by Windows. You might need to uninstall your disc recording software, restart the computer, reinstall the CD/DVD writing software, and then restart the computer again if the software no longer recognizes the drive (see next section).

If you suspect that the drive might be bad after using the previous steps, test the drive to see if the hardware has failed. For more information about testing for CD/DVD drive hardware failures, go to Testing for Hardware Failures (Windows 10, 8).

If the drive test fails, the drive needs to be replaced or the computer needs to be serviced.

Upgrading the operating system or installing certain types of software can cause other recording software to lose their connection to the drive. Installing software that can burn discs, some music software, and some DVD authoring/decryption software can cause these types of problems.

To correct the problem and allow the software to detect the drive again, uninstall the CD/DVD recording software, restart the computer, reinstall the disc recording software, then restart the computer again.

note:

If the CD/DVD writing software that you use was purchased separately, uninstall the software, restart, then use its installation discs to install the software, then restart again.

The following procedure is an example of how to correct a No burner is currently available message in CyberLink Power2Go.

note:

Those familiar with editing the Windows registry can save time by adding a LowerFilters value to the Windows Registry instead of reinstalling the software. To do so, skip to Replace the PxHelp20 registry value.

Uninstall CyberLink Power2Go from Programs and Features:

1. In Windows, search for and open Apps & features.
2. Scroll down to Related settings, then click Programs and Features.
3. Right-click CyberLink Power2Go, then click Uninstall.
   
4. After you uninstall CyberLink Power2Go, restart the computer.
5. After the computer restarts, select your operating system for more information about reinstalling Cyberlink Power2Go:
   • Windows 10: Check the Microsoft Store. Many of the apps that came pre-installed on your computer are available to download for free in the Microsoft Store app. For more information and support, go to Issues with Apps in Windows 10.
     If you do not find the software in the Microsoft Store, then go to the HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads page. If a Let's identify your product to get started page displays, select your computer type, type the model name of your computer, and then click Submit. From the list of available software and driver categories, find the software or driver you are looking for, click the category name, and then click Download.
   • Windows 8: Use the HP recovery process to install the original drivers and software that came with your computer. Recovery Manager enables you to choose specific hardware or drivers to reinstall. For more information refer to Using Recovery Manager to Restore Software and Drivers (Windows 8)
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall Cyberlink Power2Go, and then open the app.
7. Confirm that a drive name displays as the destination selection.

After the CD/DVD software is reinstalled and the computer has been restarted, it should recognize the CD/DVD drive. If the drive is not recognized, continue to the next step.

Replace the PxHelp20 registry value.

1. In Windows, search for and open regedit.
2. Select Computer in the main window.
   
3. Click File, Export, type a filename that is easy for you to remember, and then click Save.
   A copy of the registry has saved for back-up purposes to the Documents folder. If problems occur after using these steps, browse to the file and double-click it to restore the registry.
4. Click the arrow next to each of the following items in the list:
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
   • SYSTEM
   • CurrentControlSet
   • Control
   • Class
5. Select 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318. Make sure you have selected this exact key name.
6. If a LowerFilters value is listed on the right side of the registry editor window, click the LowerFilters value, and press the Delete key. Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes.
7. With the 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 key still selected, right-click any blank area of the right side of the Registry Editor window (the window pane listing all the values within the key).
8. Select New, then click Multi-String Value.
   
9. Replace the default text for the new Multi-String value by typing the following then pressingEnter:
   LowerFilters
10. Right-click the new LowerFilters value and select modify.
11. Type the following into the Value Data field:
    PxHelp20
12. Click OK.
    A new LowerFilters value containing PxHelp20 is listed in the Registry Editor window.
    
13. Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer. The disc drive should now be recognized by your recording software. If not, continue to the next step.

Go to the HP website to see if there are any drive firmware and/or recording software updates available.

1. Go to HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads.
2. If a Let's identify your product to get started page displays, click Laptop or Desktop. Type the model name for your HP or Compaq computer in the search field, and then click Submit. For example, type Pavilion HPE h8-1360t Desktop, and then click Submit.
   You might need select a model number from a list before you can access your product support page. If so, select your model number from the list.
   
   The software results page for your computer displays with the operating system selected.
3. Navigate to the product page for your computer.
   
4. From the list of available software and driver categories, click the Firmware category, and then look for any available CD/DVD firmware updates (for example: HLDS CH10L DVD-R/RW drive firmware update). If you find a firmware update, select the ones that apply.
5. Click the Software - Multimedia and Software - Solutions categories and look for any available recording software updates (for example: CyberLink Power2Go update). If you find an update, select the ones that apply.
6. Click the Download button, and then follow the on-screen instructions to download and install each applicable update.

If you installed updates and the issue persists, or if no updates were available, continue to the next step.

Use Microsoft System Restore to return the system back to a time when the CD/DVD writing software was known to work. For more information, refer to the HP Support document Using Microsoft System Restore (Windows 10, 8).

If a System Restore does not resolve the problem, you can perform a system recovery to return the computer software configuration back to its original state. Depending on your version of Windows, go to one of the following HP support documents for more information:

• Windows 10: Performing a System Recovery (Windows 10)
• Windows 8: Performing an HP System Recovery (Windows 8)

If you suspect that the drive might be bad after using the previous steps, test the drive to see if the hardware has failed. For more information about testing for CD/DVD drive hardware failures, go to Testing for Hardware Failures (Windows 10, 8)

If the drive test fails, the drive needs to be replaced or the computer needs to be serviced.