DVD-RW Drive Has Disappeared From Windows But Not BIOS

DJ_Price · 24-10-2007, 03:53

For some reason my DVD-RW drive does not show up in My Computer or device manager, but on booting of windows it shows in the BIOS list. I had a problem before this where it disappeared, but then came back & then went again, so I formatted my pc & on this new install of windows it's now done the same, but has permantly gone where as before it showed in device manager with code 41. I have tried other thing I found on the internet, such as deleting the LowerFilters & UpperFilters in the registry, using a zip file called cdgone which I found on here aswell as another forum, but nothing worked. I also have a DVD-ROM drive which works fine & is shown in My Computer & also device manager. I thought as that works I would change my IDE cables around so the DVD-RW is using the DVD-ROMs cable, but still nothing. My guess is that it's a registry problem, but not too sure. Thanks for any help that I may get. DJ_Price

Graham M · 24-10-2007, 10:08

Try this

http://www.theeldergeek.com/restore_..._dvd_drive.htm

Hope it helps, it did me!

morrk · 24-10-2007, 10:37

May be worth checking of the drive appears in disk management.

Right click "My computer" - Click on manage - Click on disk management.

If the disk appears here but still not in My computer, try right clicking and changing the drive letter to something diffferent.

DJ_Price · 24-10-2007, 13:56

Checked in disk management & it's not there. Also checked the page you gave Zeph, but as I said I have tried things to do with Lower & Upper Filters. There not even in the registry, so I had added them, but that didn't work either.

morrk · 24-10-2007, 14:38

Does it appear in device manager at all?

royaltiger · 24-10-2007, 15:23

you may find the cable was not pushed in correctly which would give out a sign of working and then not, also if you have changed the cable setting you would then have to change the jumper setting to match

**Maggy** · 24-10-2007, 15:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by royaltiger

you may find the cable was not pushed in correctly which would give out a sign of working and then not, also if you have changed the cable setting you would then have to change the jumper setting to match

I also occasionally and randomly lose mine...powering down,taking out all the cables and swearing then inserting the cables again and then powering up sometimes works by about the third try.

Alien · 24-10-2007, 16:53

Try uninstalling the IDE drivers [but don't reboot], then reinstalling them, then reboot, & you might see Windows re-detect your DVDRW when it starts up.

DJ_Price · 24-10-2007, 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by morrk

Does it appear in device manager at all?

No it doesn't

Quote:

Originally Posted by royaltiger

you may find the cable was not pushed in correctly which would give out a sign of working and then not, also if you have changed the cable setting you would then have to change the jumper setting to match

The cable had been reseated 3 times, it's on cable select.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Incognitas

I also occasionally and randomly lose mine...powering down,taking out all the cables and swearing then inserting the cables again and then powering up sometimes works by about the third try.

Have tried this, but nothing

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien

Try uninstalling the IDE drivers [but don't reboot], then reinstalling them, then reboot, & you might see Windows re-detect your DVDRW when it starts up.

Not to sure what you mean by the IDE drivers. Do you mean in device manager & then right clicking on the item & uninstalling?

Alien · 24-10-2007, 19:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ_Price

The cable had been reseated 3 times, it's on cable select.

Unless instructions for your specific drive said you must use the cable select option then you shouldn't use it. You should set the jumper on the back of the drive to either master or slave, depending on which connector on the cable it's attached to. If you don't have any other drives connected to that cable then the drive shoud be set to master.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ_Price

Not to sure what you mean by the IDE drivers. Do you mean in device manager & then right clicking on the item & uninstalling?

Yep, where it says IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, uninstall the entries [probably 2] listed under that when you click the + sign next to it.

24-10-2007, 20:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien

Unless instructions for your specific drive said you must use the cable select option then you shouldn't use it. You should set the jumper on the back of the drive to either master or slave, depending on which connector on the cable it's attached to. If you don't have any other drives connected to that cable then the drive shoud be set to master.

Yep, where it says IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, uninstall the entries [probably 2] listed under that when you click the + sign next to it..

good point about cable select, not many 40wire IDE cables are compatible

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/confCS-c.html

I agree it is best to use master/slave jumpers, as appropriate, for normal optical drives

Alien · 24-10-2007, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by homealone

good point about cable select, not many 40wire IDE cables are compatible

Does anyone still use 40wire IDE cables? I can't remember the last time I saw 1.

24-10-2007, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien

Does anyone still use 40wire IDE cables? I can't remember the last time I saw 1.

the last two retail optical drives I bought had a 40 wire cable in the box

good link btw

Alien · 24-10-2007, 21:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by homealone

the last two retail optical drives I bought had a 40 wire cable in the box

What were they, 10x CD-ROM?

Come to think of it, I've had a couple of retail optical drives [12x CDRW & 52x CDRW], & neither came with an IDE cable at all, but the last 2 I've bought [DVDRWs] were both OEM drives.

24-10-2007, 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien

What were they, 10x CD-ROM?

Come to think of it, I've had a couple of retail optical drives [12x CDRW & 52x CDRW], & neither came with an IDE cable at all, but the last 2 I've bought [DVDRWs] were both OEM drives.

Oh don't get me wrong, if I could be bothered I would replace the 40 wire flat cables with 80 wire round ones & probably improve data transfer, as well as air flow - but I am wary of fiddling with things when they are working well enough - that is well enough for me

I still reckon you were right about the possibility of it being a factor with the OP's problem - though I will probably never pay you a compliment again