Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs

Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or not recognized by Windows or other programs, so you cannot play or access a CD or DVD. This issue might have occurred after you installed, uninstalled, or updated a program or Windows Vista.

See the “More information” section for detailed information.

This article helps you fix the problem. To have us fix this problem for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix this problem link. Then, click Run now button from the Automated Troubleshooting Services page and follow the steps in this wizard.

Note This automatic fix only applies to Windows XP and to Windows Vista. If your computer is running Windows 7 or Windows 8, go to  the "Let me fix it myself" section for steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
This problem is caused by two Windows registry entries that have become corrupted. To fix the problem, you have to use Registry Editor to delete the corrupted Registry entries. To use this method, you must be logged on to Windows as an administrator. If you need help verifying that you are an administrator, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Windows 8

You can try using the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter to fix the problem. It checks for common problems and makes sure that any new device or hardware connected to your PC is installed correctly.

• Open the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering hardware and devices in the search box, tapping or clicking Settings, and then tapping or clicking Find and fix problems with devices.‌
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   You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.

Windows 7

To resolve this problem on a computer that is running Windows 7, use the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter to fix the problem. It checks for common issues and makes sure that any new device or hardware attached to your computer was installed correctly.

Note: To make sure you have the most up-to-date troubleshooters from the Windows Online Troubleshooting Service, your computer should be connected to the Internet. For more information, see Troubleshooting in Windows.

Open the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter by clicking theStart button , and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type troubleshooter, and then clickTroubleshooting. Under Hardware and Sound, click Configure a device.‌  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Windows Vista

1. Click Start
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   , and then click All Programs.
2. Click Accessories, and then click Run.
3. Type regedit, and then click OK.
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   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
4. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
5. 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. 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. Go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how you can find more solutions or more help on the Microsoft Web site.
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.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
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}
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. 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 7.
5. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
6. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
7. In the right pane, click LowerFilters.
   
   Note If you do not see the LowerFilters registry entry, unfortunately this content cannot help you any further. Go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how you can find more solutions or more help on the Microsoft Web site.
8. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
9. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
10. Exit Registry Editor.
11. Restart the computer.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Windows 8

Swipe from the right or press the Windows + C keys. Tap or click the search charm, and then type my computer. Then check to see if the drive is listed.

Windows 7

Click Start, click Computer, and then see whether the drive is listed.

Windows Vista

Click Start, click Computer, and then see whether the drive is listed.

Windows XP

Click Start, click My Computer, and then see whether the drive is listed.

Is the drive listed?

If the drive is listed, try to play or access a CD or DVD.
If you can play or access a CD or DVD, you are finished with this article.

If you cannot play or access a CD or DVD, you may have to reinstall some programs. Some programs might not be able to use your CD or DVD drive until you reinstall those programs. If the problem occurs again when you install or uninstall those programs, contact the manufacturer of the program to see if an update is available that solves the problem. Some examples of programs that might be affected are:

• iTunes software by Apple
• Nero software by Nero Inc
• Roxio Creator software by Sonic Solutions
• Zune software by Microsoft

After reinstalling your programs, if you can play or access a CD or DVD, you are finished with this article.

If you still cannot play or access a CD or DVD, please see the "Next steps" section.

If the drive is not listed, remove and reinstall the existing drivers.

Remove and reinstall drivers

If the drive is not listed, remove and reinstall the existing drivers. To do this, follow these steps:

Windows 8

1. Swipe from the right or press the Windows + C keys.
2. Tap or click the search charm, and then type device manager.
3. Tap or click device manager from the list.
4. Long press or right-click the icon that represents the device in the Device Manager window.
5. On the menu that appears, tap or click Uninstall to uninstall the device driver.
6. Tap or click Action on the Device Manager menu bar.
7. On the Action menu, tap or click Scan for hardware changes to reinstall the device driver.

Windows 7

1. Click Start
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   , and then click Control Panel.
2. Click System and Security, click System, and then click Device Manager.
   
   Note If Control Panel is in Classic View, double-click System, and then click Device Manager.
   
   
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   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
3. In Device Manager, expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click the CD and DVD devices, and then click Uninstall.
4. When you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the device, click OK.
5. Restart the computer.

After the computer restarts, the drivers will be automatically installed

Windows Vista

1. Click Start
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   , and then click Control Panel.
2. Click System and Maintenance, click System, and then click Device Manager.
   
   Note If Control Panel is in Classic View, double-click System, and then click Device Manager.
   
   
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   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
3. In Device Manager, expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click the CD and DVD devices, and then click Uninstall.
4. When you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the device, click OK.
5. Restart the computer.

After the computer restarts, the drivers will be automatically installed.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click System and Maintenance, and then click System,
3. On the Hardware tab, click Device Manager. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
4. In Device Manager, expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click the CD and DVD devices, and then click Uninstall.
5. When you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the device, click OK.
6. Restart the computer.

After the computer restarts, the drivers will be automatically installed.

See if reinstalling the drivers fixed the problem.

Now try to play or access a CD or DVD.

If you can play or access a CD or DVD, you are finished with this article.

If you cannot play or access a CD or DVD, you may have to reinstall some programs. Some programs might not be able to use your CD or DVD drive until you reinstall those programs. If the problem occurs again when you install or uninstall those programs, contact the manufacturer of the program to see if an update is available that solves the problem. Some examples of programs that might be affected are:

• iTunes software by Apple
• Nero software by Nero Inc
• Roxio Creator software by Sonic Solutions
• Zune software by Microsoft

After reinstalling your programs, if you can play or access a CD or DVD, you are finished with this article.

If you cannot play or access a CD or DVD, please see the "Next steps" section.

If this method did not help you, you might want to use the Microsoft Customer Support Services Web site to find other solutions. Some services that the Microsoft Customer Support Services Web site provides include the following:

• Searchable Knowledge Base
  (http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1)
  : Search technical support information and self-help tools for Microsoft products.
• Solution Centers
  (http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub)
  : View product-specific frequently asked questions and support highlights.
• Other Support Options
  (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=csshome)
  : Use the Web to ask a question, to contact Microsoft Customer Support Services, or to provide feedback.

If you continue to have questions after you use these Microsoft Web sites, or if you cannot find a solution on the Microsoft Support Services Web site, click the following link to contact Support:

This issue may have occurred after one of the following situations:

• You upgrade a computer to Windows Vista or install Windows Vista Service Pack 1.
• You install or uninstall CD or DVD recording programs.
• You uninstall Microsoft Digital Image.

You may see one of the following error messages:

• One of the following error messages appears when you view the CD drive or the DVD drive in Device Manager.
  
  Error message 1
  The device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device (Code 31).
  Error message 2
  A driver for this device was not required, and has been disabled (Code 32 or Code 31).
  Error message 3
  Your registry might be corrupted. (Code 19)
• An "error code 39" error message.
• A message that resembles the following appears in the notification area:
  Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot find the hardware device. (Code 41)