How do I find the CD drive on my computer

Did Windows 10 break your optical drive? Here are some quick and easy fixes that might get you up and running again.

This might make you feel old, but CD/DVD drives are now considered legacy hardware. As Windows 10 continues to modernize the operating system, support for such older hardware technology as optical drives is becoming increasingly spotty. This is unfortunate since many users still depend on CDs and DVDs.  In fact, you might even need to use a DVD drive to install Windows 10 on your computer. One of the common complaints I have encountered among users is the loss of their DVD or CD drive after upgrading. This can be a result of a combination of factors: corrupt driver, out of date firmware, or a factory defect. Before you throw out your DVD drive and get a new one, here is a look at some troubleshooting steps you can try to get it working again.

Use Windows Update to Fix Windows 10 DVD Drive Issues

It’s not unusual for your optical drive to be working just fine in a previous version of Windows or Windows 10, then the minute you upgrade to a new version, it stops working.  The first thing you can do is check Windows Update then install the latest drivers if there are any. For example, Microsoft released updates for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and version 1511 that resolved problems with optical drives.  In this case, the cause of the problem was also the solution.

Click Start > Settings > Update & security. Make sure that your system is up to date and there are no hardware driver updates to install.

If you get a CD/DVD driver that works for you, you might want to consider stopping Windows 10 from automatically updating drivers in the future.

Reinstall or Update Driver in Device Manager

Boot to the Windows 10 desktop, then launch Device Manager by pressing Windows key + X and clicking Device Manager. Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click the optical drive listed, then click Uninstall. Exit Device Manager then restart your computer. Windows 10 will detect the drive then reinstall it. You can also use the option to Update Driver Software from within Device Manager.

Another option you can try – I notice this works for many users – involves removing and reinstalling the IDE/ATAPI drivers. Launch Device Manager again, click the View menu then click Show hidden devices. Expand IDE/ATAPI Controllers then uninstall each of the following:

• ATA Channel 0
• ATA Channel 1
• Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller

There might be multiple entries listed for ATA Channel 0, 1 and PCI IDE Controller; uninstall all of them then restart your computer. Windows 10 will detect the drive then reinstall it.

Remove Virtual Drive Software

Virtual drive software, which is used to mount disc images (ISOs) can sometimes cause conflict with physical optical drives. If you have utilities such as Daemon Tools, PowerISO, ISO Recorder or similar software installed, remove them. Press Windows key + x  and choose Programs and Features. Highlight the program and click Uninstall.

Check Your BIOS/UEFI Settings and Update Chipset Firmware

If your CD/DVD drive isn’t detected by Windows, make sure the drive is working and recognized in your computer’s firmware. Check out our article for instructions on how to load your BIOS or UEFI firmware interface. If you see your optical drive listed in the BIOS, that’s a good sign.

If you don’t see your CD/DVD drive in the BIOS/UEFI, then something is definitely awry.

Depending on the age of your system, there is a possibility your chipset drivers for your motherboard might be out of date. Check the manufacturer’s website for your computer and browse the downloads section for your particular model. Installing the latest chipset driver may resolve the issue with your optical drive not working properly or not being recognized in Windows.

You should also check if there are any BIOS or firmware updates for your system since these can improve Windows 10 compatibility with older hardware.

Edit Windows Registry to Fix CD Drive Issues in Windows 10

If the problem persists after exhausting these troubleshooting steps, then you can move on to making changes to the Windows 10 registry, which might restore functionality. Before carrying out any of these steps, make sure you back up your registry and create a system restore point just in case.

Press Windows key + x then click Command Prompt (Admin).

Enter the following command at the prompt, hit Enter, exit the command prompt then restart your computer.

reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

Corrupt registry entries have also been known to cause problems with hardware such as optical drives. Removing these corrupt entries just might fix the problem.

Click Start, and type: regedit
Right-click regedit then click Run as administrator
Navigate to the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

In the right pane, click UpperFilters

From the Edit menu, click Delete then click Yes to confirm changes.

Repeat the same steps for LowerFilters.

If you don’t see an entry for LowerFilters, exit the registry then restart your computer.

Playing DVD Movies in Windows 10

Windows 10 does not include native DVD Playback, neither does it support Blu-ray media. If you want to do this inWindows 10, you need to install compatible software that supports your optical drive. Microsoft provides a universal DVD playback app for purchase from the Windows Store. If you don’t want to purchase software, you can check the manufacturer’s website to find out if they have supported software you can use to view your media. Third party software such as VLC Player might work with your media, and it’s free too.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these tips can resurrect your optical drive. If you still cannot get the drive to work or show up in Windows 10, you can consider rolling back to your previous Windows version to see if it makes a difference; or consider purchasing a new drive. A convenient option is a USB external optical drive. This is not the answer many of you were hoping to hear, but its an option to consider (and will only set you back about $25).

31 Comments

31 Comments

1. Steve

   My Win 10 doesn’t have the channel 0,1, or dual channel listings in the first step.

   Reply

2. Manny Robles

   I finally solved my windows media player while using windows 10 problem. Windows media player is NOT compatible with Windows 10.
   The media update listed in this article does apply to Windows 10 users.
   The app you recommend purchasing from the app store, “Windows DVD Player” is not available for Windows 10. A windows tech forwarded that app to me, I purchased it, we downloaded it only to find that it is not compatible with Windows 10.
   Finally the only app that worked was the VLC media player, and it’s free. A Microsoft tech downloaded it onto my Windows 10 laptop and it works perfectly. I hate that I wasted so much time trying to figure this out, when Microsoft knew along Windows Media Player isn’t compatible with Windows 10.

   Reply

   • Giselle

     I have the VLC player and I have tried to get it to read my dvd drive, but I keep getting an error. Can you say how you got it to work?

     Reply

3. fabijoe

   I have done all the tips above in order written. My DVD driver is not available still. It is in BIOS, it is in device manager with it’s most new driver installed, and it can be seen in filemanager also, but does not work. Although it was after some time after finishing above procedures last restart that for my surprise it was working again, but the next restart had brougth it away again.
   I suspect, but I cannot confirm, that the cause was the latest windows update last week, but the drive does not went wrong immedaitely after update, but only some days later.
   I have to try yet to turn back to last savepoint before last update.

   Reply

4. Harold kivett

   As with many MANY others after recent windows 10 update dose not recognize sata drive cd dvd rw. drive shows in device manager and other places BUT not as E I have read and tried everything possible – device manager – Command prompt. Last thing I wanted do was edit reg. Found 2-3 on YouTube NO NOTHING from Microsoft I have contact manufacture and about updating Mother board and Bois also spoke with Microsoft Tech. WHY is there not Microsoft Quick fix now? Not able post here screen shots of My system or DVD drive showing in couple places. My ? question is How many thousands of people are having this same problem ? Must wait & hope for next Windows 10 update will fix problem. I have Beautiful $1,500 windows 10 Computer which rune Excellent EXCEPT can not get DVD drive work because of Windows update and that is a dam shame. I have extra SSD Clone of my system which to use and will probably get this fixed Editing Reg from video on YouTube. I am 80 years of age and try stay on even keel BUT need i say MORE

   Reply

5. Rohan

   your suggestion to just buy a external usb dvd drive is hilarious. i haven’t even gotten one to work with windows 10 the operating system just won’t work with it. but if i plug the same usb burner into another computer running windows 7 or 8 there isn’t any issue. what the hell is wrong with the tech community? dvd players are deprecated? as you point out you need to install windows with a dvd sometimes. why does windows need to charge you for a dvd player program? if dvds are deprecated why sell dvd players? if they are considered useless why sell them

   Reply

   • Holly

     ah, because we already own them, that’s the issue. I think it really stinks that MS is forcing this 65 yr. old PC user from main frame days, business educated finance experience in corp.america for 40 years, entrepreneur till my spine called it quits in 2014, still working but sick&tired of MS BS, to shell out $2K for my first Mac at a time when Apple hit over $1T, all time high prices. Why ? BC I no longer can use MS Products on MS products. MY 5yr.old HP crashed, using a 2009 Sony to get thru it, the HP had Win 7 and a , you guess it CD DVD working drive for my Quicken 2018 Forced Upgrade. This Sony is the windows 10 Experiment PC. I’ve done everything but get God to come here and fix the DVD Drive for me. So, instead of that new car I so desperate need, the downpayment is going to my first APPLE, not a new PC – AGAIN EVERY 5-6 YEARS- not the car repairs, not the new carpet, but to my first Mac. This was the last straw. I’d rather be Apple Limited but have a functioning computer than go thru this with Microsoft, HP, Dell, Sony, Asus, and all the Android products I’ve used. I know my way around computers, I’ve fixed enough of them but I’m done. Done with Norton, too.
     One huge rip off, I’d rather it be under one roof. MA tax free weekend coming up, it’s my only break financially. Thanks, Microsoft, for forcing me into another financial bind. The Dell and the HP are at the shop pulling the info. off the Hard Drives. Done. I’d have bought another Dell this time an AIO Desktop (never again an HP anything with their lousy motherboards and customer service). but this DVD drive Win 10 issue is it – the proverbial last straw.

     Reply

   • bea

     I cannot really understand what you are all saying since I don’t understand tech talk. I don’t know what you mean by deprecated. Do you mean depreciated? Anyway I guess I will just try on my own without listening to you guys to solve my problem.. Bea

     Reply

   • Kit

     Rohan, I think you must have bought the wrong ext. optical drive. I am having the same problem with my internal optical drive (ASUS blu-ray player) but I have a Pioneer external USB optical drive that is working fine. In fact it was the only way I could install Windows 10. So I had the problem from the time I put the computer together. It is a SATA internal drive and I can see it BIOS but can’t get windows to recognize it.

     Reply

6. Molly

   I agree, Holly, although I’ve yet to buy an Apple–I can’t afford to do it. Fortunately, I don’t make frequent use of my CD/DVD player in my Dell, but I’m sure that’s only a matter of time. If necessary, I’ll just go back to using my desktop that still has WIN 7 loaded. I won’t “upgrade” that computer. Since Microsoft Office took that market over and has done its best to destroy WordPerfect, which has finally started behaving like Word (Quattro Pro still needs work), that it was a matter of time before Microsoft cornered the market on everything to make things easier for the user (NOT, while leaving the experienced user in the dust) and to make Microsoft the only system in use for anything and everything. They refuse to address the reality that not everyone can afford to upgrade every 5-6 years.

   Reply

7. Dave

   The reg fix “Repeat the same steps for LowerFilters” did the trick. I had uninstall AnyDVD and that was what the lower filter was pointing to.

   Reply

8. Paul

   Same as with Dave, the very last solution involving regedit of upper and lower filters finally brought my DVD drive back to life. Thanks.

   Reply

9. Tsquare

   The “remove upper filter” suggestion in the Registry Fix worked for me. Until then nothing I tried worked.

   Reply

10. Larry

    Still looking for a workable solution. Tried everything listed a couple times. Regedit was a fail, no listing for upper or lower filters to remove. Anyone?

    Reply

11. Lorraine Marriott

    Yay, it’s now working!!!!!

    Reply

12. Larry W

    I Spent considerable time trying to get this Asus DVD to play after Windows 10 update, even went to their store and got free “One Drive” media player. Your VLC Media Player was the answer WaHOO, thanks a million. 9/3/2019

    Reply

13. Pete

    Downloading VLC worked for me too. 6/Sep/2019

    Reply

14. Harvey Whitman

    Thanks for all the help and replies, but still having issues trying to read a DVD on my new W10 updated machine. It plays fine on my wife’s Win 7 laptop.
    My registry didn’t have either of the filter entries.
    Device Mgr had no ATA Channel 0, ATA Channel 1, or Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller to delete.
    VLC didn’t work for me either.
    When clicking on the DVD drive explorer locked up.
    When I tried to uninstall the drive, the system locked up and required a power down reboot.

    Any ideas?
    Thanks -Harv

    Reply

15. Mohand

    I’m a windows 10 Insider and my cddvdw no long reads DVDs while it reads CDs (I used to burn DVDs on that device before joining the program). In my case, I suspect that’s because of the DVD zoning and there’s no way to manually change the zone number but Windows 10 update is surely the culprit. Can you think of a workaround?

    Reply

16. Jesse

    My Computer has had this problem for months, perhaps around a year without me noticing. I have bought soo many dvds from a store to collect, most collectors edition and deluxe editions. I haven’t found a way to fix this issue.

    This guide is one of the few that even mention it could be windows 10. And I still firmly believe that to be the case as it happens as well for my laptops AND desktop.

    I have tried to call microsoft and for my SO I have found that it somewhat fixed it, but it was temporary!

    So now I have 3 computers all with windows 10, that have this issue.

    Yes my Music CD’s still work.

    The drives all show up and for some cases when you VIEW>show hidden.

    I have multiple times tried to unistall the drives from device manager. With reboot. Tried to update the driver and it says that I already have the latest driver.

    Just today I have tried the regedit route to no avail. I used Windows Powershell (Admin) to enum the drive and reboot. No luck.

    I also tried regedit on admin mode and I couldn’t find the upper and lower filters at all.

    I guess I might try the BIOS if I can figure out how to do it.

    But so far I’m hoping that Microsoft will fix this issue in a windows update so I don’t mess with technical stuff and to restore a bit of faith in Windows 10.

    Thanks.

    Reply

17. joe fiore

    Many thanks!
    Another option you can try – I notice this works for many users – involves removing and reinstalling the IDE/ATAPI drivers.
    This worked for me :)

    Reply

    • Jesse

      Tried the IDE/ATAPI drivers including a fresh boot. Still no luck. Some DVD’s work, some don’t. And most of the ones that don’t, are freshly bought dvds that are now making a collection of movies I’m not able to use. On the other laptop Microsoft was called and help fix some of the issue partially, But I still think something is wrong with the Windows 10 OS, especially my desktop. Isn’t there a more official way to deal with this problem? Say, an update or something?

      Reply

18. Dave Ventura

    removing and reinstalling the IDE/ATAPI drivers worked for me. Thanks

    Reply

19. Ernest N. Wilcox Jr.

    Thank you for this article! I had already completed all the Windows 10 repair steps I know about, and was considering a re-install – then I found this article. Since Device Manager did not display a CD/DVD Rom Drive, I was not able to re-install the drivers. I was, however able to remove the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controlers – ATA Chanel 0 (Two Entries), then was directed to reboot. I did. After the reboot, my DVD Burner is now displayed.

    This was a very long process. I first tried using the built-in troubleshooters – which were not able to run. I next made sure i had a current backup of my system (just in case). Then I used DISM to fix the WIM environment, followed with running sfc two times to fix Windows. No change on the DVD Drive. That was when I found this article, and finally fixed my ‘missing’ DVD Burner.

    On the plus side, I now have a properly installation of Windows 10.
    My System Recovery Environment is Repaired.
    I have a current system backup.
    I also have a new backup utility AOMEI Backupper Standard – a free for personal use program, as well as the AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard (in the event I ever need it).
    Finally, I have a bootable iso (Windows PE) in the event I cannot boot my system, for the purpose of restoring a backup.
    This experience has re-confirmed mt belief that a periodic backup is not a waste of time. If I had been more diligent about backups, I would have saved a lot of time today.

    Ernie

    Reply

20. Matthew

    Thank you!
    Reinstall Driver in Device Manager worked first time.

    Reply

21. Richard

    Thank yow!!!!
    I erase the IDE/ATAPI controller and restart my computer, that broad back my CD/DVD drive back.

    Thank you again.

    Reply

22. Paris

    Deleting lower filters in the registry did it. Thank you. I had spent hours last night with the dell support with no avail. I should have come here first. Thank YOU!

    Reply

23. Michal

    You’re a genious! I’ve obviously tried any other possible method, but this exact registry entry to edit you gave us here made it! Many thanks!

    Reply

24. Scott

    I deleted the IDE/ATAPI controller twice, and it finally worked. For me the problem started after I mounted an ISO for a software install. After I unmounted the file the drive stopped working. Thank you for your help.

    Why my CD drive is not showing in my computer?

    Reinstall or Update Driver in Device Manager Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click the optical drive listed, then click Uninstall. Exit Device Manager then restart your computer. Windows 10 will detect the drive then reinstall it. You can also use the option to Update Driver Software from within Device Manager.

    How do I open my CD drive on my computer?

    Insert the disc you want to play into the drive. Typically, the disc will start playing automatically. If it doesn't play, or if you want to play a disc that is already inserted, open Windows Media Player, and then, in the Player Library, select the disc name in the navigation pane.

    How do I find my disc drive on Windows 10?

    See drives in Windows 11, 10, and 8 If you're running Windows 11, Windows 10, or Windows 8, you can view all mounted drives in File Explorer. You can open File Explorer by pressing Windows key + E . In the left pane, select This PC, and all drives are shown on the right.

    Where is the CD drive on a desktop?

    For Desktops The optical drive eject button is normally located in the front bezel of the desktop.