Another case of the CD/CD-R/W + DVD Drives not being recognized

Question

I have a Dimension 4550 desktop - running Windows XP. Up until the past month or so, everything was working fine. Now neither my DVD or my CD/CD-R/W drives are recognized. I have checked in MyComputer and in Windows Explorer and neither drive is listed in the drive/folder tree. The drives still open and close and the light flashes as if it is reading something, but there is no response from the computer.

I know that lots of these issues have been posted to this site. Can someone please tell me (and others) steps we can follow in this situation. I would not think that the cables came loose since the desktop has not been moved. It may be due to a previous virus which I cleared up.

I am at a complete loss as to what to do next. My thoughts are to go to the hardware manager and see if I can reinstall the hardware. Someone suggested you disconnect and then reconnect the cables. I am thinking I may have to reload some drivers, but I do not know if they need to be firmware drivers or what. As I mentioned, I am at a complete loss of what to do in this situation... and I am sure some others are as well.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Message Edited by SKamish on 09-04-2007 10:14 AM

Skybird · Answer

Look in the Device Manager ............. Click on the (+) next to DVD/CD-ROM drives.  Right-click the drive and selectProperties.  Is there an Error Code (number)?

Skybird · Answer

This Article for Removing the UpperFilters and LowerFilters Values
with the Registry Editor should correct the problem ...............

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?docid=1B791FDD8FD0473EA268BE881319EBC5&c=us&l=en&s=dhs

Disregard the reference to Roxio.

SKamish · Answer

The error I am receiving for each of my drives is '39'.  I went to the Dell site and tried to download the drivers for these (for my Dimension 4550 desktop computer) and although I get a response stating one of the updates was successful (the firmware flash for the CDRW), nothing happens on the computer and I still don't see these drives listed in MyComputer.  I even went ahead and removed the devices via Add/Remove Hardware and then re-added them back in, but even though the devices were found, still the drivers are not found and the drive letters do not appear in my MyComputer list.  Any ideas?   I used the following from the Dell Driver site:  Firmware Flash for HLDS GCE-8400B HH 40X CDRW Version A02 and also the driver for Removable Storage: LiteOn 48X CD-ROM, Firmware, Multi OS, Multi Language, Multi System, v.YDS8, A05

SKamish · Answer

Thank you.. I will try this tonight or tomorrow night and will post what my results are.

SKamish · Answer

I have tried your fix and my DVD drive is finally recognized (thank you!).  Unfortunately, I still cannot get my CD-RW drive to work.  I think it may just be a driver issue though... because I no longer have any yellow exclamation marks when I look at my hardware device drivers.  I have gone to the Dell site and have tried to download the driver from there for my Liteon CD-RW drive, but something is not right.  When I went to download both drivers for my drive, I only found Firmware Flash for HLDS GCE-8400B HH 40X CDRW Version A02 and also the driver for Removable Storage: LiteOn 48X CD-ROM, Firmware, Multi OS, Multi Language, Multi System, v.YDS8, A05.  I tried to install both of these, but I still have the same issue with that drive not responding.  I am willing to try it again.. which one of these should I use?  I have a LiteOn CDRW drive.  If not these, is there some other place I can find the driver at?  Thank you.

Skybird · Answer

You said 'Unfortunately, I still cannot get my CD-RW drive to work.'.  Can you bemore specific?

Skybird · Answer

The driver is there and functioning correctly now. There is only one driver and it comes from Microsoft and is part of Windows. You may be referring to Firmware.

Can you see the contents of a CD when you double-click it in My Computer?

Also, look in the Device Manager and click on the (+) next to DVD/CD-ROM drives.
Post the brand and model of the drive.

SKamish · Answer

Let me explain further...When the computer boots up, I see the light on the CDRW drive come on and flash.  When I look in the hardware set-up, there is no exclamation point by the device and things appear to be fine.  When I place a disk in the drive and click on it to try to access or read the data on the disk, nothing happens - no lights flashing, no response from the system.  When I place a music cd in there, none of my audio players load.  It appears there may be a missing driver, which is what I suspect, but I cannot find one to use on the Dell support site for my Dimension 4550 pc.  The one on the site does not appear to be a valid driver or maybe I just don't know how to work with it.

SKamish · Answer

I see the hardware in the device manager... it is Removable Storage: LiteOn 48X CD-ROM, Firmware, Multi OS, Multi Language, Multi System, v.YDS8, A05

Skybird · Answer

Does it give a model number, such as, LTN-486, LTN-483S, LTN-4891S, LTN-489S, LTN-48S1S or whatever? Message Edited by Skybird on 09-06-2007 03:34 PM

SKamish · Answer

I will check, but I do not believe it lists out any more than I have indicated in my last post.  Is there somewhere special I can look, other than in the device manager?

Skybird · Answer

Look in the Device Manager ......... Click on the (+) next to DVD/CD-ROM drives.  This will reveal the Brand and Model ofdrive.  Please post that.

Storage, Drives & Media

Another case of the CD/CD-R/W + DVD Drives not being recognized

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