My CD/DVD drive won't work

Look in the Device Manager .........

Start | Control Panel | System in classic view | Hardware tab | Device Manager

Click on the (+) next to DVD/CD-ROM drives.  Right-click the drive and select Properties.
Is there an Error Code (number) present?

I am not the original poster but I have the same problem with an Inspiron 530.  I have gone as far as you suggested.  The error code that pops up is 10.  Neither my CD drive or my DVD drive will work.  Any suggestions?  Thank you so much!

Karen B.

Try this article for Windows XP ...............

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060/EN-US/

Try this article for Windows Vista ...........

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/929461

Hi ForgottenChild and kbinder1:

I have a few questions for you since you are having troubles with your optical drives.

Here they are:

1) What version of Windows are you using (if Vista was it upgraded from XP)

2) Have you recently installed/upgraded iTunes or another cd/dvd burning program

3) if you edited the registry (deleting filters) as suggested in the links, did you make a backup of the registry first

If the drive does not appear in the Device Manager, it is usually
one of two things.

- Open the system and redo the SATA data cable and power connector
   at the back of the drive.  Follow the SATA cable to the Motherboard
   and redo the connection there also.

- Upon startup, press F2 while the blue Dell is showing.  This will
   allow you to enter the Setup (BIOS).  Find the SATA port for the drive
   and make sure it is set to ON.

Thanks for the information, ForgottenChild. Here are the steps that I would like you to follow so that we can see which way to proceed. I would recommend reading through the rest of what I write here before you try the suggestions.

1) Run System Information (click Start --> type msinfo32 in the Search box (you should see msinfo32 listed above under Programs once you have finished typing it) and press Enter)

2) Once System Information opens click the plus to the left of Software Environment

3) Click on System Drivers (it may take a little while for the driver list to load so be patient here and note that I said System Drivers not Signed Drivers, it should be first under Software Environment)

4) Once the System Drivers list has loaded check for asf.sys and ask2k.sys in the list under the Name column (also check to see if anything in this list is listed under the Name column: $sys$crater, $sys$aries, $sys$cor, cdr4_2k, cdralw2k, cdudf, udfreader, cdr4_xp, cdudf_xp, or udfreader_xp)

5) If you find any of the files that I mentioned in #4 take note of them and post that info here

6) Close System Information

What you are seeing is more than likely being caused by a driver conflict that results from installing iTunes although there are also other programs that can cause this as well. If you can post the information that I requested above then we can proceed from there.

Skybird: This is a known issue when installing iTunes (and some other programs) that amounts to the drives "disappearing" due to a driver conflict with cdrom.sys. What appears to be happening is that there may be other drivers, such as those I listed in #4 above, that have no problem loading if there is a filter spot available inside the registry for the cd/dvd rom drives. However, iTunes is installing a filter driver (gearaspiwdm.sys) in one of the spots causing the driver that was already present to conflict with cdrom.sys by loading before it does. Since cdroms.sys can't load the drives "disappear." Thus, when users are instructed to edit the registry and remove the filters the drives "reappear." However, this can cause programs that are using the filter drivers to lose functionality. It appears that the drivers listed in #4 are often legacy drivers that are no longer needed by the system (at least that is what has been seen so far) so it is often better to disable those drivers than to make changes to the filter drivers. Thus, that is why I have stayed away from the registry edit and am looking more into what is causing the issue. :smileyhappy:

P.S. Thanks for posting that link to Barugon's Cave. That had some real nice information about the different things that people are seeing.