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i installed a DVD RW from an old computer into my new computer but the computer wont recognise it and an error message appears when i start up the computer. in the old computer 3 cables were attached to it and i can only attach 2 in the new computer. any help would be greatly appreciated and i am really struggling to get it working.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by finito

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Short summary of the situation (from the thread): moved an older DVD±RW into a newer PC, connected two cables (the third was likely the legacy analog audio lead), the BIOS/OS now sees a drive letter but accessing E: gives “is not accessible. Incorrect function.” has suggested lens/cleaning issues — that’s possible, but this error often points to a hardware/driver or filesystem/format mismatch rather than just a dirty lens. Below are focused, practical checks ordered from quick to more advanced.

Quick hardware checks (do these first)

  • Power down and confirm both the data cable and a working power connector are firmly seated. If the drive uses a wide ribbon (PATA/IDE) check the jumper is set appropriately (single device = Master or Cable Select depending on cable).
  • Try a different data cable and a different port on the motherboard (or a different Molex/SATA power plug).
  • Try a known-good retail CD/DVD (not the burned disc) to see if the drive can read pressed media. If pressed discs read but burned discs don’t, the problem is likely the disc format/finishing rather than the drive.

OS-side troubleshooting

  • Open Device Manager and look for errors under “DVD/CD-ROM drives.” Right‑click the drive → Uninstall, then reboot so Windows redetects it.
  • Check Disk Management to confirm the drive appears and is not assigned a conflicting resource/letter. Change the drive letter if needed.
  • If Windows shows a driver/registry problem, back up the registry and then inspect the optical-drive class key at:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
    Remove only the UpperFilters / LowerFilters values if they exist (follow a reputable step‑by‑step guide and back up first).

Other things to try and final notes

  • Test the same burned disc in another machine to confirm the disc itself. Some packet‑writing formats or unfinalized burns won’t be readable elsewhere.
  • Update motherboard/chipset drivers (IDE/SATA controller), and try an inexpensive external USB optical drive as a quick swap‑test.
  • If problems persist after these checks the drive may be failing; optical drives are inexpensive to replace.

These steps avoid repeating the basic cleaning tips already offered here and focus on the hardware/Windows causes most commonly associated with “Incorrect function.”

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Member Avatar for finito

I assume the one that you couldn't plug in was a 4 pin slim cable.

If so don't worry about it.

Well from what I have seen leaving a Drive over a period of time makes it useless.

You can try to Clean the inside by Blowing in it with a can of compressed air. Don't blow with your mouth, you may get it wet.

If the drive doesn't open you can use a pin or a unfolded paperclip and insert it in a small hole right under the tray and pressing the eject button.

Member Avatar for abc123def456

i have now got my computer to regognise it (thankyou) but when i try to access it on my computer an error message appears saying:
E:/ is not accessable. incorrect function.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Member Avatar for finito

the Lens may still be dirty, either blow more or to completely clean it out. Or give up on it and get another drive. Which is what I do.

Member Avatar for abc123def456

I don't want to give up on it as I have burned somehthing using it but the computer just displays that error message when I try to access the drive through my computer

Member Avatar for finito

Wait r u saying, you were able to burn from the drive, but you can't read the same Disc that you burned.

See what happenes is the lens gets Dirty, if you can find a lens cleaner that may help you, but I don't see any anymore.

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