Member Avatar for SafyreKing

So this is a new spin on the missing CD-Rom/DVD-rom from My Computer issue others have had in the past.

The problem: DVD-Rom and CD-Rom have seemingly gone missing from both Device Manager and My Computer on XP.

Here's where its strange though:
1. I know they are connected just fine because the computer during POST recognizes the drives and will boot from CDs if they are in their respective drives (for instance: Windows XP Setup).

2. There is no Upper or Lower filters in the registry to delete.

3. System Restore to a date prior to when the drives disappeared does nothing to rectify the problem.

I'm at a complete loss as to what the cause or the solution is.

If anyone has any ideas please don't be shy. This is making me crazy.

-James

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Given that the drives are seen by the BIOS and are bootable but Windows shows nothing, the problem is almost certainly in the Windows enumeration/driver stack or related services rather than a physical failure. has already ruled out per-user issues and restore points; and suggested the usual hidden-device and repair routes. The next diagnostics should focus on what Windows actually does while trying (and failing) to enumerate the devices.

Check services and logs first. Confirm that Plug and Play and Shell Hardware Detection (and WMI) are running and not disabled. Open Event Viewer and look under System for errors around the time of boot that mention cdrom, atapi, ide, or device installation failures. Inspect the device-install log at %SystemRoot%\inf\setupapi.dev.log for entries that reference the optical device hardware IDs or driver errors — copy relevant lines before making changes.

Then test the storage controller/driver stack. In Device Manager verify the IDE/SATA controller entries. If controller drivers look suspect or generic, uninstall the controller entry (not other devices), reboot, and let Windows redetect it. Install the motherboard/chipset drivers from the vendor rather than default Microsoft drivers if available. A mismatched AHCI or chipset driver can leave devices invisible even though BIOS sees them.

If those steps don’t help, examine the OS-level device class and service entries (export and back up the registry first). Confirm the CD-ROM driver/service is not disabled and that the CD/DVD class key exists under the System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class branch; if the class key or drivers are missing or corrupt, importing the same key from an identical working XP machine (after backing up) will often fix it. As a non-destructive test, boot a Linux live CD or WinPE: if that environment sees the drives, Windows-side repair (in-place repair install) is the reasonable last step, as suggested.

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Member Avatar for rch1231

Hello,

Just a few ideas off the top of my head. Do they show up under Disk Manager (Control Panel, Administrative tools, Computer Management)?

Do they show up in the Computer setup (CMOS) and is the controller for them enabled?

You can try the procedure at the following link to show you hidden devices in Device Manager:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315539

and see if they have been disabled for this user profile.

Try disconnecting the cable to the secondary (slave) drive and see if the primary returns.

Member Avatar for SafyreKing

Ok... having tried logging into this site for the 3rd time...

The drives do not appear in any component in Windows and do not reappear when running "set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1".

They do appear in CMOS/BIOS and I'm able to boot from them if an appropriate CD is in either drive.

And for sh**s and giggles I created another windows profile no to avail. I believe its safe to assume that the root of the problem lies deeper than user permissions/policies.

Member Avatar for SafyreKing

It would seem that this is the result of some registry corruption but its definitely something atypical.

Member Avatar for maceman

Hey James,
Have you run the repair install of XP?

Member Avatar for SafyreKing

Not yet, but it seems its my only solution at this point. I just hate not solving something.

Member Avatar for rch1231

Hello,

I found a Microsoft doc that references what happened to you and they have an application and procedure to correct it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060
Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs.

Member Avatar for SafyreKing

The Microsoft doc you linked deals with a corruption in the registry. But, alas, this is not the problem. :(

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