The optical drive cannot read/recognize the disc

Symptoms

Your computer's CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive may not recognize or read the discs.

My Computer (“My Computer”) or File Explorer (“File Explorer”)

(It is called Windows resource in Microsoft Windows 7 and earlier versions of Microsoft Windows Manager) may display CD, DVD or Blu-ray icons, but a blank screen or error message may appear when you try to access the contents of the disc. This issue can occur with pre-recorded discs and recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) discs.

If your CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player can't read any discs or can't recognize any discs, use the troubleshooting instructions below. If the drive is not completely damaged, in some cases, this description will help you solve the problem.

The following instructions can be used for both internal and external CD, DVD or Blu-ray drives, but some basic knowledge may be slightly different.

The instructions below apply to the following Microsoft Windows operating systems, but some instructions may differ slightly from older versions of Microsoft Windows.

Microsoft Windows 10

Microsoft Windows 8 or 8.1

Microsoft Windows 7

Cause

Troubleshooting steps < /p>

Before you start troubleshooting:

Try using a known good CD first, then continue with the troubleshooting steps. Depending on the type of drive installed on the computer, use a pre-burned CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc.

Most Dell computers come with the Dell Resource DVD:

Try using My Computer (“My Computer”) or File Explorer (“File Explorer”) to access the CD (called “Windows Explorer” in Microsoft Windows 7 and earlier versions of Microsoft Windows)

Try booting from the Dell Resource DVD to verify that there is a problem with the drive, not the disc itself.

If you are using a recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) disc written on another computer, make sure the disc can be used to burn/burn the disc on the Play computer.

Check that the type of disc you are using is compatible with the drive installed on your computer. Please refer to the Dell Knowledge Library article

“Guide to Optical Disc Drives and Optical Discs”

.

If you are using a recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) disc, verify that the disc burning/writing session has been properly closed. Please refer to the user manual of the CD burning software you are using.

Try using different brands of recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) discs.

Click on the troubleshooting steps below for detailed instructions. If the issue is not resolved, perform the next troubleshooting step.

Check that the CD-ROM drive is recognized in Device Manager

Set the AutoPlay setting ("AutoPlay") to the default in Windows

In the CD-ROM drive (CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive) to run Dell PC Diagnostics

Disable drive DMA mode

Run Microsoft CD/DVD Fix-it troubleshooter

Install the latest BIOS update on the computer

Update or reinstall the optical drive driver

Uninstall and reinstall Dell-provided player software ( Problems Playing DVDs or Blu-ray Movies)

Perform Windows System Restore

Restore computer to factory settings

Check that the CD-ROM drive is recognized in Device Manager

Make sure it is in device manager. List the optical drive. If not, refer to the Dell Knowledge Library article

"The optical drive is not recognized in Windows"

(The optical drive is not recognized under Windows).

Press on

Windows key

+

R

to open the Run dialog box.

In the dialog box

Execute

(Run), type

devmgmt.msc

, then press

Entrance

.

In the window

Device Manager

(Device Manager), expand

DVD/CD-ROM drives

(DVD/CD-ROM drive). Verify that the optical drive is listed. If the drive is not listed, please refer to the Dell Knowledge Library article

Optical disc drive is not recognized in Microsoft Windows

(The optical disc drive is not recognized in Microsoft Windows).

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Set the AutoPlay setting ("AutoPlay") to the default in Windows

AutoPlay ("AutoPlay" in Microsoft Windows) function checks recently discovered removable media and devices and helps launch appropriate applications to play or display content based on the content of pictures, music or video files. If AutoPlay is disabled, nothing happens when the disc is inserted. Follow the steps below to set the AutoPlay setting ("AutoPlay") to the default value.

For Windows 10, Windows 8.1 or Windows 8:

Press on

Windows key

+

R

Open the Run ("Run") dialog box.

In the dialog box

Execute

(Run), type

control

, then press < / p button>

Entrance

.

Double-click the icon

Autoplay

(Autoplay).

Be sure to tick

Use autoplay for all media and devices

(Use AutoPlay for all media and devices ["AutoPlay"]) checkbox.

Select each drop-down menu and select each DVD, Blu-ray, and CD item next to

ask me every time

(Ask me every time), then click

Record

(Record).

For Windows 7:

Press on

Windows key

+

R

Open the Run dialog box.

In the dialog box

Execute

(Run), type

control

, then press < / p button>

Entrance

.

Click on

Hardware and sound

(Hardware and Sound), then click

Autoplay

(Autoplay).

Under

Media

(Media), select

Ask me every time

Record

(Record).

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Run Dell PC Diagnostics in the optical drive (CD, DVD or Blu-ray drive)

Optical drive diagnostics may require you to have certain types of optical disc media, such as CD-RW, DVD-RW, or Blu-ray Disc. Before you start diagnosing, make sure you have the right support for troubleshooting.

To run the diagnostic program on a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive, go to

Optical Drive Diagnostics

and follow the instructions

Optical Drive Diagnostics

p>

Remark:

Dell FHD Laptop with MS Office 2016 Lifetime Licensed {5575}:- 46000 Rupees | DVD R/W Drive | 64-Bit Windows 10 Home… https://t.co/rclmlyPGoR

— The Gadgets Shiksha Sun Apr 28 14:47:58 +0000 2019

You must click on the link above on the Dell computer in question. Dell System Detect and Dell SupportAssist applications will be installed to run diagnostics on computer devices. If the application is not available on your Dell computer, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.

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Disable optical drive DMA mode

To disable DMA mode on the optical drive, please follow the instructions below: p>

Press on

Windows key

+

R

to open the Run dialog box.

In the dialog box

Execute

(Run), type

devmgmt.msc

, then press

Entrance

.

In the Device Manager ("Device Manager") window, expand

DVD or CD-ROM drives

(DVD or CD-ROM drives).

Right-click on the CD-ROM drive and select

Properties

(Properties).

Click on the tab

advanced settings

(Advanced settings).

Under

Device properties

(Device Properties), uncheck

Enable DMA

(Enable DMA) check box.

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Run the Microsoft CD/DVD Fix-it Troubleshooter

Microsoft Fix-it is diagnostic software developed by Microsoft that can detect potential problems that may affect computers running Microsoft Windows.

To automatically fix common problems with CD or DVD drives, click the link below

Run now

(Run Now), then follow the instructions on the screen works.

Microsoft Windows Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8

Microsoft Windows Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP

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Install the latest BIOS update on your computer

Dell recommends that you include the BIOS update in the scheduled update cycle. Similar to the operating system and driver version, the update includes functional improvements, or may keep the system updated and compatible with other system modules (hardware, firmware, drivers, and software), and may also provide security updates and improve stability.

For more information, please refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article

How to Update Your System BIOS in Windows

(How to update your system BIOS in Windows).

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Update or reinstall the optical drive driver

The CD, DVD or Blu-ray drive driver is included in the system, so there is no need to install specific drivers.

To reinstall this driver, please follow the instructions below:

Press on

Windows key

+

R

Open the Run dialog box.

Type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box, then press

Entrance

.

Remark:

You must log on to Windows with an account with administrator privileges. If you receive prompts from User Account Control ("User Account Control") when you access Device Manager ("Device Manager"), click

Yes

(Yes) Continue.

In the window

Device Manager

(Device Manager), expand

DVD/CD-ROM drives

(DVD/CD-ROM drive). Right-click the CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive listed, then click

Uninstall

(Uninstall).

Click on

okay

(OK) to confirm that you want to delete this device.

Restart the computer (after the restart is complete, the operating system will automatically install the required drivers).

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Uninstall and reinstall Dell-provided playback software (DVD or Blu-ray movie playback issues)

Dell systems with optical drives come with factory-installed DVD or Blu-ray player software. To play DVD or Blu-ray movies, you need to install specific player software and codecs on your computer. The application provided by Dell will allow computers with the necessary codecs to play such movies on DVD or Blu-ray discs.

If you cannot play movies, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Dell provided playback software.

You can use the software installation CD that came with your Dell computer.

If the Dell computer did not come with a CD, you can download the software from the

Dell Download Center (formerly known as My Dell Downloads)

Note:

For more information on downloading software, please refer to Dell Knowledge Base article

My Dell Downloads - Frequently Asked Questions

.

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Perform Windows System Restore

System Restore is a built-in Windows tool designed to protect and repair the operating system. If there is a problem with your computer, you should use System Restore before restoring the factory state.

Select the operating system installed on your computer and find detailed information on how to perform a system restore:

Windows 10

Windows 8.1 or Windows 8 p>

Windows 7

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Restore computer to factory default settings

If the Dell PC diagnostics in the CD-ROM drive pass, it should be Problems with installed software. If the above troubleshooting steps fail to fix the optical drive issue, you can try restoring the computer to factory defaults as a final solution.

Dell computers are designed to reserve a small amount of hard drive space for reinstalling the operating system. This method is the easiest way to restore your computer to its factory state. The restore process will delete all user data from your computer, so before you begin this process, be sure to back up all files.

Select the operating system installed on your computer to find detailed information on how to restore your computer to factory default settings:

Windows 10

Windows 8.1 or Windows 8

Windows 7(

Dell Backup and Recovery Manager

Where

Dell DataSafe Local Backup

) < /p>

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For any other questions regarding using CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drives on your computer, please refer to the Dell Knowledge Library article

"Troubleshooting CD/DVD Drive or Blu-Ray Drive Problems in Microsoft Windows"

(Diagnosing CD/DVD Drive or Blu-Ray Drive Problems in Microsoft Windows).

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Solution

Out of warranty period? No problem. Browse the website

Dell.com/support

, enter your Dell Service Tag and view our services.

Remark:

The service only applies to

United States, Canada, United Kingdom,

France, Germany

And

China

Personal Computer Clients. Server and storage are not applicable.