CD-ROM does not read disks in Windows

  • Thread starter Thread starter whiskeyjack
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whiskeyjack

Hello out there - My CD-ROM does not read disks in
Windows. I ran a diagnostics test and the drive passed
everything. I have uninstalled then reinstalled it.
When I click properties it says it is working properly.
I ran a full system scan with updated antivirus. If
anyone can help I'll be their friend forever!!
 
whiskeyjack said:
Hello out there - My CD-ROM does not read disks in
Windows. I ran a diagnostics test and the drive passed
everything. I have uninstalled then reinstalled it.
When I click properties it says it is working properly.
I ran a full system scan with updated antivirus. If
anyone can help I'll be their friend forever!!
Click to expand...

Does your CD drive read CDs while in DOS? Boot
your PC with a Win98 boot disk from www.bootdisk.com.
This test will tell you if the problem lies with Windows
or with your CD drive.
 
Yes, it does read in DOS. I booted my PC from the CD-ROM
and ran the 32 bit Dell Diagnostics. The drive passed
all tests. What could be wrong with Windows?
 
You now need to be more specific:
- Is Windows unable to read any CD, or just some CDs?
- Have you tried original CDs (rather than copied CDs)?
- Can you play music CDs?
- What exactly is the message you get when you try to
copy a certain file from the CD to the hard disk?
- When you boot with your Win98 boot disk, can you
copy that same file to floppy disk?

At this stage it is useful to keep your options wide
open rather than to automatically blame Windows for
your problem.
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
You now need to be more specific:
- Is Windows unable to read any CD, or just some CDs?
- Have you tried original CDs (rather than copied CDs)?
- Can you play music CDs?
- What exactly is the message you get when you try to
copy a certain file from the CD to the hard disk?
- When you boot with your Win98 boot disk, can you
copy that same file to floppy disk?

At this stage it is useful to keep your options wide
open rather than to automatically blame Windows for
your problem.
Click to expand...

Fair enough - though if you look at the sheer volume of posts in this
newsgroup re CD/DVD drive problems, it does suggest that they screwed up
BIG time WRT such drives in XP. Indeed, when I finally got XP to recognised
a new drive I installed, it then totally refused to recognise ANY discs in
the drive at all. In the end, I removed the drive. And yes, installed into a
W98 machine, it worked first time, and every time.

JP
 
Jeremy Poynton said:
Fair enough - though if you look at the sheer volume of posts in this
newsgroup re CD/DVD drive problems, it does suggest that they screwed up
BIG time WRT such drives in XP. Indeed, when I finally got XP to recognised
a new drive I installed, it then totally refused to recognise ANY discs in
the drive at all. In the end, I removed the drive. And yes, installed into a
W98 machine, it worked first time, and every time.

JP
Click to expand...

I'm afraid we can't help you any further until you are
prepared to carry out the tests I suggested before.
I said, amongst other things, to boot your PC with a
Win98 disk, and to copy a file from CD to floppy disk.
Instead you installed the CD drive in a Win98 PC
and tested it there. By doing so, you changed all
the parameters: motherboard, disk controller,
BIOS settings, ribbon cable. Your test reveals
nothing other than your CD drive working fine when
installed in a different PC.

Over to you!
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
into

I'm afraid we can't help you any further until you are
prepared to carry out the tests I suggested before.
I said, amongst other things, to boot your PC with a
Win98 disk, and to copy a file from CD to floppy disk.
Instead you installed the CD drive in a Win98 PC
and tested it there. By doing so, you changed all
the parameters: motherboard, disk controller,
BIOS settings, ribbon cable. Your test reveals
nothing other than your CD drive working fine when
installed in a different PC.

Over to you!
Click to expand...
Umm - wrong respondent; I was merely adding some thoughts on the original
poster's problem, and generalising somewhat in noting that the volume of
CD/DVD drive problems posted in this newsgroup suggests some deep down
problems in how they are handled in XP. Do you see the same in the 98/2K
newsgroups ? No ? Why ? Probably because MS did it right there. They sure
didn't in XP, or why else are there so many problems with them posted here ?

JP
 
Guys, my Dell came with a resource cd. I used it to
reboot my pc from the cd-rom (in Windows 98) and run the
32 bit Dell Diagnostics. The drive passed all tests.
Based on that alone wouldn't the problem be in Windows?
Thanks for your input.
 
This is happening to my CD as well. It stopped working in
the last week or so. Making me crazy. Have tried
everything, except to reformat my drive. Fortunately md
CD-RW is working. I'll go balistic if it fails two.

I didn't try to read from DOS ... will try that when I'm
home. I suspect it's the generic driver or something. It
was working fine. It opens, closes ... starts to "appear"
to read the drive but it doesn't. I tried a disk
clearner ... to no avail.

I posted my own topic on this, but there are no responses,
but lots of similar postings.

I hope MS reads these numerous postings on the CD issue.
I wrote to the manufacturer of my CD, but haven't heard
anything back.
Diana
 
It's odd your problem began a week or so ago as well. I
have spent much time troubleshooting and communicating
with online techs. I think I've been given all the
advice there is to give on the subject. Some I used and
some I felt was too drastic. What it came down to was
that I believed there was nothing wrong with the drive
itself. Shortly after my last post I tried using it and
it worked, it read. After I got home from school I tried
again and - happy day - it's good to go. Also, the sound
from my speakers has improved. It's like my pc had the
flu and needed time to ride it out. I hope your problem
rides it out as well.
 
I'm intrigued that you spent "much time troubleshooting"
(your words) but never took the time to do the basic tests
I suggested. They would have taken you ten minutes,
and would have told you plenty about the cause of your
problem.

I note that your problem "went away" by itself. If it did so
on its own accord then there is a high probability that it
will come back. Intermittent problems don't disappear;
they usually return at the most inconvenient time.
 
As I've said before I booted my pc from the cd-rom IN
WINDOWS 98 using a resource cd. I ran a 32 bit
diagnostics test and the DRIVE passed everything. That
tells me the drive ain't the problem. This is why I
disregarded your original suggestion.
 
Same to me. I bought a new cd-rw Samsung 52-32-52 for replacing an old one,
cd-rw 4-2-4. After that it doesn't read any cd. So I use another HD which
intalled WindowsME. It's working well. Then I changed to WindowsXP again, it
still doesn't work. I checked driver, jumper, pair and bios. Everything
looks fine. What should I do?
Chaiyot S.
 
Check the most recent post on CD problems in this NG.
It recommends a registry hack.
 
Holy Cow, what a name!! What nationality is that?
Believe me, I wish I was in a position to tell you what
you should do.
 
FJ here - hoping someone might have some input with respect to Window
XP not reading a CD Rom. In addition to knowing the driver is workin
and the O.S. does see the CD Rom, yet won't read any disk, I've gone t
Device Manager and properties of the CD Rom and there are places withi
the "Properties Tab" where I read to try and uncheck "Enable digital C
audio for the CD-Rom," save it, and go back and re-check it and it woul
work (at least for someone). I have a strong feeling it has somethin
to do with Windows XP itself, perhaps the registry??? I've uninstalle
and rebooted and always, the drive is found and installed with hous
driver. I've disabled and re-enabled CD-Rom drive. I've changed driv
letters to no avail. This is a Windows XP Pro box. it simply says
"Please insert a disk into drive D."
 
Well, I may have found the answer to my own problem with respect to CD
Rom Drives NOT reading and perhaps a lot of other people's problems as
it relates to ATAPI and D.M.A. of off IDE cables.....Windows XP -
Device Manager - IDE Controller - Properties - All Drives must read
"DMA if available" as opposed to PIO only. Read
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/IDE-DMA.mspx (In Google
put, Windows XP CD Rom and DMA). Also check out
http://www.real-knowledge.com/dma.htm....Good Luck. This was a tough
one! Detfree23
 
So I've been told the earlier message might work for some, it didn't
work for me. So......try, try again! This is getting deep and might be
the only work around for me (and perhaps you). This has to be my last
resort (other than calling MS), but try this -
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxDMA.htm or
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/817472/ and finally
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6645 or........ Also
check "IMAPI CD-burn COM" service is running in run->services.msc and
look at your other services too. Alot of people said it had something
to do with Nero since it has is own ATAPI driver. (I can't take credit
for finding the info. I talked with a co-worker who also works for
Best Buy and he's come across this issue twice (he used the michna link
above). Hope this helps someone out there! - Including
ME!........Detfree23
 
And by-the-way, I KNOW rebuilding the OS will fix your problem, but this
is an XP issue, not hardware (based on this string of info.). Really,
MS needs to get a SOLID patch for this error! Rebuilding the OS may
only give access to the CD Roms temporarily if in fact the OS
identifies scratches on a Disk and resorts back to PIO or the fact that
the registry gets out of whack! In 2 builds I'm aware of the situation
is similar. One disks ask to "Place disk in drive D" and one other
situation is that the drive acts like it accepts the CD, but when you
click on the Drive to see the contents, nothing can be seen. But try
those links I've requested and if you have success, respond!
thanks...Detfree23
 
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