Hi Wiz
Thanks for the reply, the drive that is not working is built into the laptop. I tried an external CD drive just to experiment really. The Laptop is just over a year old.
Basically on a couple of the system restores, I did get back the drive icon in the 'My Computer' window (and the DVD drive worked) but the next day the icon disappeared and the drive didn't work.
Just as a thought where can I look to see if the D drive driver exists? I might be on the wrong track but found the info below on the Microsft site, I followed the instructions, but only got as far as the line below as the pcs after Control don't exist on my computer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
The CD drive or the DVD drive does not work as expected on a computer that you upgraded to Windows Vista
View products that this article applies to.
function loadTOCNode(){}Article ID:929461Last Review:March 12, 2008Revision:5.2
SYMPTOMS
loadTOCNode(1, 'symptoms');You upgrade a computer to Windows Vista or install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or you install or uninstall applications that have a CD/DVD filter driver. When you restart the computer, the CD drive or DVD drive no longer works as expected.
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CAUSE
loadTOCNode(1, 'cause');This problem may occur if one of the following scenarios is true: •The filter drivers in the CD and the DVD storage stack are not migrated successfully to Windows Vista.•You uninstalled CD software that fails to properly remove itself in the registry.•You installed software that adds filter drivers in the CD and the DVD storage stack that interfere with existing filters.
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RESOLUTION
loadTOCNode(1, 'resolution');
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
To resolve this problem, remove the affected filter drivers. To do this, follow these steps: 1.Click
Start, type regedit in the
Start Search box, and then click
regedit in the
Programs list.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password, or click
Continue. 2.Locate, and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Caution There can be many instances of the registry subkey that is mentioned in step 2. You must make sure that you are in the appropriate registry subkey before modifying the UpperFilters and the LowerFilters values. To verify that you are in the appropriate registry subkey, make sure that the Default data value is DVD/CD-ROM and the Class data value is CDROM.3.In the right pane, right-click
UpperFilters, and then click
Delete. 4.Click
Yes to confirm the removal of the UpperFilters registry entry.5.In the right pane, right-click
LowerFilters, and then click
Delete. 6.Click
Yes to confirm the removal of the LowerFilters registry entry.7.Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.
Note After you remove the UpperFilters registry entry and the LowerFilters registry entry, you may lose functionality in certain programs such as CD recording programs. In this scenario, you must reinstall any affected programs. If the problem recurs, contact the program vendor to determine whether an update is available for the program.
For information about how to contact computer software vendors, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
65416 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/65416/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K
60781 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60781/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P
60782 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60782/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z
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MORE INFORMATION
loadTOCNode(1, 'moreinformation');For more information about the filter drivers that may be loaded in Windows Vista, run the DevCon program. To do this, follow these steps: 1.Obtain and extract the DevCon program. For more information about how to obtain this program and about how to use this program, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
311272 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272/) The DevCon command-line utility functions as an alternative to Device Manager
2.Click
Start, type cmd in the
Start Search box, right-click
cmd in the
Programs list, and then click
Run as administrator.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password, or click
Continue. 3.At the command prompt, change the directory to the directory to which you extracted the DevCon files.4.Type devcon stack gencdrom, and then press ENTER.Then, information that resembles the following appears: IDE\CDROM_____CDRW121032______1.08\5&60546BC&0&0.0.0 Name: CDRW121032 Setup Class: {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} CDROM Upper filters: Controlling service: cdrom Lower filters: 1 matching device(s) found.
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REFERENCES
loadTOCNode(1, 'references');For more information about a similar problem that you may experience on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
314060 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060/) You can no longer access the CD drive or the DVD drive, or you receive an error message after you remove a CD recording program or a DVD recording program in Windows XP: "error code 31"
Back to the top
APPLIES TO
•Windows Vista Business•Windows Vista Enterprise•Windows Vista Home Basic•Windows Vista Home Premium•Windows Vista Ultimate•Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition•Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition•Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition•Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition•Windows Vista Starter
The CD drive or the DVD drive does not work as expected on a computer that you upgraded to Windows Vista
View products that this article applies to.
function loadTOCNode(){}Article ID:929461Last Review:March 12, 2008Revision:5.2
SYMPTOMS
loadTOCNode(1, 'symptoms');You upgrade a computer to Windows Vista or install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or you install or uninstall applications that have a CD/DVD filter driver. When you restart the computer, the CD drive or DVD drive no longer works as expected.
Back to the top
CAUSE
loadTOCNode(1, 'cause');This problem may occur if one of the following scenarios is true: •The filter drivers in the CD and the DVD storage stack are not migrated successfully to Windows Vista.•You uninstalled CD software that fails to properly remove itself in the registry.•You installed software that adds filter drivers in the CD and the DVD storage stack that interfere with existing filters.
Back to the top
RESOLUTION
loadTOCNode(1, 'resolution');
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
To resolve this problem, remove the affected filter drivers. To do this, follow these steps: 1.Click
Start, type regedit in the
Start Search box, and then click
regedit in the
Programs list.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password, or click
Continue. 2.Locate, and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Caution There can be many instances of the registry subkey that is mentioned in step 2. You must make sure that you are in the appropriate registry subkey before modifying the UpperFilters and the LowerFilters values. To verify that you are in the appropriate registry subkey, make sure that the Default data value is DVD/CD-ROM and the Class data value is CDROM.3.In the right pane, right-click
UpperFilters, and then click
Delete. 4.Click
Yes to confirm the removal of the UpperFilters registry entry.5.In the right pane, right-click
LowerFilters, and then click
Delete. 6.Click
Yes to confirm the removal of the LowerFilters registry entry.7.Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.
Note After you remove the UpperFilters registry entry and the LowerFilters registry entry, you may lose functionality in certain programs such as CD recording programs. In this scenario, you must reinstall any affected programs. If the problem recurs, contact the program vendor to determine whether an update is available for the program.
For information about how to contact computer software vendors, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
65416 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/65416/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K
60781 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60781/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P
60782 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60782/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z
Back to the top
MORE INFORMATION
loadTOCNode(1, 'moreinformation');For more information about the filter drivers that may be loaded in Windows Vista, run the DevCon program. To do this, follow these steps: 1.Obtain and extract the DevCon program. For more information about how to obtain this program and about how to use this program, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
311272 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272/) The DevCon command-line utility functions as an alternative to Device Manager
2.Click
Start, type cmd in the
Start Search box, right-click
cmd in the
Programs list, and then click
Run as administrator.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password, or click
Continue. 3.At the command prompt, change the directory to the directory to which you extracted the DevCon files.4.Type devcon stack gencdrom, and then press ENTER.Then, information that resembles the following appears: IDE\CDROM_____CDRW121032______1.08\5&60546BC&0&0.0.0 Name: CDRW121032 Setup Class: {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} CDROM Upper filters: Controlling service: cdrom Lower filters: 1 matching device(s) found.
Back to the top
REFERENCES
loadTOCNode(1, 'references');For more information about a similar problem that you may experience on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
314060 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060/) You can no longer access the CD drive or the DVD drive, or you receive an error message after you remove a CD recording program or a DVD recording program in Windows XP: "error code 31"
Back to the top
APPLIES TO
•Windows Vista Business•Windows Vista Enterprise•Windows Vista Home Basic•Windows Vista Home Premium•Windows Vista Ultimate•Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition•Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition•Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition•Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition•Windows Vista Starter
.