Jump to content

HP G60-535DX Notebook PC Troubleshooting

CD/DVD Drive Is Not Detected (Windows 7)

  • PrintPrint
  • Share
This document applies to HP computers with Windows 7.
When you try to burn or read a disc, nothing happens or an error stating that the drive cannot be found appears in the CD/DVD burning software.
Use one of the following sections that best describes your situation:
Show all | Hide all
If a window does not open when discs are inserted into the drive and the drive does not appear in Windows Explorer, then the drive is not being recognized by Windows 7. Use these steps to troubleshoot this condition.
NOTE:If you have a new notebook computer, make sure the computer actually has a CD/DVD drive. Several models of notebook computer do not come with CD/DVD drives and must use an external USB drive.
NOTE:If you have upgraded your computer to Windows 7 and the drive was working before but is no longer working correctly in Windows 7, you can save time by starting at Step 6 to remove the upper and lower control filters from the registry.

Step 1: See if the drive appears in BIOS

The BIOS in your computer manages all communication between the hardware components and the operating system. If the operating system does not recognize the CD/DVD drive, check the BIOS and see if it is recognized there. To check the BIOS, use one of the following sets of steps, depending on the type of computer and the version of BIOS you are using:
  1. Turn off the computer and wait five seconds.
  2. Turn on the computer and immediately press the F10 key repeatedly until the BIOS Setup Utility screen appears.
    If BIOS does not open using F10 , repeat the process using the F1 key instead.
  3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the System Configuration screen.
  4. Select Boot Options and then press Enter .
  5. On the Boot Options sub-screen, select Boot Order and then press Enter .
  6. In the Boot Order list, look for a CD/DVD drive entry. Depending on your notebook model and specific CD/DVD drive, the entry name indicates the exact type of disc drive you have (for example, it may read Internal CD/DVD-ROM Drive ).
    Figure 1: Example of CD/DVD drive listing in notebook BIOS
    Example of CD/DVD drive listing in notebook BIOS
  7. Press Esc and then press Enter to Exit BIOS.
  1. Turn off the computer and wait five seconds.
  2. Turn on the computer and immediately press the F10 key repeatedly until the BIOS Setup Utility screen appears.
    If BIOS does not open using F10 , repeat the process using the F1 key instead.
  3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Main tab.
  4. Look for a CD/DVD drive name next to one of the Channel Device listings.
    Figure 2: Example of CD/DVD drive listing in desktop BIOS version 6 or less
    Example of CD/DVD drive listing in BIOS version 6 or less
  5. Press Esc and then press Enter to Exit BIOS.
  1. Turn off the computer and wait five seconds.
  2. Turn on the computer and immediately press the F10 key repeatedly until the BIOS Setup Utility screen appears.
    If BIOS does not open using F10 , repeat the process using the F1 key instead.
  3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Storage tab.
  4. Use the arrow keys to select Device Configuration , and then press Enter .
  5. Look for a CD/DVD drive entry in the Device Configuration sub-screen.
    Figure 3: Example of CD/DVD drive listing in desktop BIOS version 7 or greater
    Example of CD/DVD drive listing in desktop BIOS version 7 or greater
  6. Press the Esc key to exit Device Configuration.
  7. Press the Esc key again, press Enter , and then press Enter again to Ignore Changes and Exit BIOS.
If there is no CD/DVD drive listed in BIOS, the problem is probably hardware-related. If you are using a desktop computer, continue to Step 5 . If you are using a notebook computer, contact HP Customer Support for further assistance.
If a CD/DVD drive name is listed in BIOS, the BIOS recognizes the device and the problem is most likely software-related. Continue to the next step.

Step 2: Check the drive name in Device Manager

Use the following steps to reinstall the drive in Device Manager and to find if Windows is able to recognize the drive.
Show me how
  1. Click Start , and enter Device Manager into the Search field. Click Device Manager .
    Figure 4: Opening Device Manager
    Opening Device Manager from the Search field
  2. Double-click DVD/CD-ROM drives .
    If DVD/CD-ROM drives is not in the list, skip to Step 4 to reset power.
  3. Right-click the drive name and select Uninstall .
    Figure 5: Uninstall DVD/CD-ROM drive
    Device Manager window, uninstall DVD/CD-ROM drive
    If a confirmation window opens, click OK .
    The drive name should be removed from the list (and the DVD/CD-ROM drives category will also be removed if there is only one drive).
  4. In Device Manager, click Action , select Scan for hardware changes , and then wait for Windows to find and install the CD/DVD drive.
    Figure 6: Scan for hardware changes
    Device Manager, showing
    When the installation finishes, the drive name should appear in Device Manager.
  5. Open the DVD/CD-ROM drive category again and do the following actions depending on what is shown in DVD/CD-ROM drives :
    • If the CD/DVD drive name is missing , the drive is not being detected by Windows. Scan for hardware changes again to attempt to detect the drive. If the drive is still not detected, close Device Manager and skip to Step 4 to reset power and reseat the drive cables if necessary.
    • If a drive name is shown with an alert icon (the drive icon is marked with an alert symbol, ), double-click the drive name to find more information. Do the following depending on what is shown in the Device Status section:
      • If error code 10 , 19 , 31 , 32 , 39 or 41 is shown in Device Status, a problem exists with the integration of previous CD burning software. Use Step 6 to remove associated control filters from the registry.
      • For any other error, refer to the information that is provided with the error code. For more help and information, refer to the HP support document Device Manager Information (Windows 7) .
    • If a drive name is shown with a disabled icon (the drive icon is marked with an arrow pointing down, ), the drive has been disabled. Right-click the drive name and select Enable . You may have to restart the computer. The drive should work correctly once it has been enabled.
      NOTE:If the drive cannot be enabled, a required software service or driver is disabled or not functioning properly. Double-click IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers in Device Manager to see if there are any problems and troubleshoot them according to the error codes. Resetting the BIOS may also resolve this problem:
      • To reset the BIOS on a notebook computer , restart the computer, press F1 or F10 (depending on computer model) repeatedly at startup to open the BIOS Setup Utility, press F9 to Setup Defaults, press Enter , and then press F1 or F10 again to Save and Exit.
      • To reset the BIOS on a desktop computer with BIOS version 6 or less , restart the computer, press F1 or F10 (depending on computer model) repeatedly at startup to open the BIOS Setup Utility, press F5 , press Enter , and then press F1 or F10 again to Save and Exit.
      • To reset the BIOS on a desktop computer with BIOS version 7 or greater , restart the computer, press F1 or F10 (depending on computer model) repeatedly at startup to open the BIOS Setup Utility, use the arrow keys to navigate to the File tab, select Apply Defaults and Exit , and then press Enter .
    • If the CD/DVD drive is listed as normal , with no special icons , Windows is detecting the drive but other software used to burn discs may not be detecting the drive. Use the steps in CD/DVD writing software does not recognize the drive to make the disc burning software detect the drive.

Step 3: Use the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

Windows 7 includes a troubleshooter that checks hardware, such as CD/DVD drives, for problems. Follow these steps to use the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter to check for problems:
  1. Click Start , and then click Control Panel .
  2. Under System and Security, click Find and fix problems .
    Figure 7: System and Security section of Control Panel
    System and Security section of Control Panel
  3. Under Hardware and Sound, click Configure a device .
    Figure 8: Troubleshooting computer problems
    Troubleshooting computer problems
    If you are prompted for an Administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  4. Click Next .
  5. Windows checks for problems. If the troubleshooter detects problems, follow the instructions to fix the problem.
    If the drive is still missing after using the troubleshooter, continue to the next step.
Under certain conditions the drive might lose communication with Windows, even after restarting Windows. To reset the drive, do the following steps:
  1. Select Start and then Shut down from the power menu.
  2. Wait until the computer fully shuts down and then disconnect the power cord from the computer.
  3. If you have a notebook computer, remove all batteries from their compartments, wait 10 seconds, and then reinsert the battery (or batteries). If your notebook computer has a battery that is sealed within the computer's case, a battery that cannot be removed easily, skip this step.
  4. After waiting at least 10 seconds, reconnect power to the computer.
  5. Turn on the computer and wait for Windows to start. If any messages open stating that Windows is installing new hardware, wait for Windows to finish before checking to see if the CD/DVD drive is available.
If the drive is still missing after resetting power, continue to the next step.

Step 5: Check drive cable connections (desktop tower computers only)

If you are using a desktop computer, perform the steps in this section to check the CD/DVD drive cabling. If you are using a notebook computer, skip to Step 6 .
WARNING:The edges of metal panels can cut skin. Be careful not to slide skin along any interior metal edge of the computer.
CAUTION:This product contains components that can be damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD). To reduce the chance of ESD damage, work over a noncarpeted floor, use a static dissipative work surface (such as a conductive foam pad), and wear an ESD wrist strap connected to a grounded surface.
  1. Turn off the computer, unplug all cords from the computer, and then press the Power button on the front of the computer for five seconds.
  2. Remove the side panel.
    Figure 9: Removing the side panel
    Removing the side panel
  3. Gently disconnect both the data cable and the power cable from the back of the CD/DVD drive.
    Figure 10: Power cable and data cable
    Photograph showing the back of hard drives inside the computer with the data and power cables called out
    1 - Power cable
    2 - Data cable
  4. Reinsert the power and data cables into the back of the drive making sure the cables fit snugly into their connectors and making sure there are no bent pins.
  5. Gently remove and reinsert the CD/DVD drive data cable from the connector on the motherboard. Be careful not to dislodge other cables.
  6. If the CD/DVD drive is not original equipment and was recently added, make sure that the drive cables are installed correctly.
  7. Replace the cover and plug in the power, keyboard, mouse, and video cables.
    Figure 11: Replacing the side panel
    Replacing the side panel
  8. Check if the drive name appears in BIOS using one of the following sets of steps, depending on your computer's version of BIOS.
    If your computer features BIOS version 6 or less , use the following steps to check if the drive name appears in BIOS:
    Turn on the computer and immediately press the F10 key repeatedly until the BIOS Setup Utility screen appears.
    If BIOS does not open using F10 , restart the computer and press the F1 key instead.
    Press F5 , and then press the Enter key to reset the BIOS to the defaults. Setup Defaults can also be found on the EXIT screen of the BIOS Setup Utility.
    Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Main tab.
    The CD/DVD drive name should appear next to one of the channel listings.
    Figure 12: Example of CD/DVD drive listing in BIOS version 6 or less
    Example of CD/DVD drive listing in BIOS version 6 or less
    Press F10 (or F1 ) and then press Enter to Save and Exit.
    The computer exits the BIOS and starts into Windows.
    If your computer features BIOS version 7 or greater , use the following steps to check if the drive name appears in BIOS:
    Turn on the computer and immediately press the F10 key repeatedly until the BIOS Setup Utility screen appears.
    If BIOS does not open using F10 , restart the computer and press the F1 key instead.
    Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Storage tab.
    Use the arrow keys to select Device Configuration , and then press Enter .
    Look for a CD/DVD drive entry in the Device Configuration sub-screen.
    Figure 13: Example of CD/DVD drive listing in BIOS version 7 or greater
    Example of CD/DVD drive listing in BIOS version 7 or greater
    Press the Esc key to exit Device Configuration.
    Press the Esc key again, press Enter , and then press Enter again to Ignore Changes and Exit.
    The computer exits the BIOS and starts into Windows.
  9. Do one of the following actions depending on what is listed in the BIOS:
    • If the drive name appears , the drive is recognized by the BIOS and should also be recognized by Windows.
      • If Windows recognizes the drive, you are finished.
      • If Windows does not recognize the drive, repeat Step 2 to see if the drive name appears in Device Manager and troubleshoot disc burning software if needed.
    • If the drive name still does not appear , replace the cable, the drive, or have the computer serviced.
    NOTE:If you suspect that the drive may be bad after using these steps, test the drive to see if the hardware has failed. For more information about testing for CD/DVD drive hardware failures, refer to the HP support document Testing for Hardware Problems Using Hardware Diagnostic Tools (Windows 7) .

Step 6: Clear the upper and lower registry filters

Clear the registry filters for Device Manager error codes 10 , 19 , 31 , 32 , 39 or 41 using the following steps:
  1. If you cannot use the Microsoft Fix it Solution, continue using these steps to clear the upper and lower registry filters manually.
  2. Unplug all non-essential external plug and play devices, especially cameras. Then complete the following steps.
    Show me how
  3. Click Start , and then enter regedit into the Search field. Click regedit .
    Figure 14: Search for regedit
    Opening Registry Editor
    If you are prompted for an Administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
    The Registry Editor opens.
  4. Select Computer in the main window.
    Figure 15: Registry Editor
    Registry Editor
  5. Click File , click Export , type a filename that is easy for you to remember, and then click Save .
    A copy of the registry has been saved for back-up purposes to the Documents folder. If problems occur after using these steps, browse to the file and double-click it to restore the registry.
  6. Click the arrow next to each of the following items in the list:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    • SYSTEM
    • CurrentControlSet
    • Control
    • Class
  7. Select 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 . Make sure you have selected this exact key name.
  8. If a LowerFilters value is listed on the right side of the registry editor window, select the LowerFilters value and press the Delete key. Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes .
    Figure 16: Registry Editor: LowerFilters key
    Image of Registry Editor showing LowerFilters key
  9. If an UpperFilters value is also listed, select UpperFilters in the right window and press the Delete key.
    Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes .
  10. Delete all other UpperFilters and LowerFilters values within the 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 key if any exist.
  11. Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer. The disc drive should now be recognized by Windows. You may need to uninstall your disc recording software, restart the computer, reinstall the CD/DVD writing software, and then restart the computer again if the software no longer recognizes the drive (see next section).

Step 7: Test for drive failure

If you suspect that the drive may be bad after using the previous steps, test the drive to see if the hardware has failed. For more information about testing for CD/DVD drive hardware failures, refer to the HP support document Testing for Hardware Problems Using Hardware Diagnostic Tools (Windows 7) . If the drive test fails, the drive needs to be replaced or the computer needs to be serviced.
If the CD/DVD writing software displays notification that no drive is detected, use the steps in this section.
NOTE:Disc recording software programs that come with HP and Compaq computers are made to recognize only the original CD/DVD drives that come with the computer. If you have added a new drive, use the disc burning software that came with the drive or use the native burning capabilities of Windows 7.
Figure 17: CyberLink Power2Go error message example
CyberLink Power2Go error message stating that no disc burning drive is available

Step 1: Reinstall disc recording software

Upgrading the operating system or installing certain types of software can cause other recording software to lose their connection to the drive. Installing software that can burn discs, some music software, and some DVD authoring/decryption software can cause these types of problems.
To correct the problem and allow the software to detect the drive again, uninstall the CD/DVD recording software, restart the computer, reinstall the disc recording software, and then restart the computer again.
NOTE: If the CD/DVD writing software that you use was purchased separately, uninstall the software, restart, then use its installation discs to install the software, and then restart again.
The following procedure is an example of how to correct a No burner is currently available message in CyberLink Power2Go.
NOTE:Those familiar with editing the Windows registry can save time by adding a LowerFilters value to the Windows Registry instead of reinstalling the software. To do so, skip to Step 2 .
  1. Uninstall CyberLink Power2Go from Programs and Features:
    1. Click Start , and then click Control Panel .
    2. Under Programs , click Uninstall a program .
      The Uninstall or change a program window opens.
      Figure 18: Uninstall or change a program
      Uninstall or change a program
    3. Select Power2Go , and click Uninstall/Change from the menu bar.
    4. Follow the instructions to uninstall Power2Go.
  2. After CyberLink Power2Go has been uninstalled, restart the computer .
  3. After the computer has restarted, install CyberLink Power2Go from the HP Application Recovery program:
    1. Click Start , All Programs , Recovery Manager , and then click Recovery Manager again.
      Figure 19: Recovery Manager
      Recovery Manager
    2. Click Software Program Reinstallation .
    3. On the Software Program Reinstallation welcome screen, click Next .
    4. Select CyberLink Power2Go , and then click Next .
      Figure 20: Select program to reinstall
      Software Program Reinstallation window
    5. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall CyberLink Power2Go.
  4. Open CyberLink Power2Go and verify that a drive name appears as the destination selection.
After the CD/DVD software is reinstalled and the computer has been restarted, it should recognize the CD/DVD drive. If the drive is not recognized, continue to the next step.

Step 2: Replace the PxHelp20 registry value

Use the following steps to replace the PxHelp20 registry value:
  1. Unplug all non-essential external plug and play devices, especially cameras. Then complete the following steps.
    Show me how
  2. Click Start , and then enter regedit into the Search field. Click regedit .
    If you are prompted for an Administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  3. Select Computer in the main window.
  4. Click File , Export , type a filename that is easy for you to remember, and click Save .
    A copy of the registry has saved for back-up purposes to the Documents folder. If problems occur after using these steps, browse to the file and double-click it to restore the registry.
  5. Click the arrow next to each of the following items in the list:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    • SYSTEM
    • CurrentControlSet
    • Control
    • Class
  6. Select 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 . Make sure you have selected this exact key name.
  7. If a LowerFilters value is listed on the right side of the registry editor window, click the LowerFilters value, and press the Delete key. Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes .
  8. With the 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 key still selected, right-click any blank area of the right side of the registry editor window (the window pane listing all the values within the key).
  9. Select New and Multi-String Value .
    Figure 21: New Multi-String Value
    Right-click menu in Registry Editor, showing New, Multi-String Value
  10. Replace the default text for the new value by typing the following and then pressing Enter :
    LowerFilters
  11. Right-click the new LowerFilters value and select modify .
  12. Type the following into the Value Data field:
    PxHelp20
  13. Click OK .
    A new LowerFilters value containing Data PxHelp20 is listed in the Registry Editor window.
    Figure 22: Registry Editor: LowerFilters key
    Registry Editor showing new LowerFilters key
  14. Close the registry editor and restart the computer . The disc drive should now be recognized by your recording software. If not, continue to the next step.

Step 3: Get the latest drive firmware updates from the Web

Go to the HP Web site to see if there are any drive firmware and/or recording software updates available. Use the following steps:
  1. Go to the HP Support & Drivers page and click the Drivers & Software tab.
  2. In the Search box, enter your product name/number (for example, Pavilion p6230f or TouchSmart 600-1050uk), and then click Search .
  3. Select the version of Windows the computer is using.
  4. Click the Firmware link and look for any available CD/DVD firmware updates, for example HLDS CH10L DVD-R/RW drive firmware update. Then click the Software - Multimedia , and Software - Solutions links and look for any available recording software updates, for example CyberLink Power2Go update.
  5. If there are updates available for the CD/DVD drive or recording software, select the ones that apply.
  6. Follow the instructions on the download pages to download each applicable update.
  7. Install the updates according to the instructions on the download page.
Once you have installed the updates or if no updates were available, continue to the next step.

Step 4: Restore system files

Use Microsoft System Restore to return the system back to a time when the CD/DVD writing software was known to work. For more information, refer to the HP support document Restoring Windows to a Previous Point (Windows 7) .
If a System Restore does not resolve the problem, you can use Recovery Manager to return the computer software configuration back to its original state. For more information, refer to the HP support document Performing an HP System Recovery (Windows 7) .

Step 5: Test for drive failure

If you suspect that the drive may be bad after using the previous steps, test the drive to see if the hardware has failed. For more information about testing for CD/DVD drive hardware failures, refer to the HP support document Testing for Hardware Problems Using Hardware Diagnostic Tools (Windows 7) . If the drive test fails, the drive needs to be replaced or the computer needs to be serviced.
NOTE:One or more of the links above will take you outside the Hewlett-Packard Web site. HP does not control and is not responsible for information outside the HP Web site.