cd rom disappeared from my computer after reformatting

[debby_s]

Hi All,


I have reformatted 2 laptops and installed vista on both, they're both running like a dream apart from there is no CD Rom drives in the 'my computer' section just DVD RW drive.  If I put a cd in the drawer it runs for a few seconds and then says please insert disc..

I checked in device manager but there is only the DVD RW drive showing. I've tried reading up for a solution but found nothing apart from the upper/ lower filters solution  in regedit but have neither of these filters in there.

 Has anyone any idea what to do to bring CD ROM back?


Any help would be great!

Thanks,

Debby.


 

[Deerpark]

A DVD RW drive is also capable of reading CDs. But are you saying none of the laptops will read CDs? Have you tried more than one CD?

[Broni]

Try this:
Go to Device Manager, click a "+" sign next to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
You'll see two items:
- ATA Channel0 (or Primary Channel)
- ATA Channel1 (or Secondary Channel)
Right click on each of them, and click Uninstal. Confirm.
Restart Windows. They'll be automatically reinstalled.

[debby_s]

Hiya,

 Thank you for the replies    I have tried many cd's in both laptops but none worked (they do in a 3rd laptop I try).

I went into device manager and found two ATA Channel0 (no ATA Channel1)  Deleted both and restarted the computer, when I checked in my computer I had two new drives in there both named CD Drive (E & F) but no DVD RW. I tried another CD but it didnt work, although this time a spinning CD egg timer thingy came up. I then went back into my computer and the new drives had both gone and DVD RW is back there. I checked in device manager and the two ATA Channel0's are back...

When I restarted my computer it came up that it wanted to find the driver for an unknown device but then couldn't find it.

Thanks again for the help

[Broni]

Go back to Device Manager, right click on each optical drive, and click Uninstall
Confirm in both cases.
Restart computer.

[debby_s]

Sorry, my mistake, I did click uninstall but I will try again and see what happens...

[Broni]

No, no, not on IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers this time.
On drives themselves, under CD/DVD drives.

[debby_s]

Duh sorry my brain isn't working...

The only one there was DVD RW so I uninstalled it, restarted my computer and it was back but still no CDROM drive. The computer is still trying to find drivers for new unknown hardware but no joy. I assume I need to get the driver downloaded for it but cant run the driver CD or know what to look for online.



Thank you for helping.

[Broni]

Do you have TWO optical drives (CD, and DVD) in both laptops?

[debby_s]

Just checked and no, they both only have DVD RW

[Broni]

Well, if you have DVD RW it'll be listed as such, not CD ROM, so I don't understand what the issue is.

[debby_s]

The issue is that neither computer will play CDs.  I used to have a CD Rom drive before I upgraded to Vista, does Vista have DVD RW instead of CD Rom?    This is why I thought they wouldn't play- because CDRom wasn't there.  Either way, the problem is the CDs won't play    

[Broni]

Previous Windows versions (I'm not sure, if XP, too), would list any optical drive as CD ROM, even, if you had DVD drive.
If Vista lists it as DVD RW, then this is what you have.
How old are those drives?
You upgraded to Vista from what Windows version?
Will your drives play DVDs?

[debby_s]

The laptops themselves are only a year old, both say they have the best driver installed for the device. I upgraded them from XP with the vista software that came with the laptops.

I ran a dvd in both and they played.  Just won't recognise an audio CD... maybe the computers just dislike my taste in music?...lol

[Broni]

DVD players have two lenses, one for reading CDs, and one for DVDs. It may be something wrong with CD lens.
You may try lens cleaner CD available at any store, which sells electronics.