DVD/CD not showing up.

elusiverunner · 16 May 2020

Hi members,

I have a problem with my internal DVD/CD drive. I place a DVD into the drive and it seems to run for a few moments and then the drive stops. I can not display the drive in file explorer, it is as if the drive is not there. I can eject the disk using the option in file explorer. When I display the BIOS there is no mention of a CD anywhere. The computer is an AMD, the computer is a fully refurbished machine and when new it displayed the drive.

The Windows Version/Build Number is Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.836)

Berton · 16 May 2020

The right-click and Eject command won't exist if File Explorer doesn't see the drive. Right-click the Start button, click Disk Management and see if it listed. If not there and doesn't have a drive letter assigned it usually won't show in File Explorer. There is a setting in File Explorer's toolbar at View, Options, View tab about hiding empty drives, might check that.

elusiverunner · 16 May 2020

Hi Burton and thanks very much for your quick reply. I have checked and you are right, there is no drive in the listing for the DVD/CD drive There is only a HDD with a recovery partition. When displaying in device manager there is a DVD/CD driver. I don't seem to be able to display the File Explorers at view, could you please assist me with that one ?

spunk · 16 May 2020

If there is no mention of a CD/DVD drive in the Bios, it will not be found anywhere else either. this means it is either unplugged or has failed. Turn the laptop over, there is usually one screw that holds the CD/DVD drive in around the middle of the bottom of the laptop. Unscrew it and remove the drive and then reinsert it. If the Bios doesn't see the drive then it has failed.

Jacee · 16 May 2020

I had a brand new Lenovo laptop that had the very same problem. I just bought an external CD/DVD drive and it worked. These external drives are not expensive. I felt it wasn't worth sending my new laptop back to be replaced.

bobkn · 16 May 2020

Service manual:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05122652

If you needed to replace the optical drive, it's not extremely difficult. The main tedious part is that the whole back of the laptop must be removed. The drives are not expensive.

spunk · 17 May 2020

Even in the manual linked above in post # 6 on page 26, shows only one screw needs to be removed to replace the Optical drive. Here is a video showing you how You can purchase a replacement on Ebay.
YouTube

Berton · 17 May 2020

Yep, most Notebooks have just the one screw holding the drive in. I remove it then if the tray is not open use a straightened Jumbo paper clip in the small hole to pull it out.

And I also do as @Jacee does and keep a couple of the External USB ODDs on hand, also have a couple USB 3.5" floppy drives 'just in case'.

bobkn · 17 May 2020

spunk said:

Even in the manual linked above in post # 6 on page 26, shows only one screw needs to be removed to replace the Optical drive. Here is a video showing you how You can purchase a replacement on Ebay.
YouTube

Hmm. Yes, that looks correct. (Haven't watched the YouTube video.)

The text in the manual may want the back to be removed so that the battery can be disconnected. That hardly seems necessary.

elusiverunner · 18 May 2020

Hello All,

Thank you for all the great information and videos you have sent regarding my problem. When displaying the Device Manager panel and depressing on properties the reply is "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems (Code 43). I don't know if this will be of any use, I don't know, but I am afraid there are no other messages or notes as yet.