DVD drive showing as CD drive

ALANGR · 07 Oct 2023

I put a previously recorded CD drive into my DVD/CD drive, erased it and now find that it drive shows up in Explorer as a CD drive.

How do I re-set the drive for DVDs? I have tried device manager and properties but can't find how to change from CD to DVD. Just putting in a DVD does not do the trick either. (ASUS DRW-24D5MT)

This has to be a simple thing?

Thanks.

winver 22h2 19045.3448

Paul Black · 07 Oct 2023

Hello @ALANGR,

ALANGR said:

I put a previously recorded CD drive into my DVD/CD drive, erased it and now find that it drive shows up in Explorer as a CD drive.

How do I re-set the drive for DVDs? I have tried device manager and properties but can't find how to change from CD to DVD. Just putting in a DVD does not do the trick either.

Are you just talking about the description of the drive ?

To get a better idea and to get the basic drive information, Copy & Paste the following ALL at once into a CMD Prompt and press Enter.

Code:


PowerShell ^
     Get-Volume ^| Sort-Object -Property {$_.DriveLetter} ^| Format-Table -Autosize ^
     @{L='Drive Letter'        ;E={;if($_.DriveLetter -eq $NULL)                            {'Hidden'} else {$_.DriveLetter}}}, ^
     @{L='Drive Letter Name'   ;E={;if($_.FileSystemLabel -eq '')                           {'NO LABEL'} else {$_.FileSystemLabel}}}, ^
     @{L='File System Type'    ;E={;if([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($_.FileSystemType))     {'-'} else {$_.FileSystemType}}}, ^
     @{L='Drive Type'          ;E={;if([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($_.DriveType))          {'-'} else {$_.DriveType}}} ^| ^
Out-String -Width 1000

Also, please post a screenshot of your Disk Management. Make sure that ALL the text in ALL the columns are visible and showing the whole window.

> How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management at Ten Forums

I hope this helps.

spunk · 07 Oct 2023

If you put a CD-R blank or a CD-RW and Format it, the label will turn into the type of disc that is in the drive and label it a CD drive. If you Eject the CD, and put in a blank DVD+-R or RW it will change to DVD.
Press the Windows key+X and choose Device Manager. Expand CD/DVD drive and it will show you the manufacturer of the drive and that it is a CD/DVD-RW drive

ALANGR · 07 Oct 2023

Paul: I have not yet done what you suggest as I do not follow it all and am somewhat concerned about messing up my system! (don't I need to specify the drive letter involved, for example?)

I am a;so unclear about what you refer to as the 'description of the drive'. It seems to me that under device manager there appears to be a DVD drive whereas Explorer is insisting that it is a CD drive.

Spunk: I tried that right from the start and the blank DVD goes in to the drive and a few seconds later the screen shows a CD drive. At the same time device manager does show a DVD drive (ASUS DRW-24D5MT) but Explorer remains firmly showing as a CD drive.

I have just realised that there is something else I could try - a system re-boot. I will do that and get back to you.

Thanks both for your help.

SIW2 · 07 Oct 2023

Could be it will display according to the type of disc that is inserted.

DVD drive showing as CD drive-system-image-dvd-writing-virtual-dvd.jpg

ALANGR · 07 Oct 2023

Well, how often is it the case? Re-start and ...the DVD drive is back and I have used it OK.

Very many thanks for your comments and help.

Paul Black · 07 Oct 2023

Hello @ALANGR,

Excellent news.

Helmut · 07 Oct 2023

You do not have to do anything, the drive will read the ATIP info off the disk and the filing system if there is something on it. It will know what type of Disc it is and writing strategy and so forth.

Size of the icon in File Manager matters, Medium size and it will show more than the Small size.

Put in a CD already written and it may say CD-ROM DVD RW (medium icon), DVD RW (small icon).