Drive Cannot Read Purchased Discs in Windows 98, ME, and XP
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Use the steps in this document to troubleshoot problems with CD and DVD drives reading discs.
Before continuing make sure that the disc you are trying to read is one that was manufactured from a record label or from a software company. If the disc is one that was created from another CD writer drive or is a blank disc, refer to the document CD and DVD Format Information .
Step 1: Checking if the drive is in Device Manager

In Windows XP, click Start, and right-click My Computer.
In Windows 98 and Me, right-click My Computer.
In Windows XP, select Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button.
In Windows 98 and Me, select Properties, and click the Device Manager tab.
Click the plus sign (+) next to DVD/CD-ROM Drives (or similar) category.

If the CD or DVD drive is not showing up in Device Manager, close Device Manager and use HP and Compaq PCs - CD or DVD Drive is not Detected .
If the CD or DVD drive is listed, continue using these steps to troubleshoot.

Step 2: Checking discs

Place a music CD into the CD or DVD drive and try to play it with Windows Media Player. Do this more than once with different discs and note what happens.
Place a software CD (like a game or business software) into the CD or DVD drive. Do this more than once with different discs and note what happens.
If several discs work but one does not, the disc is probably bad or is scratched. Clean the CD or change the disc with one of another type.
If the disc can be read in another drive, the disc and the software program used to play the disc are good.

Use the disc in another CD or DVD drive using different software players (if possible).
If the disc cannot be read in any drive, the disc is probably bad or needs to be cleaned.
If the disc plays with one type of software player but not in another, try reinstalling the software that did not work. If Windows Media Player needs to be reinstalled, download and install the latest Windows Media Player software from Microsoft (In English).
If you have Windows 98 or Me, you can reinstall Windows Media Player as follows:
Turn on the computer, press the F8 key repeatedly when the logo screen appears.
Select Safe Mode and press Enter.
The computer starts in Safe mode.
Delete the Windows Media Player folder from My Programs.
Empty the Recycle Bin.
Restart the computer.
Try opening Windows Media Player to see if it opens. If it does, repeat these steps.
Click Start, Run, and type the following into the Open field: opendll32.exe setupapi, InstallHinfSection InstallWMP7 132 c:.inf
Click OK.
If prompted for a missing file, browse to c:\Windows\i386, or c:\i386.
When done, open Windows Media to see if it works properly.

Step 3: Permissions in XP
In Windows XP Professional or Windows Media Center edition, ensure that you have permissions enabled to use the CD or DVD. If you are not using Windows XP Professional or Windows Media Center edition, skip this step.

NOTE: In order to use these steps, you must have administrative privileges and sharing has to be enabled.

Remove any discs from their drives.
Make sure that simple file sharing is not set:
Double-click My Computer, and click Tool from the menu bar.
Select Folder Options, and click the View tab.
Scroll down to the bottom of the list of Advanced Settings and remove the checkmark from Use simple file sharing.
Click OK.
Open My computer, right-click the drive containing a disc, and select Properties.
Click the Sharing tab (Share this folder should be selected), and then click the Permissions button.
If you cannot see a sharing tab, select your logon name under Groups and user names. If you can not find it, then select Everyone.
Make sure that Deny is not selected next to read. If it is, select Allow and the drive should work.
Click OK to close the window.

Step 4: Reading the disc from a command prompt
Confirm that the drive can read discs from a command prompt. If your PC does not have a recovery partition on the hard drive, skip to the next step (if you are not sure that your PC has a recovery partition, perform the steps anyway to find out if a recovery partition exists). Use the following steps to read a data disk from a command prompt:

CAUTION: Use the following steps carefully. Do not try to skip ahead without reading the steps. Failure to perform all of the steps in the required order could result in full recovery and the deletion of all saved files.

Turn on the computer, and press the F10 key repeatedly at the logo screen until Starting HP PC System Recovery (or similar) appears at the bottom of the screen.
If, after two or three attempts, you cannot enter a system recovery screen, your computer does not have a recovery partition. Skip to the next step if this is the case.
At the recovery screen, click the Advanced Options button.
A System Recovery - Quick Format (or similar) window appears. Do NOT click Next.
Press the Alt + D keys.
A command prompt window appears.
Insert a good disc that was purchased at a store, like a game, or software disc.
Type the following at the command prompt: diskpart
Press Enter, and type the following at the command prompt: list volume
Press Enter and look at the list that displays. Note the drive letter next to the drive that contains the disc.
If you cannot see a label name for the disc and the type of drive under type, the drive is probably bad and either the drive needs to be replaced or the computer needs servicing.
If you can see the label name for the disc and the type of drive listed under type, the drive is recognized. Continue troubleshooting using the following steps to see if the data on the drive can be read.
Type Exit and press the Enter key to return to the command prompt.
Type the drive letter for the drive that contains the disc followed by a colon (:). For example, if the drive letter was listed as J in the diskpart list, you would type the following: J:
Press Enter and type the following at the new command prompt: dir
A listing of filenames and folders should appear.
If the directory on the CD can be seen, the drive is recognized by the computer. The issue is not likely to be hardware or disc related.
If directories on CDs of multiple types (commercial data CD, music CD, burned data CD, etc.) cannot be listed, then the remove and reseat the cables.

Step 5: Checking cable connections
Check cable connections to determine if the connection between the hard drive and the motherboard has been lost. Work on a hard flat surface over a non-carpeted floor.

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 are easily damaged by Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). To reduce the chance of ESD damage, work over a non-carpeted floor, use a static dissipative work surface (like a conductive foam pad), and wear an ESD wrist strap that is connected to a grounded surface, like the metal frame of a computer.


Turn the PC off, unplug the power cord, then press the Power button on the front of the PC.
Open the left-side panel (or entire cover).

Remove any hardware that uses an IDE cable and was recently added (like an extra CD drive, or a ZIP drive). This does not include original hard drives.
Remove both the ribbon cable (the IDE cable) and the power cable from the back of the drive.

Reinsert both cables into the back of the drive.
Remove and reinsert the drive's ribbon cable from the connector on the motherboard. Be careful to not dislodge other ribbon cables.
Replace the cover and plug in the power cord.

Turn on the PC.
Insert a disc and see if the CD displays files from a command prompt, and then Windows. Do the following depending on what happens:

If the CD can be read from a command prompt and Windows, the problem is resolved.
If the CD now plays and you removed an IDE device from a ribbon cable, there was a hardware conflict. Contact the manufacturer of the device for proper installation instructions and for the correct settings.
If the CD still does not play or show files, continue to the next step.

Step 6: Replacing the IDE cable
Replace or swap the IDE cables. Work on a hard flat surface over a non-carpeted floor.

Turn the computer off, unplug the power cord, then press the Power button on the front of the computer.
Open the left-side panel (or entire cover).
Remove both the ribbon cable (the IDE cable) and the power cable from the back of the drive.
Remove the ribbon cable from the connector on the motherboard. Be careful to not dislodge other ribbon cables.
Replace the IDE ribbon cable from the back of the drive with a different cable.
Replace the cover and plug in the power cord. Turn the PC on.
Insert a disc and see if the CD displays files from a command prompt, and then from Windows.

If the CD can be read from a command prompt and Windows, the problem is resolved.
If the CD, can be read from a command prompt but not from Windows, reinstall the drivers from device manager in the next step.
If the CD does not appear from a command prompt, use the document Drive Cannot Write to Writable Discs .

Step 7: Reinstalling the drive in Device manager
Remove and reinstall the drive name in Device Manager:

In Windows XP, select Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button.
In Windows 98 and Me, select Properties, and click the Device Manager tab.
Click the plus sign (+) next to DVD/CD-ROM Drives (or similar) category.
Close the Properties window and select the CD Drive name.
Click the Uninstall or Remove button (in Windows XP this is the square button with a red X).
Click Yes or OK to remove the CD or DVD listing. Do not restart the computer.
Close Device Manager and restart the computer.
Use the CD or DVD drive that was used when the error appeared. If the error no longer appears, you are done. If the error re-appears, continue to the next step.

Step 8: Use System Restore
If the computer still cannot read the disc, use System Restore to go back to a time when the drive was recognized by Windows. This step is only for Windows Me and XP. If you do not know how to restore Windows, use the Support document " Using Microsoft's System Restore Feature ."
When done, use the CD or DVD drive again to see if it works. If it works, you are done. If it does not, go to the next step.
Step 9: Recovery
If the PC still cannot read the disc, recover the computer. If you do not know how to recover the computer, use one of the following documents:

HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Performing a System Recovery in Microsoft Windows XP
HP Pavilion Desktop PCs - Performing a System Recovery in Windows 98 and Me
If your Presario computer came with quick restore discs, insert the first disc into the top CD or DVD drive, restart the computer, and follow the onscreen instructions.
When done, use the CD or DVD drive again to see if it works. If it works, you are done. If it does not, go to the next step.
Step 10: Using PC Doctor
If the PC still cannot read the disc, open PC-Doctor to gather more information and respond accordingly (not on Classic Presario units).

Click Start, Run, and type the following into the Open field: pcdrw32
Click OK and wait for the PC Doctor window to appear.
Open the appropriate CD/DVD-ROM test from the list of tests (as in the column to the left of the first menu).
If an error code is reported, the computer may need to be serviced. Open the test again to confirm the error code. Use the following support document if you need more information about PC Doctor or you want to look up an error code: Using PC Doctor
If, after you have tried all these steps, the drive still cannot read a commercial disc, the drive is probably bad and should be replaced.