DVD-RW drive not recognized under Windows XP

Tuesday, January 22, 2013 by kona0197 | Discussion: Personal Computing

I have decided to start a new thread about this issue rather than further derail the other thread where we were talking about this.

I recently received a new DVD-RW drive courtesy of a friend here. After turning off the computer I removed the old drive. The old drive was the only IDE device on the system. I installed the new drive. The new drive uses the SATA interface.

After powering on the computer I went into the BIOS settings. BIOS confirms the new drive is connected. I am also able to boot of the new drive to bootable CDs and DVDs.

The problem is that Windows XP no longer says I have a DVD-RW drive. I only lists my hard drive and that's all under "My Computer". The new drive is plugged in correctly and runs just fine when I boot up a live Linux DVD. So I assume there is something that can fix this?

First Previous Page 1 of 3 Next Last
harpo99999
Reply #1 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 3:12 AM

it is most likely the sata controller's driver that needs to be re-installed/updated, at least that is what I would try first

harpo

 

doortech1
Reply #2 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 3:50 AM

Does it show up in device manager at all as a non functioning device, or problem device?

doortech1
Reply #3 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 3:56 AM

If it was,you could maybe update from internet, might find what it needs. If not, I could send you xppro, but you will have seven and eight soon. Just offering suggestions anyway, luck .I don't know if doing an upgrade with your xp would help, but I thought you said you had a sata dvd before, maybe it was just the harddrive.

kona0197
Reply #4 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 4:09 AM

harpo99999
it is most likely the sata controller's driver that needs to be re-installed/updated, at least that is what I would try first

I doubt that is the problem. The SATA controller is working just fine. If it wasn't my hard drive would not work. The DVD-RW drive is plugged into the same controller.

doortech1
Does it show up in device manager at all as a non functioning device, or problem device?

Neither. The DVD-RW drive does not show up at all even after a scan for new hardware. Funny thing is that the drive works fine under Linux so this has to be a Windows XP issue.

doortech1
If it was,you could maybe update from internet, might find what it needs. If not, I could send you xppro, but you will have seven and eight soon. Just offering suggestions anyway, luck .I don't know if doing an upgrade with your xp would help, but I thought you said you had a sata dvd before, maybe it was just the harddrive.

I was hoping the DVD-RW drive would work for a game that I want to play that only works under XP. Thanks anyhow.

alaknebs
Reply #5 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 5:42 AM

look up mb drivers? with my old mb, win 7 didn't recognise a 2tb hdd (1 tb was ok) until i installed mb drivers from nvidia

Wizard1956
Reply #6 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 6:53 AM

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/13477579/Unhide_All_drives.reg  Try adding this reg key first, then reboot.

If that doesn't do it, try the second one. I have used these before to fix this problem on XP.

 Sorry it took me so long to remember where I put them.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/13477579/unhide.exe

kona0197
Reply #7 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 9:16 AM

How do I add a registry key?

benmanns
Reply #8 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 9:33 AM

simply double klicking the .reg file will do so.

Wizard1956
Reply #9 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 9:44 AM

Roloccolor
simply double klicking the .reg file will do so.
Oops, I should have mentioned that, thanks Roloccolor.

kona0197
Reply #10 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 9:46 AM

All I get when I click on your first link is a new Windows in Firefox that shows me the reg keys. No download.

Wizard1956
Reply #11 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 9:54 AM

I just tried with iE and it gives me the save dialog. Try right clicking and save target as. I just tried that and it worked also.

 It is to my dropbox.

Lantec
Reply #12 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 9:57 AM

did you try....

right click my computer in the start menu

choose Manage

under Storage, choose Disk Management

find the drive in the list

right click and assign a drive letter

 

 

RedneckDude
Reply #13 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:06 AM

Kona, go to WC in IE, just long enough to use Wiz's links.

RedneckDude
Reply #14 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:08 AM

Lantec
did you try....

right click my computer in the start menu

choose Manage

under Storage, choose Disk Management

find the drive in the list

right click and assign a drive letter

 

 

 

Yes, good idea. Also, while there, choose action, scan for new hardware at the top left.

 

kona0197
Reply #15 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:17 AM

OK I used IE to download the registry files. Installed and rebooted. Checked and the DVD-RW drive still is not showing. I also tried the second fix with no success.

Lantec
did you try....

right click my computer in the start menu

choose Manage

under Storage, choose Disk Management

find the drive in the list

right click and assign a drive letter

Disk Management does not show the DVD-RW drive, even after a scan for new hardware.

Wizard1956
Reply #16 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:20 AM

Well, other than a re-install of XP, I'm out of ideas.

kona0197
Reply #17 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:27 AM

Well just for the heck of it I rebooted the machine into Ubuntu Linux. After boot I popped in an old game DVD that I have. Came right up on the system and allowed me to browse the contents of the drive. So this has to be an XP issue.

No sense in a re-install of XP if all I am going to do is install Windows 7 here shortly on the new rig.

RedneckDude
Reply #18 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:32 AM

You may install 7 now.  Or,

 

PM Yrag, if you dare......

kona0197
Reply #19 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:42 AM

PM Yrag? No thanks. I am convinced that the guy doesn't like talking to me. On the other hand I bet he would know how to fix this.

RedneckDude
Reply #20 Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:43 AM

kona0197
PM Yrag? No thanks. I am convinced that the guy doesn't like talking to me.

That's just Yrag's manner, he does it to everyone. 

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