1#
银光图片

Many laptops have removed the CD-ROM drive in pursuit of thinness, but for some older models, we can still see that it has a CD-ROM drive. The notebook drive is a fragile piece of hardware, so I saw this question on many forums: Why won't my laptop read CDs or DVDs?




Part 1: Reasons Why DVD Drive not Reading Discs Windows 10 Dell

1. The most common laptop optical drive does not read the disk is a problem with the CD

If the disc has very serious physical damage and the disc cannot be recognized, the disc drive will judge it as a bad disc or the disc will not be recognized. It is required to replace the disc.

It is recommended to find a better disc. Sometimes the disc is not correct, there will be a phenomenon that the DVD player not working, you should put the disc once again.


2. The optical drive laser head aging caused the laptop CD drive not detecting disc

The lens of the laser head is deformed due to high temperature, which makes it impossible to focus the laser beam. The surface of the photocell is too dirty or the lens of the laser head is too dirty, which may cause the laptop optical drive to fail to read the disk.


Therefore, it is necessary to clean the photocell and the laser head lens. If it is really the case that the optical drive is broken, it can only be sent to the repair shop for repair.


3. Program errors will also cause the notebook optical drive cannot detect the disc

For example, there is a user that uses the Windows 7 64-bit system. Most of the CD-ROMs can be read directly by pressing the physical open button of the CD-ROM drive. The CD can be read, but the DVD drive not showing up in windows explorer.


Instead of using the button, the right click of the CD-ROM is selected in the windows explorer,select eject, and then any DVD disk can be read normally. This is obviously a system error.


Part 2: Solution Steps for HP/DELL Laptop DVD Drive not Detected in Windows 10

1. Check cd/dvd optical drive in bios

Press the power button to start the laptop, press F2 repeatedly to enter bios, and select the hardware option in bios to confirm whether the CD-ROM drive can be recognized in the BIOS.

If the cd/DVD drive is not detected in bios, you can try to load the bios default or update the latest version of bios.

If the problem cannot be solved, it is likely that the optical drive hardware is faulty, then the following steps do not need to be operated.


2. Confirm if there is a problem with the disc

Try using a known good disc before proceeding with the troubleshooting steps.

Clean the disc and check the disc for damage: Clean the disc with dust and smudges with filtered water and a lint-free cloth.

Test several different disc types: Load CDs and DVDs that are known to work in other laptop disc players. Some optical drives may read only one type of optical disc. On another computer, test whether the disc can be read.

This test can be judged whether the optical drive of the notebook is broken or the compact disc cause the DVD drive not working windows 10.


3. Running hardware and devices troubleshooting

Use the Windows troubleshooting tool to identify and fix drive problems automatically.

3.1 In Windows 10, search for and open "Troubleshooting" >"Hardware and Devices"




3.2 Click "Run the Troubleshooter"

3.3 Follow the instructions to fix any problems found and then test the disc in the drive.


4. Test the drive for hardware failure

4.1 Turn off the computer.

4.2 Press the power button to turn on the computer, then immediately press the Esc key repeatedly until the boot menu opens.

4.3 Press F2 to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI.

4.4 Click "Component Test".




4.5 Click on the optical drive and run all available tests. Have a working CD or DVD ready to complete the test. Each test takes 1 to 2 minutes to run.

4.6 Follow the instructions to resolve problems found and then test the disc in the drive.


5. Check the computer device manager

Locate the device driver in the Device Manager and reinstall to solve driver errors.

5.1 Remove all discs from the drive.

5.2 In Windows, search for and open the Device Manager.

5.3 Double-click the "DVD/CD-ROM" drive to expand the category.

5.4 Right-click on the drive name and select "Uninstall Device".

5.5 Close all open programs and restart your computer. Windows automatically configures the device.

5.6 Test the disc in the drive.


6. Reset laptop hardware

If the laptop DVD drive not showing in device manager, then you need to try to update the latest motherboard drive, power management driver.

Then reset the laptop hardware.

6.1 Completely shutdown the computer

6.2 Remove the laptop battery and power adapter

6.3 Keep pressing the power button for 10 seconds

6.4 Then reinsert the battery (or battery).


If your laptop's battery is a built-in battery, the battery can't be easily removed. Please skipstep 6.3. There should be a small hole on the back of the notebook power supply called "reset hole". You need to Insert a pin and press it.


6.5 Reconnect the computer and boot the test


Part 3: Reset Windows to Fix DVD Drive not Working in Windows

If the above troubleshooting steps do not solve the optical drive problem, you can try to reset your computer to factory settings.


Windows 10/8 recovery method:

3.1 Select the Start button and select Settings > Updates & Security > Recovery. Under Reset this PC, select Start.

3.2 Restart your computer to enter the login screen, then press the "Shift" key after select "Restart". After the computer restarts, select "Troubleshoot"> "Reset" this PC.


Restore to Factory Settings Guide for Windows 7:

Backup all your files.

From the Start button menu, choose All Programs-Accessories-System Tools-System Restore.


If the optical drive is broken, it is recommended to purchase an external USB optical drive instead of using it. It saves the maintenance cost and is very convenient to use. The best portable external optical drive can be found in the GEMWON laptop accessories wholesale Mall.


Update BIOS on your computer

I recommends that you include the BIOS update in the planned update cycle. Similar to the operating system and driver versions, updates include enhancements or keep the system up-to-date and compatible with other system modules (hardware, firmware, drivers, and software), security updates and stability.


The Bottom Line:

The above are the solutions to the problem of the laptop DVD player not reading disc suitable for HP/DELL/ASUS/TOSHIBA. Although the optical drive is rarely used today, it is necessary to have some relevant knowledge. I hope that the sharing of this article will help you.




Related Articles:

How to Replace Laptop Optical Disc Drive with Hard Drive


The Best Laptop Buying Guide for 2019 Student


How to Fix Laptop USB Ports not Working