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Fix: DVD Drive Not Detected In Windows 11/10

Last Updated on by 80 Comments

One of the common issues many Windows 10 or Windows 11 users are experiencing is the missing optical drive icon. According to users, after installing the operating system or upgrading to Windows 10/11, Windows 10 or 11 doesn’t recognize the DVD drive. Because of this, the DVD drive does not appear either in Windows Explorer (File Explorer) or in Device Manager.

Even though we are not sure about the root cause of the issue, you can try out the possible fixes given below to restore the missing DVD drive in the File Explorer of Windows 10/11.

NOTE: If you have installed Windows 11 or Windows 10 on a newly assembled computer and experiencing the problem, we suggest you check optical drive cables for loose connections before following any of the given methods.

Fix the missing DVD drive in Windows 10 or 11

Method 1:

Step 1: Launch the Command Prompt with administrator rights. To do this, switch to the Start screen, type CMD, and then simultaneously press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys to launch the elevated prompt. Click Yes for the User Account Control prompt. You can also try other methods mentioned in our how to launch the Command Prompt as an administrator in Windows 10/11 guide.

Step 2: In the elevated prompt, copy and paste or type the following command and press enter key:

reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

(You can simply right-click on the prompt and select paste)

DVD Drive Not Detected In Windows 8

Step 3: Exit the Command Prompt, and reboot your PC. You should now see the DVD drive in Windows Explorer as well as Device Manager.

Method 2:

For some users, the procedure mentioned above may not work. If the procedure mentioned above isn’t working for you or if you are too lazy to open Command Prompt and execute the command, download and run the free utility named CD-DVD Icon Repair (click here for download links in Google).

Fix DVD Drive Not Detected In Windows 8

CD-DVD Icon Repair is a portable tool that helps you when Windows doesn’t recognize the CD/DVD drive. Even though the program was designed for Windows 7, it works perfectly fine on Windows 10 and Windows 11 as well. Launch the tool, click the Repair CD-DVD Icon button, and then restart your PC.

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Comments

  3. Rick says

    Amazing! Thank you so very much, Method 1 worked fine.

    New Windows 10 (64bit) install on an older PC with two DVD drives. The first drive displayed. No second DVD drive.

    reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

    Note: Type CMD in the windows search box (lower left). A dialog box will pop up with the option to select “Run as administrator”

  4. Shane says

    thank u

    A+ the ultimate site to fix this problem

    Best web link that actually worked via Mozilla search(the rest no good in comparison to this one)! Method one command worked out fine @ first time attempt! And does work mostly of the rest of us! Would go back to same site if I had this problem again?!

    Worked with success after enabling CD-dvd driver after reboot.

    recommended as guaranteed.

  6. Kevin says

    The comment I posted yesterday can be deleted. I did not copy the text correctly.

    Still did not work though.

  9. Mr. D says

    Wow! Option two worked for me. I’ve been dealing with this for a long time with Windows 8.1. Thanks a bunch!

  10. vin says

    @Tina’s comment helped me. There was some AHCI ATA driver installed in my device manager. I uninstalled both that AHCI and DVD driver and restarted, then my dvd rom reappeared in This PC

  13. Ashmic says

    I love you, I really do (whoever wrote the article) the program worked, the CD DVD one on softpedia,
    Im amazed, I’ve spent hours trying to look for drivers, going into Regedit, BIOS, Nothing and then this program fixed it in LITERALLY one click!

  14. Antz says

    Thank you very much, method 1 worked straight away, didn’t have to try method 2.

    Windows 7 – 10 upgrade (64bit)

  15. Anthony says

    Thanks!
    the first method didn’t work but the second method did!

    (Windows 7 to Windows 10 update, 64bit)

  19. Craig Roggow says

    This fix worked for me perfectly, once I realized I needed to enter the command with admin privileges. Gee, really like the look and feel of Windows 10, but the upgrade from Windows 7, was not without several problems. The two main issues for me was: 1) a debilitating conflict with the Apple icloud sync on my desktop, and 2) the inability for Windows 10 to recognize my DVD/CD player without adding this command: reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

  21. Shara says

    I tried method 1. The DVD icon appeared, but I cannot open it, neither left click nor right click work. I tried the device manager, but it is not responding.

  29. Floyd says

    This fix was great and so much appreciated. I was about to take windows 10 back off my machine when I found your fix.
    Thank you! Thank you! Thank You!!

  30. Hazmat says

    the first method worked for me after just copy and pasting it to the cmd and then restarting my win10 :)

  36. John says

    Tried these methods and several other methods, still code 19 in windows 10. could not start, registry missing or corrupt. All was fine in win 7, shakes head

  37. hatef says

    i have two DVD writer but one from two DVD writer display in my computer window.
    Method 1 worked for me.
    thanks.

  39. Tina says

    Neither fix worked for me. This is what did:

    I went to Device Manager, IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, uninstalled everything that said ATA. Rebooted and my Blu-ray showed up in Device Manager but not windows explorer. I right clicked on my computer’s name (didn’t work at drive level) and chose search for new hardware and then it showed up in windows explorer. (Next I had to go to disk management to change its drive letter back to what it was in Windows 7 prior to the Windows 10 upgrade.)

  40. RayMond says

    Method 1 worked like a charm. This also fixed or so it seemed my desktop not recognizing the usb thumb drives I insert into the ports. Now it does. Thank you to you. No thanks to MS.

  41. Eddie Thomas says

    Method 1 did not work

    Method 2 worked

    Let me just say THANK YOU for this. I remember when this issue came out on Vista and I had to help thousands of people correct the issue.

    This is ridiculous that I can find this somewhere on the net and NOT on Microsoft’s website nonetheless.

    THANK YOU AGAIN!

  43. Ashley Grachanin says

    Well, I am not the one that had the problem of it disappearing. First, I have a HP Windows 7 laptop and the person that it happened to has a Toshiba Windows 8 laptop. So, it all started when the person was ripping CD’s and all of sudden the disc ripping was saying ‘error’. So, I said that it sometimes happens, since it does for me all the time.

    So, later they were putting in a game DVD and it was running and nothing was coming up. I said to go to the Windows Explorer and to Computer to run it by hand. When they went there, the DVD RW drive (e;) was gone. There was not even a slot for Hardware with Removable Devices. I said to search it, nothing.

    I tried other ways but nothing would happen. It is kind of hard to know what you are doing when you don’t play gaming discs, just CD and DVD discs, and you don’t have a Windows 8 because i refuse to have one.

    For the last hour or so, I have researched the problem. Thing is, I don’t want to mess my own new computer up because this is the best that I have. Really want her to use these methods, but she thinks that Toshiba will help with the problem. Really don’t know what to do.

    Does anyone have any solutions or suggestions for her to do to fix her computer ??

  45. Nick says

    CD /drive was missing from both folder and device manager

    Methods 1 & 2 did not work straight off for me.

    I had to go to device manager -> scan for hardware changes

    Once I had done cd drive is now accessible.

    Hope this may help others.

    Regards,
    Nick

  47. Gil says

    For Windows 8.1 Pro x64, this is what worked for me:
    1. Run Command Prompt as an Administrator. Type cmd in Windows 8.1 “Start/Search” and press cltr+shift+enter
    2. Type the following or copy and paste then hit enter:
    reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0 /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

  50. bati says

    The command gives me an “Invalid key name” error but it’s work if you delete the two ” from the command.

  53. Philip says

    Hi, I had the same problem. I have Samsung Notebook NP350E5C-SO1IN which is a year old. My DVD drive did not show up on my computer. As I searched for a solution on the internet, I came to know that the problem must be due to Windows 8.1. I tried all the fixes suggested by Microsoft including changes in the registry, checking disk manager etc for three days but to no avail. That was frustrating. Thought for going to the service center and spend some extra bucks for repair. Then today, I used the support center and did a diagnosis. It showed only one problem (error: boot speed slow). I clicked on the error to resolve it and it showed (Superfetch auto fixing. Enable superfetch to make boot and application speed faster). I shut down the PC as I had to go out for a few minutes. Later, when I switched it on, after a few minutes a popup showed up at the bottom near the hidden icon (sata unknown disk removed) and heard the similar purr of the DVD drive. I checked out ‘My computer’ and the ‘DVD RW’ icon had showed up. I played a cd and it works fine. Hope it stays that way.
    I would request all IT geeks to explain what had gone wrong with my pc and how the problem was solved.

  54. Miki Dennis says

    Huge thanks. I tried so many fixes – including the command prompt – but your download fixed the problem instantly THANK YOU!

  55. Johnk134 says

    I simply couldn’t depart your web site prior to suggesting that I actually loved the usual info a person supply for your guests? Is gonna be again continuously in order to check up on new posts. cadaddgeadbe

  56. John Murphy says

    Windows 8 sucks !!!
    apart from various other instability issues, this is the 3rd or 4th time my CD drive has gone missing.

  57. Amir says

    Just for the record, I’m not lazy, I did try the first one, it didn’t work out, so I tried the second one and luckily the problem is solved. ;)

    But I have to mention, honestly, WINDOWS SUCKS!!! I wish I didn’t have to use it but it is so popular, and every software I can work with is Windows-based.

  59. kishor says

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0>

    c:\Windows\System32>reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Co
    ntroller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0X00000001
    ERROR: Access is denied.

    c:\Windows\System32>

  63. LEKO says

    Type this:

    reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 00000001

    Instead of
    reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0×00000001

    It worked for me!

  65. Ben Fleming says

    After reading all the comments I finally got option 1 to work, BUT after restarting, the drive still doesn’t show up. I really want to like windows 8 but having this issue and others on a 1 month old laptop is starting to piss me right off.

  66. N Felmingham says

    A huge thanks – used option 1, after re-tying the last characters and this worked a treat.

  67. Clevelyn Crichlow says

    Have tried your method without success.
    Is it possible to add it to the registry manually???

  68. sagar says

    i tried the first method but its showing as access deined.

    even though am doing it in administrator.

  69. Sayanta says

    After typing
    [reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0? /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0×00000001]

    it says-
    ERROR: Invalid Syntax.
    Type “REG ADD /?” for usage.

  70. HD says

    I had the same issue. The second method didn’t work for me.
    And the 1st method DOES work. But you need to re-type the last characters (/d 0x00000001) after pasted into the command prompt.

  71. Jeff Ward says

    Okay, I guess the command I was copying from Felipe had a typo or something, and I didn’t know enough to recognize it.

    I copied and pasted a command from a different site, and that one has worked!

    Thanks for the help!

  72. Jeff Ward says

    Neither solution is working for me.

    I was getting the syntax error when pasting the original command.

    Felipe’s changed command gives me a different error: “Invalid key name”

  73. Ronin says

    Yes it worked at last…

    I had the same issue as writer 3,4 and 5..

    You have to change the last long digits…

    When u copy and paste then at the last where it says:

    /d 0x00000001

    It doesn’t appears as “x” (just after the first 0) on the command prompt(admin).

    If u check then u can see it looks like a another symbol… just delete that symbol and type normal x

    Then it will work when u restart your pc…

    Just did it and it works =)

    Thank you Felipe for the heads up…

  74. Felipe Raabe says

    It worked for me!
    Just one thing
    In your description, you typed “/d 0×00000001”, the correct syntax is “/d 0x00000001”. It’s a “x” and not a “×”, people may been having problems when copying and pasting.

    @francesco
    @MIKE
    Try pasting this then:
    reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Controller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001

  75. iswal says

    Not working for me too. My Mashita DVD-RAM UJ890AS is not detected after applying the two methods.

    Any other idea ?

    Thank you for your help.

  77. MIKE says

    not working either

    C:\Windows\system32>reg.exe add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Co
    ntroller0” /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0×00000001
    ERROR: Invalid syntax. Specify valid numeric value for ‘/d’.
    Type “REG ADD /?” for usage.

    C:\Windows\system32>

  78. francesco says

    method #1 isn’t working for me, it says syntax error, enter a valid numeric value for “/d”

  79. Blu Ray Missing says

    My Samsung SATA blu ray drive was missing from device manager and method 1 fixed the problem. Thanks!

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