audio CD: "Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file.."

[adri123]

audio CD: "Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file.."

Hello all

here is my recent problem: When I put an audio CD in my CD/DVD drive, and double click the drive icon, or if I right click and select Play, I get the following message:

"Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."


What works:

• If I right click on the drive icon and select "Open", it works. (shows the content of the CD)
• I can play the songs of the CD normally with Winamp, VLC Media Player, etc.
• It also works with data CDs (CD-ROMs).
• In msconfig, when I disable the Shell Hardware Detection (ShellHWDetection) service from starting at boot, it works!
  But if I enable it (to start at boot), then it doesn't work. So I would say that this is the faulty service. But what to do ?
• Works in Safe Mode

Other info:

• I've been using CDBurnerXP and Exact Audio Copy lately.
• CD/DVD drive name: "Slimtype DVD A DS8A5SH".
• I'm logged in as administrator.

What didn't work so far:

• Uninstalling and reinstalling the CD/DVD drive.
• There are no driver updates available for the drive.
• Disabling the antivirus (Avira Antivir).
• Trying with another administrator account.
• Full scan for viruses and malwares with Avira Antivir, MalwareBytes AntiMalware, SUPERAntispyware, AdwCleaner.
• Disk check (chckdsk).
• System file checker (sfc \scannow).
• Enabling AutoPlay for all media and devices. (AutoPlay works but that doesn't solve the problem).
• Trying another audio CD.

Any idea?


Adrien

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello adri mate try these in that order and whatever the scans for malware come up with delete the rubbish. That is if you haven't done these already.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

http://www.superantispyware.com/

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

(download from bleeping computer)

 

[adri123]

Hello adri mate try these in that order and whatever the scans for malware come up with delete the rubbish. That is if you haven't done these already.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

http://www.superantispyware.com/

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

(download from bleeping computer)

Hello ICit2lol and thank you for your reply and help.

I did all these but it still doesn't work.

I don't get how the Shell Hardware Detection service creates the permissions problem..
The service is linked to AutoPlay. In control Panel when I enable AutoPlay for all media and devices, the autoplay works, but that doesn't solve the problem..I still get the error message when i want to see the content by clicking on the drive..

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry mate my mistake with the scans.

Now the Winamp and VLC are they the only two playback programs you use? because I thought I saw Winamp linked to iTunes?? Maybe there is a conflict within.

 

[adri123]

No problem mate, the scans were a good idea! I'd made some of them and thanks to you I learned about some more of them.

Yes..I only use Winamp and VLC. I don't have iTunes.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

So you never use WMP as I do is there any reason you like the others as I just use WMP and the Xonar DG control panle to mix and match and create effects.

 

[adri123]

I don't use WMP since a year and the reason, if I remember well , was that I had issues with FLAC files.

I didn't have that error a week ago, so it's not WMP related i think. I really can't see why it throws a permissions error since I'm administrator.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

No I was just wondering if you had used WMP not that i think it has anything to do with your problem.

Now what has got me a little confused though is why you need to double click the drive icon?

If you were say playing say an album through VLC wouldn't you just go to it (VLC) and open it then play the music from it?

I for instance if I ma using a program like that an example would be my sound card GUI the I have an icon on the taskbar to access it real quick.

 

[adri123]

I suspect it creates other problems too.. that's why I would like to fix it.

I was ripping, burning and copying CDs lately. Ripping them with Exact Audio Copy, copying and burning them with CDBurnerXP.

Now CDBurnerXP freezes when I open it while I already have a CD in the drive.

I explain exactly:
1) the CD is in the drive
2) I try to open CDBurnerXP
3) Nothing happens, no window appears, nothing.
4) I eject the CD
5) Immediately CDBurnerXP opens. (I had told it too, but it's like if it had been prevented)

My guess is that CDBurnerXP tries to do something similar to what I do when I double-click the CD, and that the problem appears to it too. So not just to me when I double-click the CD, but to anyone wanting to do that scenario. Human or software.
Like if the software also gets blocked by a "Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."

Another reason that I want to fix the problem is that, even if these two scenarios are not linked (I think they are), I don't like to keep such problems in the system, since it means something is not working properly and could therefore result in problems in the future.



What is also useful to know is that, as I wrote in the first post, when I right click the drive and select "Open", it works and shows the content of the audio CD.
What doesn't work is when I select "Play", or when I double-click on it (which I suppose is the same thing as selecting "Play"). In these cases the permissions message appears.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

adri seems to me you have a lot of different audio programs on your machine. I am a bit of a semi audiophile and I find WMP set at WAV / lossless and the audio quality at 1411.2 Kbps when ripping and then burning back those tracks / albums at those levels are fine. You would need to be super pedantic to pick the difference.

Having said that I do a lot of my burning for the car so I don't wreck the original CD. Otherwise I just play the ripped version.

 

[adri123]

ICit2lol I don't have a lot of audio programs. Just two.
Winamp for reading and organizing.
Exact Audio Copy for ripping.

That's it and I'm very satisfied with them.

I mentioned VLC just because it's installed on the computer and in order to mention that the CDs I put in the drive can be played by the reading softwares. It's just a permission thing that i get I when I want to view the content of the CD myself. I never use VLC it for audio. Just for videos.

Having said that, I came here to find a solution about a recent specific problem, not to change the softwares I'm using..

I have said earlier, everyhing was working fine.

Thanks.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok mate no problems someone might be able to pick it up just I use WMP as it is just fine by me and playback I do through my Xonar DG's and it is just fantastic.

Anyway good luck!!

 

[adri123]

Ok so you don't have any idea why I get the permissions error message. Thanks for your help anyway.

Has anbody any idea or begining of idea on what could that be?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry late reply adri I did find this Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item. if it is of any help it does mention a system restore and I suppose it could be an update but worth a try.

 

[adri123]

Thanks ICit2lol,

the link they have on the post you sent isn't working. As for the System Restore they're suggesting I'd prefer not do that as I've installed many things since then and I'm also interrested in knowing what the problem is. Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Adri just what sort of stuff have you installed is it really that much? If you just go back say two days at a time at least it may fix the problem. As of now what other options have you got?

 

[adri123]

Hello ICit2lol,

I tried to go back some days with system restore points but the restore failed. So I tried to use all the restore points (one by one of course) and one of them succeeded. The error was "unknown eror" then a code.

So I decided to put back an image backup of the OS partition. It worked and the problem was solved. Only that..my Users folder and ProgramData folders had been relocated on the D (data) partition of which I didn't have a backup image but only a "folders backup". Copying the two above folders didn't work.

So now I know that if you make an image of the OS parition and have relocated the Users folders to another parition, you also need to make an image of that partition. Simply copying these folders somewhere, will not work when you'll want to copy paste them back. The reason are ownership, permissions issues etc.

So..now I will resintall my whoel system and get my backup strategy right.
What a story that started with a simple issue.

But it's good because it pointed out that my OS image backup was not usable any way. So better know that fast!

Thank you for your help.

 

[robgault]

Did you ever resolve this problem

Hi Adri123,
I have the same problem you described in this post. Did you ever find a solution?
Thanks for any help you can offer...

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello ICit2lol,

I tried to go back some days with system restore points but the restore failed. So I tried to use all the restore points (one by one of course) and one of them succeeded. The error was "unknown eror" then a code.

So I decided to put back an image backup of the OS partition. It worked and the problem was solved. Only that..my Users folder and ProgramData folders had been relocated on the D (data) partition of which I didn't have a backup image but only a "folders backup". Copying the two above folders didn't work.

So now I know that if you make an image of the OS parition and have relocated the Users folders to another parition, you also need to make an image of that partition. Simply copying these folders somewhere, will not work when you'll want to copy paste them back. The reason are ownership, permissions issues etc.

So..now I will resintall my whoel system and get my backup strategy right.
What a story that started with a simple issue.

But it's good because it pointed out that my OS image backup was not usable any way. So better know that fast!

Thank you for your help.

Now I don't know how you back up but I use (and so do many of the others) this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html and set it to image once a week on my machines. That way you make an image of the whole system and not just bits here and bits there and are kept up to date for times like this.

If using the image to repair then you can just take out anything you don't want afterwards.

Rob adris last post is really what to do an install is the answer and I would advise you the same but do back up all data before you do that and again that tutorial is the best way of capturing that. If that doesn't work then start anew thread.

 

[adri123]

I don´t know the solution to the problem. Indeed I resintalled the whole system. It seems to be ok for the moment.

And yes, as a side effect it was good to rethink my backup strategy

Best of luck
Adri