DVDRW drive disappears - can't fix via registry.

[Jez2k]

This is my first Windows 7 build, having upgraded from XP just 3 months ago. The DVD drive is the only component carried over from my previous PC. This new build is a dual-boot system, running XP on a separate drive.

In Windows 7, the drive is always present in Explorer, until I attempt to erase or write to a disc. The point at which it happens is random, but always shortly after the process begins. This has been happening ever since initial installation of Windows 7.

Different burning apps gave different results:

BurnAware Free resulted in a BSOD when finalizing a DVD-RW. Yes, I could have put this whole post in the BSOD section, but it only happens with this one app, which is the one I used all the time on XP.

CDBurnerXP made my system lag badly when attempting to erase or burn, and it remained laggy until I rebooted.

Ashampoo made the DVD drive disappear when trying to finalize a DVD-RW, sometimes earlier. It also made the hard drive that was was sharing the same SATA channel disappear too. I disconnected the DVD-RW and put it on a GSATA channel by itself. Now its just the DVD drive that disappears.

ImgBurn does manage to write a DVD-R and a DVD-RW, but sometimes results in the same problems as Ashampoo. But it doesn't write TS files to make a native movie DVD, unlike BurnAware or Ashampoo.

InfraRecorder never made any progress with erasing. "Started to erase disc in real write mode" with the drive light blinking as you'd expect but the gauge never filled one bit and neither did the buffer gauge. After 10 minutes it was obvious it was never going to get anywhere. The Cancel button was greyed out. Had to reboot.

DeepBurner completed a full erase at the disc's native speed of 2x. Successfully completed a burn.
However, tried a 2nd time after a reboot and the burn stalled at 7%, and the drive disappeared. Had to reboot to get the drive back again. A quick erase at the slowest speed always seems to work, never a full erase. A 3rd burn attempt at max speed worked. But repeating the quick erase and max speed burn failed on the 4th attempt at 5% into the burn. As usual it stalled and the drive disappered. After rebooting, and doing another quick erase, I tried another burn, this time filling half the disc at max speed, stalled at 67%.

I opened Regedit and navigated to the entry shown below suggested by Microsoft to fix a possible cause.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SYSTEM
\CurrentControlSet
\Control
\Class
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SYSTEM
\CurrentControlSet
\Control
\Class
\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

UpperFilters and Lowerfilters are both missing, so obviously I cannot use the suggested fix from Microsoft. When I click "Properties" on the left pane, I get a pop-up window saying "Properties cannot be opened. An error is preventing this key from being opened. Details: Access is denied."

I have tried unsinstalling the drive via Device Manager and rebooting but that changed nothing, so its unlikely to be a driver problem. And everything works okay in XP, so it can't be a hardware error.

 

[fireberd]

I would suspect a Windows 7 OS problem, and likely it will take a reinstall to fix.

However, try running one of the disc programs as Administrator and see if it makes any difference. Probably won't but worth a try.

I use Nero but I have also used CDBurnerXP and it did not cause any system problems or slowdowns, however, I don't use erase or RW media. Same with Imgburn that I've used to create DVD ISO's.

A comment on using RW media. RW media is the most unreliable disc media. It is known to lose data or format. If you have not had any problem with the RW's or writing method you are in the minority. Packet writing method is also the worst method. I have done a lot of optical disc support over the years (I started doing support on the Dell forums in 2002) and this was the most common disc problem.

 

[Jez2k]

I've not had many problems with RW media (on XP). The only errors that occur happen when a disc has been re-used more times than can generally be expected. I've been using some RW discs for over 10 years.

I just bought a pack of 25 Verbatim RW discs, and the first one worked first time in XP, but not 7.

Unfortunately, running the disc programs as Administrator in Windows 7 has not made any difference.

I have read similar accounts of the problem I have. One guy tried a complete re-install of Windows 7 but the problem of a disappearing drive still manifested itself. My problem has existed since the first day of an all-new installation, so I would be quite surprised if repeating the procedure would yield any results.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Jes2k,

As they run OK in XP, when you installed the same drivers for the software in 7 did you use compatability mode.??

Roy

 

[fireberd]

Some of the software he mentions, CDBurnerXP and Imgburn do not need installing in compatibility mode as they are Win 7 compatible.

As this happened from the beginning with Win 7, either a bad Win 7 install or some system driver or chipset driver was not installed since it all works OK in XP. If it didn't work OK in XP I would then consider some hardware issue.

 

[mrjimphelps]

It's possible that your DVD drive is bad. Try replacing it with another, or perhaps with an external USB DVD drive.

 

[fireberd]

The user stated it works OK in XP (he notes he has a dual boot XP/Win 7) so the drive is probably good. However, check for any firmware updates, as there may be an update needed for Win 7.

Another possibility, that I just recalled, is Win 7 incorporates some CD/DVD burning functions. I've seen cases of the Win 7 burning functions interfering with CD/DVD burning. Disabling the Win 7 burning options usually fixes burning problems with a 3rd party burning program. I no longer have Win 7 so I can't tell you exactly how to disable it.

 

[mrjimphelps]

I had an IDE DVD drive which worked fine in XP, until I put in the Windows 7 install disk, to upgrade the computer to Windows 7. It refused to read the Windows 7 install disk. I installed another drive I had on the shelf, same thing. So I purchased a SATA DVD drive, and it worked perfectly.

So the possibility exists that there could be something wrong with his DVD drive, which for some reason isn't showing up in XP but is showing up in 7.

 

[TechnoMage2016]

When the RW disks first came out, I thought "Oh how neat, that I can use a CD just like a floppy disk".
Well, it didn't take long for the idiosyncrasies of the RW disks to rear their ugly heads and I had to revise my thoughts about using RW's.

One problem that I found almost immediately was that if I'd write my Utilities, which I use on every service call, to a RW disk, I could read it just fine on the drive that wrote it, but not necessarily on any other drive.
[years ago that was a problem with SOME floppy drives too, when they would get out of alignment.]

Now I only use DVD-R or DVD-R-DL disks and I have no more compatibility problems. I think I just gave away my last RW disks, and was glad to get rid of them. Too much trouble!

One more thing I do, as a matter of course, because I use my DVD drive so much, is that I replace my DVD drive once a year. I downgrade my old DVD drive to a lesser important PC, where I don't usually write DVD's.

So that's my one and only suggestion..."Get rid of the RW's and use only basic DVD's."
The basic DVD's are cheaper too!
(and don't use Multisession when burning DVD's. That too can become problematical )

Cheers Mate and Happy Computing,
TechnoMage

 

[Jez2k]

I had an IDE DVD drive which worked fine in XP, until I put in the Windows 7 install disk, to upgrade the computer to Windows 7. It refused to read the Windows 7 install disk. I installed another drive I had on the shelf, same thing. So I purchased a SATA DVD drive, and it worked perfectly.

My drive is SATA, not IDE.

So the possibility exists that there could be something wrong with his DVD drive, which for some reason isn't showing up in XP but is showing up in 7.

It is showing up in XP. It is not showing up in Windows 7 (after attempted burns/erases).

 

[mrjimphelps]

If you have a different drive available (different brand, even), swap the drive to see if that fixes the problem. It would be a very easy thing to do, and it wouldn't cost anything except a moment of your time. And if I happen to be right, your problem would be solved.

Sometimes we get lucky by trying something. My decades of experience in this field tell me that it is possible (but not certain) that this will fix the problem.

 

[fireberd]

That is why I suggested checking for a firmware update. Could be one is needed for Win 7

BTW, I go back to mainframes (one was a hybrid tube/solid state) and then PC's in both hardware and network ops.

 

[mrjimphelps]

A firmware update would give you a "new" drive, and it wouldn't cost you anything.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Have you:

• Checked that the power and data connections are properly seated?
• Tried using a power connector?
• Tried using a different SATA port?

I know those seem unlikely, but I've experienced hardware issues on multi-boot systems.
The issues that didn't affect every OS.


If you are dual booting XP & W7, you could only burn CDs/DVDs in XP as a workaround.

I have kept XP installed on one of my PCs, so that I can use Windows Live Photo Gallery (and old games).
WLPG goes nuts in W7 because of the Libraries.

 

[Jez2k]

Disabling native burning made no difference.

Updating the firmware which needed a reboot and resulted in automatic re-installation of the driver, still made the drive hang at the burning process, and now when I try to restart after a failed burn, the screen goes black after the "Windows is shutting down" screen and so I have to do a soft reset every time. Aren't firmware updates fun?

UpperFilters and LowerFilters are still missing from the registry, and the Properties folder there is still saying "Properties cannot be opened. An error is preventing this key from being opened. Details: Access id denied." I have tried various registry fixers but they didn't have any relative effect.

As I mentioned in my original post, I had already moved the SATA cable to a different port but that didn't cure the problem. Naturally I checked all of the connections when I first noticed the problem.

I don't have any spare drives at the moment but I am waiting for some to arrive. I have a full-size plain beige tower, and finding DVDRW-DL multi drives with a beige front is becoming increasingly difficult. Can't buy them new anymore.

 

[lehnerus2000]

As I mentioned in my original post, I had already moved the SATA cable to a different port but that didn't cure the problem. Naturally I checked all of the connections when I first noticed the problem.

My Bad.