Optical Disk Drive is Unable to Read or Recognize a Disc

The CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive on your computer may not be able to recognize or read any disks. My Computer or File Explorer (it was called Windows Explorer in Microsoft Windows 7 and earlier versions of Microsoft Windows) may show the CD, DVD, or Blu-ray icon but may show a blank screen or an error message when you try to access the contents of the disk. This issue may occur with pre-recorded disks and with recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) disks.

Use the troubleshooting instructions below if your CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive is not able to read any disks or unable to recognize any disks. The instructions help you resolve the problem in some instances if the drive has not failed completely.

The instructions below can be used for both internal and external CD, DVD or Blu-ray drives but some of the fundamentals might be a little different.

The instructions below apply to the following Microsoft Windows Operating Systems, however, some instructions may slightly vary with the older version of Microsoft Windows.

• Windows 11
• Windows 10

No cause information

Troubleshooting steps

Before you begin troubleshooting:

• Try a known-good disk before proceeding with the troubleshooting steps. Use a pre-recorded CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disk depending on the type of drive that is installed on your computer.
• Most Dell computers are shipped with Dell Resource DVD:
  1. Try to access the contents of the disk using My Computer or File Explorer (it was called Windows Explorer in Microsoft Windows 7 and earlier versions of Microsoft Windows).
  2. Try to boot from the Dell Resource DVD to verify that the issue is with the drive and not the disk itself.
• If you are using a recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) disk that was written on another computer, ensure that the disk can play back on the computer that was used to burn or record it.
• Verify that the type of disk you are using is compatible with the drive that is installed on your computer. See the Dell Knowledge Base article Guide to Optical Disk Drives and Optical Discs.
• If you are using a recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) disk, verify that the disk burning or writing session was closed correctly. See the User Manual of the disk recording software that you are using.
• Try different brands of recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) disk.
• Additional articles for How to Troubleshoot CD, DVD or Blu-Ray Drive Problems, Optical Disk Drive is unable to write or burn data to a disk or Optical Disk Drive is unable to eject the disk may also be of assistance. 

Click the troubleshooting steps below for more instructions. If the issue is not resolved, go to the next troubleshooting step.

Table of Contents:

1. Verify that the optical drive is recognized in Device Manager
2. Set the Auto-Play settings in windows to defaults
3. Disable the DMA mode of the optical drive
4. Install the latest BIOS update on your computer
5. Update or reinstall the driver for the optical drive
6. Uninstall and reinstall the Dell provided playback software (DVD or Blu-ray movie playback issues)
7. Perform a Windows System Restore
8. Restore your computer to factory defaults

Verify that the optical drive is recognized in Device Manager

Ensure that the optical drive is listed in Device Manager. If not, see Dell Knowledge Base article: Optical Drive is not recognized in Windows.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. In the Run dialog box, type devmgmt.msc then press the Enter key.
3. In the Device Manager window, expand DVD/CD-ROM drives. Verify that the optical drive is listed.
   If the drive is not listed, see Dell Knowledge Base article: Optical Disk Drive is not recognized in Microsoft Windows.

Back to Top

Set the Auto-Play settings in windows to defaults

Auto-Play feature in Microsoft Windows examines newly discovered removable media and devices and, based on content such as images, music, or video files, it helps launch an appropriate application to play or display the content. If Auto-Play is disabled, nothing may happen when a disk is inserted. Follow the steps below to set the Auto-Play settings to defaults.

For Windows 11 or Windows 10:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. In the Run dialog box, type control then press the Enter key.
3. Double-click the AutoPlay icon.
4. Ensure you check the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices check box.
5. Select every drop-down menu and choose Ask me every time next to every DVD, Blu-ray, and CD item, and then click Save.

Back to Top

Disable the DMA mode of the optical drive

To disable the DMA mode on the optical drive, follow these instructions:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. In the Run dialog box, type devmgmt.msc then press the Enter key.
3. In the Device Manager window, expand DVD or CD-ROM drives.
4. Right-click the optical drive and select Properties.
5. Click the Advanced Settings tab.
6. Under Device Properties, clear the Enable DMA checkbox.

Back to Top

Install the latest BIOS update on your computer

Dell Technologies recommends updating the BIOS as part of your scheduled update cycle. Like Operating System and driver revisions, the update contains feature enhancements or changes that help keep your system software current and compatible with other computer modules (hardware, firmware, drivers, and software) as well as providing security updates and increased stability.

For more information, see Dell Knowledge Base article: How to update your System BIOS within Windows or How to Enable Boot from CD or DVD Option with UEFI Boot Mode Enabled

Back to Top

Update or reinstall the driver for the optical drive

Drivers for your CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive are included within the Operating System and hence does not require you to install a specific driver.

To reinstall the driver, follow the instructions below:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box, then press Enter key.
   Note: You must log in to Windows with an account with administrator privileges. If you get any prompts from User Account Control while accessing Device Manager, click Yes to continue.
3. In the Device Manager window, expand DVD/CD-ROM drives. Right-click the CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive that is listed, and then click Uninstall.
4. Click OK to confirm that you want to remove the device.
5. Restart your computer (Once the restart is complete, the Operating System automatically installs the required drivers).

Back to Top

Uninstall and reinstall the Dell provided playback software (DVD or Blu-ray movie playback issues)

Dell computers that have an optical drive come with a factory installed DVD or Blu-ray playback software. For DVD or Blu-ray movie playback, specific playback software and codecs are required to be installed on your computer. The Dell provided applications enable your computer with the necessary codecs for such playback of movie DVD or Blu-ray disks.

If you are having trouble with movie playback, try to uninstall and reinstall the Dell provided playback software.

• You can use the software installation disk that may have come with your Dell computer.
• If there was no disk that came with your Dell computer, you can download the software from the Dell Download Center (formally My Dell Downloads).

Back to Top

Perform a Windows System Restore

System Restore is an integrated Windows tool that is designed to protect and repair the operating system. When something goes wrong with your computer, System Restore should be used prior to restoring to factory condition.

For more information about using System Restore, see article How to Use System Restore in Microsoft Windows.

Back to Top

Restore your computer to factory defaults

For more information about restoring your computer to the factory default state it was shipped in, see article: Restore your Computer Using SupportAssist OS Recovery.

Back to Top

For any other issue with the CD, DVD or Blu-ray drive on your computer, see Dell Knowledge Base article Troubleshooting CD/DVD or Blu-Ray Drive Problems in Microsoft Windows.

Back to Top