Troubleshooting Optical Drive Recognition Issues in Windows

Ensure that the drive is recognized in the BIOS and System Setup. This step is applicable for computers with internal drives only.

1. Restart your computer and tap the F2 key while it is restarting.
2. Verify if the drive is detected in the BIOS (Figure 1, 2 & 3). If yes, go to the next step.
   For more information, reference the Dell Knowledge Base article Instructions to Download and View Manuals.
   
   Figure 1: Optical Drive in BIOS
   
   
   Figure 2: Optical Drive in BIOS
   
   
   Figure 3: Optical Drive in BIOS

• If the drive is not detected in the BIOS, you must disconnect and reconnect the drive on your computer.
  For more instructions on how to disconnect and reconnect the CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray drive, reference the Dell Knowledge Base article Instructions to Download and View Manuals.
• If the drive is still not detected, contact Dell Technical Support for In-Warranty repair options.

You can run the Windows Hardware and Devices troubleshooter which is built in to Microsoft Windows. The Hardware and Devices troubleshooter is available in Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 only.
To run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter:

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. On the upper right corner, in the Search box of the Control Panel, type troubleshooter, and then click Troubleshooting.
4. Under the Hardware and Sound item, click Configure a device.
   Note: You must log in to Windows with an account with administrator privileges. If you get any prompts from User Account Control while running the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter, click Yes.

Windows 10 and Windows 11

1. Click Start.
2. Open Settings
3. Click Updates & Security, and then click Troubleshooting.
4. Click Hardware & devices, and go to Run the troubleshooter.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to run the troubleshooter.

Windows 8.1, 8, or 7

1. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type control in the Run dialog box, then press Enter.
3. In the Search box in the Control Panel, type troubleshooter, and then click Troubleshooting.
4. Under the Hardware and Sound, click Configure a device. If you are prompted to enter an administrator password or provide confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Drivers for your CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray drive is included within the Operating System and hence does not require you to install a specific driver. Uninstalling the driver and restarting the computer reinstall the driver which resolves most issues that are related to the device driver.

To uninstall and 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 running the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter, click Yes.
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).