# [SOLVED] DVD not reading disks but showing as a CD Rom



## Billywong (Jul 9, 2008)

OK so my DVD drive will not read disks but appears as a CD Rom drive in My Computer. I have a LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1H.


So how it all started, my DVD drive stopped reading disks a few months ago. I searched through a bunch of different forums and found a suggestion to remove the Upper and Lower Filters from the registry as someone had stated that this was a known but unfixed bug of Vista. At the time I made a backup of the registry as suggested. It would then read disks again.


Then just recently it has stopped reading them again. I can't find where I made the backup :sigh: so I have been unable to restore the registry. When I open device manager it has the device listed but has the little yellow ! caution sign there. When looking at the properties it says "This device cannot start (Code 10)" it also has a check for solutions button, but when I click on this nothing actually seems to happen.


I tried updating the driver but it says that the most current driver is installed but shows a CD-Rom. I also tried uninstalling it and then restarting the computer but still no go.


I then took a Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-105 out of my old computer and replaced the LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1H but I am still having all of the same problems.


I should also mention, I made sure that all leads where connected properly. The drive has power and will open. I am thinking that it is all to do with these Upper/Lower filters that have been removed.


I would be very grateful to anyone who can help me on this, as I am plum out of ideas on what to do. I am really stuck, :upset: please someone help me. :smile:


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## mommabear (Apr 5, 2008)

*Re: DVD not reading disks but showing as a CD Rom*

No, removing the filters probably didn't do it. I had the same problem. My DVD-CD Combo changed to CDRom. Plus I went through the usual round of errors, bad burns, unreadable disks, etc. 

Have you looked at your AutoPlay tabs and the choice of what to do when a particular disc is inserted? You could be missing some handlers. I had some missing. 

Right click the drive, select properties, and then the AutoPlay tab. At the top, use the drop down arrow and see if you have all of these:

Music files
Pictures
Video files
Mixed content
Music CD
DVD movie
Blank CD

Then as you highlight each one, you should see (in the box below) the various "handlers" from which to choose the action to perform for that type of disc. 

Also some burning programs will take over some options when they shouldn't. Or an uninstalled burning program will leave its handler behind and cause problems. You may see the names of burning programs you no longer have installed. 

A few months back I lost Blank CD and DVD Movie and that affected reading different discs too. And that's when I also noticed my drive had changed to CDRom.

In my case, I searched for days trying to fix my problem. I did all the other reg changes, used all the utilities I could find on the net and nothing worked. I tried TweakUI, AutoPlayRepair, Auto Fix, Clean Handlers, the upper and lower filters thing. I always used System Restore before each one. When they didn't work, I uninstalled them and used my restore point to start over again.
:laugh:
I finally found a forum post in Google that pointed me here.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330135

It talks about Roxio, which I don't use, but I read on. My fix was using #3 and #4. I'm betting it was #4 that really fixed me because I'd already made the changes earlier that are described in #3. Once I applied the changes to Winlogon, I got my missing Blank CD and Video movie back in my drop down selections and my drives now appear and work as they should. My combo DVD-CDRW no longer says CDrom in My Computer. My disks were readable again. 

This fixed *everything* for me.

Just be sure to make a System Restore Point and/or backup your registry first...just to be on the safe side.

Good luck!


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## Billywong (Jul 9, 2008)

*Re: DVD not reading disks but showing as a CD Rom*

Thanks Mommabear, 

I tried what you have suggested. All my handlers were still available to be selected and I tried what was on http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;330135. I made a backup but I don't remember doing it that way the other time, so maybe I didn't do it at all. :laugh:

It's still not working but thank you for replying. :grin:

I'm just about to go to work, so if when I get home, there are no more suggestions, I'm just going to back my files up and reformat.


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## gistek (May 8, 2007)

*Re: DVD not reading disks but showing as a CD Rom*

Whenever I get a caution in device manager for a device that is hooked up to my computer, I delete that item from the device manager and reboot. This forces a re-install of the device and clears up the problem.


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## l_b_rex (Jun 4, 2007)

*Re: DVD not reading disks but showing as a CD Rom*

mommabear, unfortunately you are incorrect. This will be the filters. Also it is not a "vista bug". There was the same issue with XP. M$ says it is caused by installing some burning program but I don't believe it.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

*Re: DVD not reading disks but showing as a CD Rom*

remove the filters again,some software you may have installed may have reinstalled them
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929461


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## Billywong (Jul 9, 2008)

*Re: DVD not reading disks but showing as a CD Rom*

THANK YOU DAI!!! :grin::grin::grin:

There was an Upper Filter there again, it obviously must of been installed when I have added another program. I removed it and its working again. I can't believe I nearly did a total reformat.

I feel like a goose for not looking at that, since that was a problem before, but I didn't know enough about these upper/lower filters, at least that will be the first thing I look at next time.

Once again, thanks to everybody for suggestions.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

*Re: DVD not reading disks but showing as a CD Rom*

glad you have it sorted


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