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Question

DVD drive doesn't see files

Sep 26, 2017 6:47AM PDT

I upgraded one home desktop to Win10 Home last year. Since then the DVD drive simply does not see files on the disks. I first thought the drive might simply have failed and purchased a new 24X DVD Rewriter; however, that was not the problem. I can play movies (I use VLC) but text or photos are not accessible. Those files are accessible on another PC still running Win7. Device Manager says the drive is working properly and the driver is up-to-date (although it is dated 2006). Is there some setting in Win10 I'm missing?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: DVD drive
Sep 26, 2017 7:33AM PDT

What exactly is the problem? I mean, "doesn't see" is quite something else that "not accessible": you have to see them (in File Explorer) before you access them (by double click).
The same DVD works on another PC?

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Re: DVD drive
Sep 26, 2017 10:04AM PDT

The PC in question was upgraded from Win7 to Win10 Home in June 2016 -- no apparent problems related to the upgrade then or since. The DVD drive was not used much so it was some time before I realized the problem (not seeing files) and since it was several years old I assumed there was a problem with the drive and replaced it a few months ago. It wasn't long before I realized the problem persisted, and I have tried off/on to find a solution since.

When I load a CD or DVD containing pics or text and open File Explorer, then click on the DVD, there are no files listed ("0 items" in bottom tray). The message "Drag files to this folder to add them to the disc" is shown. This same disk works fine in a Win7 PC and a Win10 laptop, files are accessible and properly displayed.

If I load a blank DVD, open File Explorer and click on DVD, then drag some files and burn them to that DVD, I get a message "You have successfully burned files to disc." If I then eject that disk and reload it into the PC, it does not see those files just burned moments before! However, as stated above, that DVD works fine in a Win7 PC and a Win10 laptop.

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Re: CD or DVD file
Sep 26, 2017 12:13PM PDT

- Please put in your Windows 7 install disc. Do you see any files on it in File Explorer?
- Then leave that disc in the drive and boot from it (you might need to check if the optical drive is the first to boot from). Does that come up? No need to continue, of course.
- And when you take a DVD that you can play a movie from and look at that in File Explorer, what do you see?

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Answer
I'm going with not a driver problem.
Sep 26, 2017 9:39AM PDT

The old PC may have an app that allows you to add files to optical media like a flash drive. This is rarely compatible with other PCs unless you install that app. I've found that owners that used these apps, most of the time have forgotten what the app name was.

In those cases another app called ISOBUSTER allows them to copy out those files. Google ISOBUSTER for more information.

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" drag some files and burn them to that DVD, "
Sep 26, 2017 10:32AM PDT

That's a clue, slim but I can work with that. I think the success message you supplied is a little off.

Was it "You have successfully burned your files to the disc"?

All that is besides the point. https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03453031 covers one angle that these discs don't work on all PCs and you have discovered a case where it doesn't work on the same PC.

To me this sounds like some Burn Direct To DVD/CD application or program was used and now it's broken. Fix? Install a CD/DVD burning program and forget the drag and drop method.


I did that years ago and never looked back. I have had zero issues since then.

Nod to Ninite.com and CDBURNERXP since Ninite makes it easy and CDBURNERXP has loads of tutorials on how to use.

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Re: " drag some files and burn them to that DVD, "
Sep 26, 2017 10:45AM PDT

But the DVD drive won't read disks from any source, so the problem is not with the burn application.

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Any source? Even factory made media?
Sep 26, 2017 10:57AM PDT

I've encountered this with just two major reasons.

1. A third party recording app that has failed in some odd way. Fix? Remove and optional replace that app. Until the name of the app is known, I can't offer more.
2. A failed drive. We no longer replace these drives unless the owner insists since a new USB DVDRW is often found for 20 to 30 bucks and solves a now to the future issue of machines without DVDRW drives.

Also, we can pull our own USB DVDRW drive to see if it's the drive or the machine's installed OS issue. This has been the best way to determine if it's the old drive or the OS/App issue.

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Re: Any source? Even factory made media?
Sep 26, 2017 11:59AM PDT

Yes, it seems to affect DVDs from ANY source. I do find it puzzling that the drive readily plays movies.

I can readily change the drive (again) if need be. And after reading your comments about the USB DVDRW -- yes, they are readily available for less than $30, and would be a functional solution. However, that would just be another piece of equipment taking up valuable (and limited) desktop space.

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Your choice on how to solve.
Sep 26, 2017 1:15PM PDT

As to confusing readings, an older drive can be like that. Factory movie DVDs are easier to read than recorded media.

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Re: Your choice on how to solve
Sep 26, 2017 3:04PM PDT

So I should try replacing the DVD drive again?

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Re: Your choice on how to solve
Sep 27, 2017 4:22PM PDT

OK, I replaced the DVD drive -- same problem. I reinstalled Win10 -- same problem!

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Reinstall?
Sep 27, 2017 6:44PM PDT
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SPECCY REPORT
Sep 28, 2017 3:39AM PDT
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CDROM?
Sep 27, 2017 8:02PM PDT

Upgrade your BIOS firmware first. Then get a LIVE LINUX DVD, preferably Mint, Ubuntu, or Zorin, and see if the DVD drive will boot to it. If not, may need to use a USB device for Linux to boot into, or the Windows 10 USB boot ISO file.

Have you tried an external DVD drive?

And now the biggest question; Are you SURE this is a DVD drive and not a simple older CDROM drive?

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Re: CDROM?
Sep 28, 2017 4:47AM PDT

Not sure how to go about BIOS update(?) I have confirmed the current installed version, but have not yet found what is the latest available version.

As for external drive, no, I have not tried that -- don't have access to one at the moment.

Yes, I am sure it is a DVD drive.

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Re: solve
Sep 28, 2017 4:00AM PDT

Did you see my questions above? I doubt, since you didn't answer. I'll repeat them here.

- Please put in your Windows 7 install disc. Do you see any files on it in File Explorer?
- Then leave that disc in the drive and boot from it (you might need to check if the optical drive is the first to boot from). Does that come up? No need to continue, of course.
- And when you take a DVD that you can play a movie from with VLC and look at that in File Explorer, what do you see?

Post was last edited on September 28, 2017 4:26 AM PDT

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Re: solve
Sep 28, 2017 4:43AM PDT

File Explorer showed NO files on Win7 disk.
Attempted to boot to Win7 disk -- PC booted up as normal in Win10.
File Explorer DID show files on movie DVD: Audio_TS folder and Video_TS folder.

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Re: DID show files
Sep 28, 2017 4:59AM PDT

So it does show folders (and, I assume, files in those folders) in a movie DVD. That's very nice.

Do you happen to see any text or picture file in those folders? If a text file, try to open it with Notepad. If a picture file, try to open it with your favorite picture viewer. If none of the two, open a random (small) file with Notepad to see if you can access it. Probably it shows mostly rubbish as content, but that's not important. It's just to see if the files are accessible.
Seeing the folders, however, already proves that quite a lot (such as the BIOS and the driver) is fully OK.

For the moment it's strange it doesn't see anything on the Windows 7 disk, assuming that's an original Microsoft DVD, not a burned copy. Can you compare it with another PC/laptop?

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Re: DID show files
Sep 28, 2017 9:50AM PDT

File Explorer shows NO files in the Audio folder; lots of files in the Video folder, but no text or pic files. Tried opening file in Notepad -- it did not see any files in either folder.

I tried the Win7 disk (yes, it's a MS DVD) in another PC -- Explorer showed all files.

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Re: DID show files
Sep 28, 2017 10:53AM PDT

The fact that File Explorer showed lots of files shows that your issue "The DVD drive simply does not see files on the disks. is solved.

Maybe your real issue is "The DVD drive does see files on some disks, and not on some other disks". It helps to formulate your issue carefully. But if that's the issue, I'm really thinking hardware.

Anyway, Notepad only shows .txt files if you select "Text files (*.txt)" in the drop down box in the dialog windows for File>Open. But if you select "All files (*.*)" it shows all files. I just opened a .pdf and a .jpg file that way (gibberish indeed, but that was expected). So you tried, but you tried the wrong way.

Post was last edited on September 28, 2017 10:57 AM PDT

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Re: DID show files
Sep 28, 2017 11:39AM PDT

Just checked again. Notepad "All files" shows NO files in the Audio folder. For the Video folder, Notepad shows lots of files, all are VLC media or BUP files. I opened one of the BUP files and yes, it's gibberish.

I put another disk in, this one just a random collection of Word and Excel files. Explorer sees NO files. Notepad "All files" sees NO files. I put that same disk in another PC, and all the files are listed.

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Re: files
Sep 28, 2017 12:06PM PDT

So some disks work, and others don't. And all do on other PC's.

To discriminate between a hardware cause and a Windows cause, try the same in Linux in your PC. Linux is free and can be run from DVD (if it boots from it) or USB-stick. Given that you have DVD-issues, try the USB-variant, using - for example - the download from the latest Mint and UUI (Universal Unix Installer).

If it's OK in Linux, it's quite likely that reinstalling Windows will help. If it's wrong in Linux also it's a hardware issue to be fixed.

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Answer
Speccy Reading. I'm not happy with it.
Sep 28, 2017 10:07AM PDT

When you see issues like this you want a clean OS. Right off the top I see McAfee. There may be more but ANY ITEM THAT INTERFERES WITH THE OS needs to be removed or a clean OS installed to see where the hardware stands.

1. Not a clean OS. McAfee and what else?
2. Power Profile. Until the machine works right, set all to none or never. Some drivers behave oddly when resuming.

The machine looks fine and cool in the Speccy but it's not what I call clean. McAfee might be causing the usual troubles but I fear at this point you are looking at a fresh install. Then test the drive and if that fails, it's a hardware issue.

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Speccy Reading. I'm not happy with it
Sep 28, 2017 12:00PM PDT

McAfee is provided by my ISP and TTBOMK has not caused any issues since first installed (2-3 yrs ago?). But I am leaning more than ever to just wiping the HDD and doing a clean install. I've already created the ISO on disk and also a flash drive; just hate to embark on that lengthy task!

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Re: created the ISO on disk
Sep 28, 2017 12:10PM PDT

If you did that as you say, it won't work. But maybe you didn't do it that way?

After you burn the iso to disk, the disk doesn't contain the iso, but the files from the iso. You really can't say the iso is on the disk.

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Re: created the ISO on disk
Sep 28, 2017 12:53PM PDT

As directed in the instructions for the media creation tool, I downloaded an ISO file for Windows 10 and burned it to a DVD -- for which BTW Explorer shows the files(!)

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That's the right way.
Sep 28, 2017 2:21PM PDT

Now the question is: can you boot from that DVD. Given that you can't boot from a Windows 7 DVD, that's doubtful. Luckily, the USB is another option.

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burn image
Sep 28, 2017 2:27PM PDT

You can burn a file to a DVD. If you get an ISO image file, most often you don't want to burn the ISO file to the DVD, instead you want to choose "burn image" from the ISO file. The ISO file is like a zip file but has an "image" of a DVD in it. When you "burn image" it unzips the ISO file into all the files that make up the original DVD and creates a new DVD that is just like the original. If all you burned was the ISO file, then you haven't accomplished what you needed to do.

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Re: burn image
Sep 28, 2017 5:16PM PDT

I just finished the reinstall. Still have a few programs to reinstall, but it looks like everything works now as it should!

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Now watch carefully.
Sep 28, 2017 7:22PM PDT

Keep track of what you install and if you are lucky you can break it again but this time you may know what it was.