I have been bitten, I have found a bug, and I have found the most ridiculous fix in the world. I installed Windows Vista Ultimate over Windows XP Pro without incident. I had the machine up and running in no time and all was right with the world.
I went to install Flight Simulator X and again, DVD-RW worked fine. Then, I go to install World of Warcraft, and my DVD-RW drive was missing. Not only did it not show in my computer, but it was missing from the device manager as well. Just to be sure, I rebooted and went into the bios utility to make sure the machine was still recognizing the drive and of course it was.
I did some cursory Google searching and came across a Microsoft Knowledgebase article that described two methods, the first was to remove a registry entry that didn’t exist in my machine. The second was to uninstall the drive from device manager, a task that is pretty difficult when the drive doesn’t show there.
I did have one stroke of luck by disabling the controller the drive was on, but that only worked once. I took the drive out of the machine, updated it’s firmware, and still had no luck.
After doing a little more research, I found the most unlikely fix, and it actually works. I sure hope it’s patched VERY soon, because it’s a silly fix. You put the desktop to sleep, when you wake it up, the DVD-RW magically reappears.
Crazy, I know. I am having Dawn (She works for MS) submit it as a bug to Microsoft, hopefully that will help get a fix out soon.
THIS WORKS!!!
I have the exact same issue.
I could not install Vista from dvd but could select clean install of Vista when run as upgrade from XP Pro sp2.
Having then lost the dvd immediatelt on first boot of Vista I have despaired.
On trying to sleep the pc and waking up the dvd detects and installs!
I am a MCSE and will be using a special support call with Microsoft to chase a fix for this problem. I’ll keep posted.
Glad it worked for you too, it seems to be a pretty common problem, my gf works for Microsoft and has submitted it as a bug also, if we could both keep in touch so I can write a follow up that would be great. Thanks!
Thank you so much for posting this. I have been having this problem sporadically for the last 3 weeks. I hope they fix it soon. Thanks again,
Micah
I have this problem on 2 PCs, one running Home Premium, the other on Ultimate Edition. The sleep test didn’t fix the home premium system……will try the utlimate edition pc tomorrow.
Same here - DVD (BENQ DW1640) drive just disappears when trying to burn files to it…
My sony dvd rw disappears in the same way 50% of the time when i eject a disc and put another in-sometimes it comes back after a few restarts and if i put the original disc back in! Oh and putting it to sleep didnt work for me either, ive had this problem with Win XP and Vista!:(
Hi
I have the same problem unfortunately your fix didn’t work for me but I have noticed one thing though; lots of people have been posting this problem very recently I wonder if it was an update error.
One rumor I did hear was that MS were trying to cut down on the compatible list ready for DCHP (I think its called but is the video thing)
I have gone back to using XP (dual boot) until service pack 1 comes out. Although I will miss the moving waterfall as a backdrop it was cool but made me want the toilet a lot lol.
I have a benq DW1655
I have tried the registry fixes but I don’t have an upper and lower entry; like people mention.
Oh well
Just wanted to say this is a good site and its nice to know people are working together.
Kind regards
i have excactly the same problem.
mobo: arsock 939dual sata2
mem: 1.5Gb
dvd: NEC something
clean windows vista install (just finished 10 minutes ago)
in devicemanager i click “check for hardware changes” then iit does place back the dvdplayer, but dissapears after a few
eventmanager:
The device, \Device\CdRom0, is not ready for access yet. (like 60 times that error now)
The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Ide\IdePort1. (12 errors now)
hope to see a fix real soon via ms update
Try this solution:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Click on the start menu.
If this is a Vista machine in the search box type in “regedit” without the quotation marks.
Maximize the HKLM and then go ahead and browse until you reach the key listed above.
In the right panel you’ll see something along the lines of “UpperFilter” and “LowerFilter” you want to click on each “filter” key and hit delete. Click yes when it asks to confirm if you wish to delete the key.
Restart Windows.
Hi all.
….and yes I got the same problem as ypu folks. The dvd-drive disapear. I tried the upper and lower filters, and it didnt work. I reinstalled Vista and the dvd-drive was there for about 3 hours until it was gone again…
I have no clue to this problem
hi guys..i’ve exactly the same problem.. but more complicated one..i’ve not been able to reboot my laptop again..
i’ve changed the boot preferences to dvd rom but instead of going for a boot from the dvd it goes for the hard disk..
please help me out guys..
hi guys..i’ve exactly the same problem.. but more complicated one..i’ve not been able to reinstall windows on my laptop again ever again, i put the dvd in the drive but it doesn’t seem to work…
i’ve changed the boot preferences to dvd rom but instead of going for a boot from the dvd it goes for the hard disk..
please help me out guys..
the first post for this problem was at the beginning of the year and I just noticed that I have the same problem. I am not sure if MS really awares of the issue?
OMG!!!!!!!!! It works, how silly!!! I have the same problem! My DVD drive suddenly disappear and I tried everything, from uninstalling the drive to reinstallin it, bu tnothing worked. Until I foudn out about this, how silly is this???!!!! Microsoft should better do something qwuick about this, cause I’m pissedd!!!!
Problem resolved. I just downgraded the os from vista to xp. Everything works great now!!!
Hey, I found the problem for me lies with the installation of itunes (itunes installs filters that disable the drive). Does reverting back to XP fix this problem? I need itunes and my CD/DVD drive!
Most Funniest Ever Fix with Vista…I am a hardware and network engineer n with my new vista laptop i was experiencing this trouble had to restart if this happened ….now just sleep and wakeup….he he
Lots of Thanks yaaarr….
Just as Jason said in the original article,
1. my DVDROM goes missing,
2. it doesn’t appear at all in Device Manager
3. the registry entries referring to filters are NOT present.
So, like Jason, I’m unable to follow the advice posted by Alfred above. I guess Alfred didn’t notice that Jason mentioned the registry entries not being present.
Hey folks I am computer technician, I got 3 machines with the same problem and a could sort it out using the same procedure mentioned by Alfred above.
Good luck for everyone
Having same problem with a brand new HP laptop (Vista). DVD device disappears when i try to burn a DVD. I tried the lower filter registery changes, and made no difference.
A reboot works fine - but as soon as I try to burn, it disappears.
I’ve been told it’s a MS update that caused this, so am considering re-build of Vista.
If anyone has any better ideas, i’m open to suggestion. It’s bl00dy criminal this is !!!
hey guys. please somebody tell me exactely which update makes this problem.
Same problem here with Vista Home Premium. I tried to delete upper and lower filter in registry, without success. I also tried to put the computer to sleep and then waking it up, it didn’t change a single thing. What I am supposed to do to make it work… I was pretty lucky, I didn’t experienced the problem until today… probably it is due to an upgrade?
i had exactly the same problem. I tried all the possible solutions that were available:
1) Regedit and delete upper and lower case (I only found lower case, deleted it but didn\’t work)
2) Delete cd/dvd drive from device manager and reinstall (As Jason the dvd drive did\’t appear on the device manager at all)
3) Go to storage controllers and delete gigabyte something and the dvd should work (I didn\’t find the gigabyte thing in storage controller)
4) Delete the IDA/IDE controllers and restart (That didn\’t work either)
5) I deleted all cd related programs that i downloaded during the five months when i had the laptop (Daemon, MagicIso, and a couple of cd burning programs) - still no luck
Finally I called Toshiba and the told me that what happenned with me is a very common problem that is happenning to a lot of other people they told me first to delete the upper and lower cases in the REGedit through going to support.microsoft.com and typing 929461 in the search bar. I of course tried that long time ago in it didn\’t work. So they told me that the only solution is to back up the pc and run the recovery cd and this should solve the problem . But i have read that some people did that already and the problem is still persistent. I am a bit worried about going to the hell of recovery with no avail at the end. I hate microsoft
dave » Thanks for the details but ya don’t have to say you hate my employer
Sometimes people act like writing software as complicated as Vista is easy to code and easy to test on the billions of possible hardware combinations.
This problem just hit me.
I bought a new Gateway desktop with Vista Home Premium already on it.
I did a ms update and my DVD RW stopped working. I can still play CD’s but none of my DVD’s will read.
device manager shows the drive. Tried uninstall/install.
edited the registry (only had the lowerfilter). Did not work.
Was working great, until I installed the updates.
Tried to backtrack with the restore program but no luck there.
I have the exact same problem, and nothing works. I have called Microsoft here in Australia, and they said I have to go back to Acer (manufacturer) as my licence is OEM. My second option was to pay $80 upfront and speak to their 2nd level staff.
What a joke!!
I have the same exact problem, I have noticed that I need to unplug the data cable to the DVD-RW drive (NEC 3520A) and plug it back in.
Very annoying and am very surprised this has not been fixed considering so many people have this problem.
Woah. Mine only does it when burning I think. I have a sony dvd+-rw dual layer 8x I think. The board is an asus microatx am2 board, I think one of the nforce chips. The first time it happened the drive came back after closing and reopening nero, but not any more. I can’t reboot cause of a program I’m using that I don’t wanna have to get going again so I’m gonna wait until it’s done then reboot.
I’ve got the same problem… it appeared when i installed itunes. tried nearly everthing and no luck. uninstalled itunes and voilà, DVD back. but i can’t afford having to choose between DVD or itunes.
any suggestiones?
[...] Exists??? Written by Jason Burns on April 7, 2008 – 9:09 pm I still get regular comments on this post about the DVD bug I found in Windows Vista in January 2007. I thought it would be a good time to revisit this [...]
Jason,
that this bug should be present.
THANK YOU!! I have had this unbelievable bug this week. First I did the rapid fix on the Microsoft site (I believe this automatically does the registry editing that I’ve seen posted here and elsewhere) and it worked. Then it happened again and I happened upon your ’sleep’ solution. UNBELIEVABLE!!
In my case, both times it was initiated by the same program. A Windows based game of recent vintage called Settlers. I guess it’s DVD intensive, but both times the problem happened I was starting this game which requires a disc in the drive. I’m not sure why the problem occurs. I’ve run the game under Vista before (game is Vista ‘compatible’) with NO problems. It may be due to a recent Settlers’ patch or one of the many Vista updates that have installed on my computer. I’m going to do a re-install of the basic program to find out. In any case, thanks so much for an easy solution!
Rob
I just got this problem, I tried the regedit solution but no luck. I’m trying to uninstall windows updates and see what happens.