XP CD Drive missing

[nathan]

I'm starting to scratch my head with this now. We have a suite of Windows XP machines and all of them have lost their CD drives. I've tried the trick of deleting the upper/lower filters but it still doesn't appear.

 

The CD drive appear in the bios just fine. I've also reset the BIOS and no change. I've checked group policy and theres nothing to tell the machines to hide the drive. The drive doesnt appear in the Device Manager either.

 

Any one have any other suggestions?

 

thanks

[chazzy2501]

A popular method for disabling CDROMs for xp was an ADMX that would alter the cdrom.sys. Simply removing this GPO wouldn't enable the drive though. You had to turn it back on with a different GPO enabling the cdrom.sys..

[nathan]

A popular method for disabling CDROMs for xp was an ADMX that would alter the cdrom.sys. Simply removing this GPO wouldn't enable the drive though. You had to turn it back on with a different GPO enabling the cdrom.sys..

 

have you any links to the ADMX in question, these machines were here before i started working here so i'm sure if what you say it the case.

 

Thanks

[nathan]

I've replaced the cdrom.sys file with a fresh one that i know hasn't been altered and i'm still getting the issue. This is really strange!!

[VeryPC_Tom_M]

I'd try giving this a shot: Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs

 

I've seen it where I've installed XP from a CD, and on reboot, the CD drive doesn't show in My Computer or Device Manager!

[Michael]

So if it shows in the BIOS, presumably you can boot from a Windows install disc (just to test)?

[mac_shinobi]

I'd try giving this a shot: Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs

 

I've seen it where I've installed XP from a CD, and on reboot, the CD drive doesn't show in My Computer or Device Manager!

 

Just to add to this maybe try downloading, installing the adaptec aspi drivers and rebooting and logging back in afterwards to see if that helps ?

 

Good article though ta!!

[nathan]

I'd try giving this a shot: Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs

 

I've seen it where I've installed XP from a CD, and on reboot, the CD drive doesn't show in My Computer or Device Manager!

 

Tried the Microsoft fix it and it tells me it can't find a cd drive! lol I believe it just does the upper/lower filters registry edit.

[chazzy2501]

This is what it looks like in my gpo:

[nathan]

Just tested two machines and they boot to a windows cd just fine. Could this have anything to do with Kaspersky? as far as im aware there is no way to hide a cd drive but i'm not 100% on that.

[VeryPC_Tom_M]

You can hide any drives which has a drive letter assigned to it: Using Group Policy Objects to hide specified drives

 

I tend to do this on laptops, so that I can hide any SD Card I'm using for Readyboost (although I cheat and use a piece of software, rather than figuring out the sequence and editing GP manually).

 

I'm fairly sure you can still access them by entering the drive letter in a run command or command prompt, or creating a shortcut to it.

[nathan]

You can hide any drives which has a drive letter assigned to it: Using Group Policy Objects to hide specified drives

 

I tend to do this on laptops, so that I can hide any SD Card I'm using for Readyboost (although I cheat and use a piece of software, rather than figuring out the sequence and editing GP manually).

 

I'm fairly sure you can still access them by entering the drive letter in a run command or command prompt, or creating a shortcut to it.

 

Yeah i'm aware of that policy, i've checked each GPO (both user and computer that would be effecting this pc) and there isn nothing set that would hide the cd drive.

 

The fact it doesn't appear in the device manager makes me think it isn't a GPO issues as i think it would still appear in there.

[mac_shinobi]

Other thing which at least on Lenovo power manager on laptops does is if its running on a battery is to disable the optical drive and that makes it vanish from device manager etc. maybe a power save setting ? Long shot but a thought

[chazzy2501]

the custom ADMX GPO stops the driver loading so this should remove devices from device manager.

 

have you run a gpresult or rsop on a failing PC.

Edited June 14, 2013 by chazzy2501

[nathan]

These are Dell Optiplex 775, i've just moved one into a OU so i know no gpo effects the computer. My logon works fine around the school so i would guess it's not a gpo on my user.

 

I find it strange that it's only the XP machines in this suite, others around the school are fine.

[mac_shinobi]

These are Dell Optiplex 775, i've just moved one into a OU so i know no gpo effects the computer. My logon works fine around the school so i would guess it's not a gpo on my user.

 

I find it strange that it's only the XP machines in this suite, others around the school are fine.

 

If you boot them both up with a linux live disc or similar I presume the optical drive works fine and is seen etc ?

 

Also I presume you have applied the GPO again to force the optical drive to be enabled and the GPO is linked and enforced and you have gpupdate /force 'd so the GPO's have re applied to the two machines and still the same ?

[nathan]

If you boot them both up with a linux live disc or similar I presume the optical drive works fine and is seen etc ?

 

Also I presume you have applied the GPO again to force the optical drive to be enabled and the GPO is linked and enforced and you have gpupdate /force 'd so the GPO's have re applied to the two machines and still the same ?

 

there has never been a GPO to disable the drives, i've booted from a windows 7 disc so the hardware is working. Yes i did use gpupdate force.

 

This is happening all on of the suite pc's, 15 of them.

 

thanks for your help.

[mac_shinobi]

Image them with windows 7 and upgrade at least the ram and if possible hdd??