Share this article

Improve this guide

DVD Not Working in Windows 10/11? Here’s how to fix it

9 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

Share this article

Improve this guide

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

If your DVD is not working, you might experience certain issues, especially if you have multimedia or other applications on DVD discs. This can be a problem for some users, and today we’re going to show you how to tackle this issue.

Many users, including myself, have been reporting problems with their DVDs in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. If your DVD too is also not working, then follow the below steps needed to fix the problem.

Problems with the DVD drive not working in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 are one of the most common and experienced by many users. We’re going to talk about this issue and try to offer some working solutions, as there are enough guides to help you get rid of it. The CD and DVD problems have occurred with Windows 8 more often than with Windows 8.1, so it seems that Microsoft has put an update in place.

My DVD drive installed Windows 8 and can also boot from DVD, but Windows 8 does not recognize the drive after the operating system is loaded. How can I get drivers loaded for this version of Windows? If I boot with the Windows 8 DVD in the drive, ignore the option to boot from the CD or DVD, when the OS loads, the drive is recognized and I can use it for that session. If I reboot without the DVD in the drive, it is gone again.

DVD drive not detected in Windows 10? Try these solutions

There are many problems that can occur with your DVD drive, and in this article we’ll address the following issues:

1. Use Command Prompt

This is what one user is saying and many others are having similar problems like this one. Users affected by this problem said that they saw the following message: “Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19).” Now, let’s see what we can do to fix it. First of all, try the following:

After doing that, restart your PC and check if the problem is fixed.

2. Delete UpperFilters and LowerFilters DWORDs

If the previous solution didn’t fix your problem, then try checking if all the cables are properly put in place, just in case this might be caused by a rather stupid problem that you overlooked.

Also, you can check for the DVD drive in BIOS. After restarting the Windows 8/Windows 8.1 computer, enter the BIOS screen (usually by pressing F10 multiple times). If it is absent, then it is a hardware problem, and not a software one, and you’ll need to contact your vendor. Now, here’s another potential fix:

3. Run the troubleshooter

Sometimes you might be able to fix the problem with the DVD drive simply by running the hardware troubleshooter. To do that, follow these steps:

After the troubleshooter is finished, check if the problem still remains.

4. Check your optical reader

If your DVD is not working, the problem might be your optical reader. Sometimes the reader can move and remain in a new position causing this problem to appear.

To fix the issue, you need to use a small object and move it to the original position. Keep in mind that this is rather dangerous, and if you don’t know what you’re doing you can easily permanently damage your DVD drive and your PC.

Several users reported that cleaning their optical reader fixed the problem. There are many ways to do that, and the best one might be to open your DVD drive and clean it with a cue tip.

If you’re not comfortable with removing your DVD drive, you can always use a disc that comes with a small brush that automatically cleans your DVD.

If cleaning the DVD drive doesn’t work, your DVD might be faulty, and the only choice is to replace the entire DVD drive.

5. Change your group policy

According to users, if DVD is not working the problem might be related to built-in burning features. However, you can resolve this problem by making few changes inGroup Policy Editor. To do that, follow these steps:

If you can’t access Group Policy Editor, you can disable this feature usingRegistry Editor. To do that, follow these steps:

After making the changes, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

6. Reinstall your DVD drivers

Few users reported that they fixed the problem simply by reinstalling their DVD driver. If DVD is not working, you can fix the problem by doing the following:

Once the driver is removed, restart your PC. When the PC restarts, Windows will automatically install the default driver and your DVD drive should start working again.

7. Install the necessary drivers manually

If your DVD isn’t working on Windows 10, the problem is most likely related to your drivers. This is a minor problem that can be fixed by manually installing the missing drivers. To do that, follow these steps:

After installing the driver manually, the problem with your DVD drive should be resolved.

8. Check for updates

If the DVD is not working, perhaps you can fix the issue simply by updating Windows 10. Windows 10 already updates itself automatically, but you can manually check for updates by doing the following:

If any updates are available, they will be downloaded automatically in the background. Once the updates are downloaded, restart your PC and check if the problem is still there.

If all of the above still didn’t solve your problem, then have a look atthis guidefrom HP that is meant for HP and Compaq computers with Windows 8, but there’s a high chance it could work for you, as well.

DVD Not Working in Windows 10/11? Here’s how to fix it#

DVD drive not detected in Windows 10? Try these solutions#

1. Use Command Prompt#

2. Delete UpperFilters and LowerFilters DWORDs#

3. Run the troubleshooter#

4. Check your optical reader#

5. Change your group policy#

6. Reinstall your DVD drivers#

7. Install the necessary drivers manually#

8. Check for updates#