How to Solve External CD/DVD/Blu-ray Drive is Not Recognized in Windows Computers?

It’s a common problem we may encounter when using an external CD/DVD/Blu-ray optical drive or an external hard drive on your Windows (11/10/8.1/8/7) computer. Here are some troubleshooting methods for your reference, these methods are applicable to Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP computers.

Method 1：Remove the USB hub and plug the data cable directly into your computer unless your USB hub has its own power supply. In addition to the data cable, some external optical drives have an additional power supply cable, the power cable cannot transmit data. Please do not use the wrong cable.

Method 2:  If the external optical drive you purchased has an extra power supply cord, you can try to use it because that the USB ports on some computers may not supply enough power for an external optical drive through a single data cable. You can use a power bank, USB power adapter, or another USB port on your computer to get extra power.

Method 3: Unplug the external optical drive, then reboot your computer and replug it to your computer to complete the driver installation. It’s better to try different USB ports.

Method 4: Update or reinstall the driver.

To update the driver, search for the driver on the device manufacturer’s website, and then follow the installation instructions on the website.

To reinstall the driver, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box, then press Enter. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or select Allow
3. In Device Manager, expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click the CD and DVD devices, and then select Uninstall.
4. When you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the device, select OK.
5. Restart the computer.

After the computer restarts, the drivers will be automatically installed.

Method 5:  Delete the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers from Device Manager

1. Press Windows Key + X to open the Power User Menu.
2. Select Device Manager from the list.
3. Once the Device Manager opens, go to View and choose Show hidden devices.
4. Locate ATA Channel controllers and uninstall them all by right-clicking them and choosing Uninstall from the menu.
5. Optional: Users also suggest removing Intel (R) Serial ATA Storage Controller, so if you have it make sure that you remove it as well.
6. After you’re done close Device Manager and restart your computer.  Many users reported that this problem can be easily fixed by uninstalling IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers from Device Manager.

Method 6: Fix corrupted registry entries

This problem may be caused by two Windows registry entries that have become corrupted. To use Registry Editor to delete the corrupted Registry entries, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit in the Run dialog box, then press Enter. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or select Allow
3. In the navigation pane, locate and then select the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
4. In the right pane, select UpperFilters.Note You may also see a UpperFilters.bak registry entry. You do not have to remove that entry. Click UpperFilters only. If you do not see the UpperFilters registry entry, you still might have to remove the LowerFilters registry entry. To do this, go to step 7.
5. On the Edit menu, select Delete.
6. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, select Yes.
7. In the right pane, select LowerFilters.Note If you do not see the LowerFilters registry entry, go to the next method.
8. On the Edit menu, select Delete.
9. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, select Yes.
10. Exit Registry Editor.
11. Restart the computer.

Note:  To use this method, you must be logged on to Windows as an administrator. To verify that you are signed in as an administrator, bring up the Control Panel, select User Accounts, and then choose to Manage User Accounts.

Method 7: Remove Virtual Drive Software

Virtual drive software, which is used to mount disc images (ISOs) can sometimes cause conflict with physical optical drives. If you have utilities such as Daemon Tools, PowerISO, ISO Recorder or similar software installed, remove them. Press Windows key + x  and choose Programs and Features. Highlight the program and click Uninstall.

Method 8: Use the Hardware Troubleshooter

1. Open Settings.
2. Head over to Updates & Security > Troubleshooting.
3. Now, click Hardware & devices, and go to Run the troubleshooter.
4. Follow further on-screen instructions, and let the troubleshooter finish the process.
5. Restart your computer.

Hope these methods can solve your problem of “external optical drive cannot be recognized by Windows computer”. If the problem is not resolved, it may be caused by the hardware, it is recommended to contact the seller to solve it.