Windows 10: E drive not working

My E drive will not read CDs or allow me to burn to any new ones. Where do I go to check and see what the settings are, and what should that be set at?

:)

 

HP Drive E doesn't recognize disc after Win 10 upgrade.

I did and drive E still asks for a disc to be inserted. My diagnostics say the drive E is working. I tried various discs including those that I have previously used. My PC recognizes drive E, but will not read.

 

Big blue question mark over E:\ Pathesktop drive box

Tried your suggestion didn't work turns out E: is my usb drive my son somehow deleted the E: with the big blue ? My E: drive works fine. Thanks, for trying to help me it never gave me the option to delete it.

 

Most likely a mechanical/electrical failure. Check and re-seat all connecting cables. Does it sound like it's trying to load a disk when you put one in? Does it appear in Device Manager? If so, does it have a yellow warning against it?

This is HP's checklist of other things you could look at (before deciding it's really dead and replacing it).
HP PCs - CD/DVD Drive Is Not Detected (Windows 10, 8) | HP® Customer Support

 

The device manager lists a DVD/CD drives, I assume that's it. No, it does not make in sound when I put a disc in, it just says insert a disc and then the drawer opens again. It hasn't worked right since I got the computer a little over a year ago. I will try the checklist.

 

Is there a simpler solution? I read thru the checklist and understood none of it. It was written by computer experts for computer experts.

 

This one is more 'user friendly'....

How to test a computer CD-ROM / DVD drive for failures

 

That is much easier to understand. I'll look into a driver cleaner while I'm out this afternoon, I will be near a store that sells such things anyway.

 

Okay, I DL and installed some new drivers. I was just able to read one CD and burn to a new one, altho' a third disc didn't work. For the moment I seem to be fine. I will look into the CD cleaner idea. Thanks for your help.

 

OK, looks like the hardware is functional (though maybe in need of a clean). It's equally possible that your third disc may just have been a bad one. Try a selection of commercial CDs and/or DVDs that you know will play in other drives.

 

It played the last DVD I put in it, but isn't accepting the music CD I just put in. I did buy the disc cleaner. It's made for DVD players but is supposed to clean computers as well. We'll see.

 

Optical drives have separate lasers for each operation. There is a laser that reads and writes CD's and one that reads and writes DVD's. Your CD reading laser may be failing. First, try the CD cleaner. If it still fails, then you can replace the whole drive for not much money. Available on Amazon or Ebay. Go to Youtube to see a video on how to replace.

 

I can confirm that a drive's CD laser can die but it will still work normally with DVDs. I have one drive that has lost its ability to read CDs, fortunately it's the drive in the DVD player connected to my TV, so it's no great loss.

Both lasers use the same lens, so a cleaning disc designed for DVDs will be equally effective.

 

Just put in a document CD that was burned on a previous computer. It acknowledged that the CD was there, and showed a list of contents, but when I tried to open a file, it came up with "Not Responding" and basically locked down the computer until I ejected the disc.

 

Here's an update. I put in the CD I burned to yesterday. It's a CD-RW, and the CD opened so I could see the contents. When I tried to add more content, it froze up the drive and then refused to acknowledge the disc. I put in the disc cleaner CD. It doesn't seem to notice that it's in the drive. Okay, I just put the new CD I burned yesterday back in. It opened, showed me the menu. When I tried to add the new data, it said the disc might be unusable. Funny, it was usable when I burned it yesterday, I know it's not full. I also get a not responding when I try to burn. I notice itwhirrs when it's working, but doesn't when it's not. There is also a piece that slides back and forth at the front of the tray, does it matter where that piece is when I put the CD in?