Go to your CD drive and choose Ask me every time.Make sure Use AutoPlay for all media and devices is turned on.If your CD drive isn’t doing anything, your AutoPlay settings may be set incorrectly. Set Up AutoPlayĪutoPlay is used to automatically play content that’s loaded onto your system. Your PC manufacturer will normally provide utilities to help perform BIOS updates automatically. Incorrectly changing BIOS setting may cause permanent damage to your computer. BIOS updates can fix many issues but should be done carefully. The BIOS is the computer’s Binary Input and Output System and handles communication between your CPU, motherboard and CD drive. Your CD drive might come with a free utility that lets it do firmware updates automatically. Try visiting your computer manufacturer’s website for any applicable firmware updates. Outdated firmware can cause communication issues between computer and driver, which can also impact the drive’s ability to read discs. Update CD Drive Firmwareįirmware is device-specific software that’s stored internally in your CD drive. System updates may cause compatibility issues with your pre-installed drivers, firmware, and BIOS settings. Multiple programs are used by your CD drive to run and read discs correctly and may require updating. Open the try and aim the air into the slot it should do the trick as long as not too much dust accumulated. It’s not as efficient as the cleaning disc, but it gets the job done. Try compressed air – Compressed air cans are easy to come by at computer specialty stores.After one cleaning, you may find that your drive can read discs better, stops skipping, and distorts less. The disc goes in as normal and tiny brushes on the disc will clean the lens as the disc spins. Try a lens-cleaning disc – Specialized lens cleaning discs are sold specifically for cleaning disc drives.A dirty lens won’t read anything, so it’s important to make sure that no dust has accumulated. Most drives will display the readable types on the tray flap it can also be viewed from the manufacturer.ĭisc drives use lasers to read disc data as 1s and 0s based on the amount light that’s reflected back to the optical system.

Make sure that your drive is compatible with the disc you are trying to read. Check for compatibility – Most CD drives can play recordable(R) and rewritable(RW) discs.Try swapping out the disc to make sure that it wasn’t a hardware issue. Swap out the disc – if cleaning fails, your disc might be far too damaged to allow it to play properly.If the disc is dirty, you can try cleaning it with filter water and a clean cloth or better yet, a specialized disc cleaning solution and cloth can be purchased in most electronic stores. Clean your discs – Grime and dirt can make it hard for the drive laser to read small groves located on your disc.Try reconnecting your cables and swap out for different ones if available.Ī bad disc can’t be played, no matter how hard you try. CD Cables may be loose – if you’re using an external CD Drive, cables might have worked themselves loose.If using a slot-load disc drive, which will have no tray, simply eject the disc and reinsert to determine if it was a seating issue. Inspect your tray for any bending, and try reseating the disc. The disc tray may be damaged – A CD drive uses internal optics to read data from the disc, so it’s important that your CD is properly aligned.A quick inspection should rule out any drive issues. The CD Drive Hardware may be malfunctioning. CD Drive components are fine-tuned and may read your disc incorrectly if the hardware, lens, or CD is damaged. When a CD drive or DVD drive won’t work, you might try checking the hardware and disc first. The following guide works best for Windows 10 users, but most steps can easily be adapted to Windows 8, and 7 users. Driver Support/ knowledgebase/ Fix a CD Drive That Won’t ReadĪ range of software and hardware issues can make it difficult or impossible for your CD drive to read a disc properly.

Pc clean disk drive lens