Solved DVD writer not working properly after Win 11 upgrade

Badblood · Jan 5, 2023

Hi all, hoping I can get some help. I have a head scratching problem. I have been using and building Windows PCs for 25 years so I am not a newbie but this has me puzzled

I have a DVD writer that is perfectly functional, however since upgrading to Win 11 (probably - I haven't used the DVD function since I did upgrade - from W10 to W11 about two years ago) it will not (mostly) read DVDs. CDs are fine.

I have done all the Registry hacks for Upper and Lower Filters and added the Controller0 subkey entry to atapi etc etc.

The driver is up to date.

Now for the weird part. If I uninstall the DVD writer as a device and re-boot, Win 11 adds it back in. As before CDs are fine and I can (at least once) read a DVD (I was using a Doctor Who classic as a test DVD). VLC spawns properly and I get the menu. If I then eject the DVD and re-insert it, nothing and from that point on I can only read CDs.

I am completely stumped.

Anyone got any ideas?

The DVD RW is a TSST Corp SS-222B as shown by Device Manager

System is a custom built PC which now has an AMD motherboard (MSI Tomahawk Bxxx) with 16Gb RAM and various hard drives. All dives are SCSI adapter connected and I have swapped the cables around. I haven't tried different ports on the MB which is the next step but since the DVD drive works correctly after a fresh re-install I think this is software related.

Just updating to 22H2 to see if that makes any difference but I can't find anything useful on Google...

Any ideas?

TIA

jds63 · Jan 5, 2023

Badblood said:
Hi all, hoping I can get some help. I have a head scratching problem. I have been using and building Windows PCs for 25 years so I am not a newbie but this has me puzzled

I have a DVD writer that is perfectly functional, however since upgrading to Win 11 (probably - I haven't used the DVD function since I did upgrade - from W10 to W11 about two years ago) it will not (mostly) read DVDs. CDs are fine.

I have done all the Registry hacks for Upper and Lower Filters and added the Controller0 subkey entry to atapi etc etc.

The driver is up to date.

Now for the weird part. If I uninstall the DVD writer as a device and re-boot, Win 11 adds it back in. As before CDs are fine and I can (at least once) read a DVD (I was using a Doctor Who classic as a test DVD). VLC spawns properly and I get the menu. If I then eject the DVD and re-insert it, nothing and from that point on I can only read CDs.

I am completely stumped.

Anyone got any ideas?

The DVD RW is a TSST Corp SS-222B as shown by Device Manager

View attachment 49221
System is a custom built PC which now has an AMD motherboard (MSI Tomahawk Bxxx) with 16Gb RAM and various hard drives. All dives are SCSI adapter connected and I have swapped the cables around. I haven't tried different ports on the MB which is the next step but since the DVD drive works correctly after a fresh re-install I think this is software related.

Just updating to 22H2 to see if that makes any difference but I can't find anything useful on Google...

Any ideas?

TIA

Welcome to the forum. ! What type of DVDs all types, movies, blank, etc… ? Assume disc doesn’t show in explorer either ?

Badblood · Jan 5, 2023

jds63 said:
Welcome to the forum. ! What type of DVDs all types, movies, blank, etc… ? Assume disc doesn’t show in explorer either ?

Thank you. Seems to be any DVD. Nothing showing in explorer. The drive shows up in Disk Management with "No media" but the trying to access the drive with a DVD inserted shows this:

With a CD, no problem...

If I uninstall the DVD drive and re-boot it reads the DVD one time only. No idea how that works...

jds63 · Jan 5, 2023

Badblood said:
Thank you. Seems to be any DVD. Nothing showing in explorer. The drive shows up in Disk Management with "No media" but the trying to access the drive with a DVD inserted shows this:

View attachment 49236

With a CD, no problem...

View attachment 49237

If I uninstall the DVD drive and re-boot it reads the DVD one time only. No idea how that works...

Your Welcome, know tired some of what was said before.
Had this with one of my CD but all other were fine, but in your case saying all DVD. If it being recognized by Windows and plays CD's hard to say if it's Windows with the issue or not. Slight chance of drive issue, but said worked fine just before with Windows 10.
Do have Auto Play settings set to default ? Try going back to Device Manager and Uninstall it again then restart PC let it install autmatically.

Grasping at straws here tried most things already. Try a SFC /scannow at command prompt and even try DISM

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

How old is drive ? Anyway to check for firmware updates through manufacturer's site ? What brand drive ?
Seems like a Sony product can't quite find it here, but came close, see if you can. Although seems like an old drive firmware might be as old if any.
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/downloads/W0008419#relevant_products
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/personal-computers/articles/00028593

bobkn · Jan 5, 2023

This may not be helpful, but if you have access to a bootable DVD, you could try with that. That would tell you whether you have a Windows problem, or a hardware issue.

Such drives use different lasers for CDs (near IR) and DVDs (visible red), so it's barely possible that your red laser died. I hope not.

Badblood · Jan 6, 2023

Thanks both. I am just updating to 22h2 to see if that helps. I will try the scans but I actually took the cdrom.sys away (took ownership, move etc.) and let Windows re-create it. No luck.

Can't see that the firmware is the issue as was OK under 10 and it can't be the lasers since if I re-install it reads the DVD first time only. Then will not read, so seems like a software/firmware initiation problem since W11

SlicEnDicE · Jan 6, 2023

Badblood said:
I have a DVD writer that is perfectly functional, however since upgrading to Win 11 (probably - I haven't used the DVD function since I did upgrade - from W10 to W11 about two years ago) it will not (mostly) read DVDs. CDs are fine.

Here is your issue most likely. Your DVD-optics is dirty, drive filled with dust particles or the drive is simply just dying. I highly doubt this is a Windows 11 or driver thing.

pietcorus2 · Jan 6, 2023

Using two Samsung CD/DVD drives ; SH-224 FB .
Working fine in Win10 and in Win11 also .
Only , have to use x86 software for these drives , x64 does not functioning 100% ...........

Badblood · Jan 6, 2023

SlicEnDicE said:
Here is your issue most likely. Your DVD-optics is dirty, drive filled with dust particles or the drive is simply just dying. I highly doubt this is a Windows 11 or driver thing.

Definitely not - it reads a DVD perfectly if I uninstall. Then will not read any other DVDs. CDs are fine. This is DEFINITELY a software/firmware issue

Badblood · Jan 6, 2023

pietcorus2 said:
Using two Samsung CD/DVD drives ; SH-224 FB .
Working fine in Win10 and in Win11 also .
Only , have to use x86 software for these drives , x64 does not functioning 100% ...........

That is the kind of thing I am looking for - surely though the 32 bit and 64 bit driver are in the same package (cdrom.sys) how do you foprce x86 operation? Mine is definitely an OEM Samsung drive but hard to tell what model. Win 11 describes as SH-222BB

Badblood · Jan 6, 2023

Suddenly occurs to me that the changes for UEFI were also necessary - could that be anything to do with it. Straw, grasp...

SlicEnDicE · Jan 6, 2023

Badblood said:
it reads a DVD perfectly if I uninstall

~~uninstall what?~~

never mind...

SlicEnDicE · Jan 6, 2023

There is definitely something fishy going on with Windows 11 and DVD playback while using VLC media player. Sometimes inserting, ejecting and reinserting a disc works flawlessly to watch a movie. Sometimes, I can't even get to the DVD menu. The drive just keeps reading and reading, never getting anywhere.

I am using my external USB powered Samsung DVD-RW drive.

Tried on my desktop PC, testing on Laptop next...

UPDATE: Could not replicate the issue a second time. Works flawlessly for me now. 👀

jds63 · Jan 6, 2023

Don’t think has anything to do with software you use to watch the DVD on PC. As does not even show in Explorer as bing in the drive.

Badblood said:
Can't see that the firmware is the issue as was OK under 10 and it can't be the lasers since if I re-install it reads the DVD first time only. Then will not read, so seems like a software/firmware initiation problem since W11

Yeah maybe not firmware, maybe used wrong model number was copying from photo from original post to research.
But worth a try if can find that is.
Not too many options left to try, so far still grasping at straws. Keep trying to help.

play2mefish · Jan 6, 2023

Here's what I would do. I would remove the cd/dvd drive from the computer and install it in another computer and see if the issues are present. This will confirm if the cd/dvd drive is good and hasn't quit on you. Another option would be to mount the cd drive in an external enclosure and try using the drive via USB.

And last but not least...cd/dvd drives are pretty cheap these days, just replace it. Anyway, my 2 cents worth.

jds63 · Jan 6, 2023

Badblood said:
All dives are SCSI adapter connected

Maybe issue lies here somehow i overlooked it. Differences compared to SCSI and SATA connection maybe some kind of incompatibility or driver issue with Windows 11. Not too familiar with SCSI seems as older technology from years back i recall

jds63 · Jan 6, 2023

Badblood said:
System is a custom built PC which now has an AMD motherboard (MSI Tomahawk Bxxx)

Any BIOS updates, driver updates on MSI site ?

Badblood · Jan 6, 2023

Thanks all. I didn't mean SCSI - I meant SATA - too many late nights. SCSI was *the* thing back in the day but then that was back when we gathered round at work to watch a 10Mb hard drive installed - I kid you not.

Think the drive might just be too darn old... problem is I have now mucked around with cdrom.sys to try a downgraded driver and fallen foul of the digital signatures. Sigh. I miss DOS.

jds63 · Jan 6, 2023

Badblood said:
Thanks all. I didn't mean SCSI - I meant SATA - too many late nights. SCSI was *the* thing back in the day but then that was back when we gathered round at work to watch a 10Mb hard drive installed - I kid you not.

Think the drive might just be too darn old... problem is I have now mucked around with cdrom.sys to try a downgraded driver and fallen foul of the digital signatures. Sigh. I miss DOS.

Been using PC since Stone Age too, so i know what you mean and how you feel.

Winuser · Jan 6, 2023

Badblood said:
Hi all, hoping I can get some help. I have a head scratching problem. I have been using and building Windows PCs for 25 years so I am not a newbie but this has me puzzled

I have a DVD writer that is perfectly functional, however since upgrading to Win 11 (probably - I haven't used the DVD function since I did upgrade - from W10 to W11 about two years ago) it will not (mostly) read DVDs. CDs are fine.

I have done all the Registry hacks for Upper and Lower Filters and added the Controller0 subkey entry to atapi etc etc.

The driver is up to date.

Now for the weird part. If I uninstall the DVD writer as a device and re-boot, Win 11 adds it back in. As before CDs are fine and I can (at least once) read a DVD (I was using a Doctor Who classic as a test DVD). VLC spawns properly and I get the menu. If I then eject the DVD and re-insert it, nothing and from that point on I can only read CDs.

I am completely stumped.

Anyone got any ideas?

The DVD RW is a TSST Corp SS-222B as shown by Device Manager

View attachment 49221
System is a custom built PC which now has an AMD motherboard (MSI Tomahawk Bxxx) with 16Gb RAM and various hard drives. All dives are SCSI adapter connected and I have swapped the cables around. I haven't tried different ports on the MB which is the next step but since the DVD drive works correctly after a fresh re-install I think this is software related.

Just updating to 22H2 to see if that makes any difference but I can't find anything useful on Google...

Any ideas?

TIA

If I remember correctly the CD\DVD drives have two lasers. One reads the CDs and the other reads the DVDs. Your laser for the DVDs is probably getting weak.

Solved DVD writer not working properly after Win 11 upgrade

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