My one week old lap top suddenly does not recognize the optical drive.

[deklov]

I have a dm4-3012cl that is one week old.  I was able to use the optical drive to load MS Office so I know it worked.  Now however it fails to read CDs or DVDs.  I've tried to uninstall it and re install, but it would work.  In the Control Panel is shows that the driver is up to date.  When I install in CD it spins up but then stops without loading.

[Kalt]

This is usually  a known software conflict and happens across the board will all computer manufacturers due to a issue with multiple media burning/ripping applications being installed on your system.

You can either run this file, go online to Microsoft's site for a fix, or manually fix it by following the instructions below:

Manually delete the registry entries

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ ) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

Note Before you use this method, uninstall all CD or DVD writing or recording programs. Deleting the corrupted registry entries might cause problems with any other CD or DVD writing or recording programs that are installed on your computer. Uninstalling these programs before you start will help you avoid any problems that removing the registry entries might cause. You can reinstall these programs after the problem is resolved.

This method provides step-by-step instructions for how to use Registry Editor to delete the following corrupted Registry entries:

• UpperFilters
• LowerFilters

Step 1: Start Registry EditorStart Registry Editor
Start Registry Editor...type "regedit" into the run box on the start menu.

Step 2: Delete the UpperFilters registry entry

1. In Registry Editor, expand My Computer, and then expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
2. Expand SYSTEM, and then expand CurrentControlSet.
3. Expand Control, and then expand Class.
4. Under Class, click {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}.
5. In the details pane of Registry Editor, on the right side, click UpperFilters.
   
   Note You may also see an UpperFilters.bak registry entry. You do not have to remove that entry. Click UpperFiltersonly.
   • If you see the UpperFilters registry entry in the details pane of Registry Editor, go to step 6.
   • 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 3: Delete the LowerFilters registry entry."
6. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
7. Click Yeswhen you receive the following message:
   Are you sure you want to delete this value?

Step 3: Delete the LowerFilters registry entry

1. In the details pane of Registry Editor, on the right side, click LowerFilters.
   
   Note You might see a LowerFilters.bak registry entry. You do not have to remove that entry. Click LowerFilters only.
   
   If you do not see the LowerFilters registry entry, unfortunately this content is unable to help you any more. Go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how you can find more solutions or more help on the Microsoft Web site.
2. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
3. Click Yeswhen you receive the following message:
   Are you sure you want to delete this value?
   The LowerFilters registry entry is removed.
4. Exit Registry Editor.

Step 4: Restart your computer

Restart your computer. After you have done this, try to access the CD or DVD drive. If you can access the CD or DVD drive, and if you do not receive an error message, the problem is resolved. You can reinstall your CD or DVD writing or recording software.

[deklov]

I had already tried the Microsoft web and it didn't work.  I tried your embedded file, also with no luck.  The manual method I think is over my head, but I'll try to work up the bravery to give it a go.  I may just wait for next weekend when my tech support (kids) will be visiting.

[deklov]

Issue solved last evening with HP Tech Chat Line.