External CD player no longer recognized by my HP laptop

[dvw1957]

I bought an HP-branded USB external DVDRW drive so that I could convert music on CDs to MP3 files on my computer. For a while, the drive operated perfectly, but I eventually unplugged the drive to move my laptop to another location. When I plugged the drive back in to a USB port, the drive got power (green light came on, CD started whirring, and I heard the little clicks that indicated the CD was being read), but the laptop did not react. There were no messages, and the Device Manager did not show the driver (even when I clicked "Show Hidden Devices"). I tried restarting the computer and switching USB ports, but that accomplished nothing. I finally ended up buying a cheap CD player (not HP brand), and it works just fine. I don't understand why the laptop won't recognize the HP-branded CD player. One tech I consulted with asked me to update the USB drivers, but Windows told me that I had the best drivers installed. Is there anything else I can try doing?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @dvw1957,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're stoked to have you on board! 

To help us get started on resolving your issue, could you please share the model name of your device?

We're looking forward to helping you get back up and running! 

Best regards,

[dvw1957]

The external CD player's model number is GP70N. I purchased it through Amazon.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @dvw1957,

Thank you for the response.

Could you please share the model name of your HP device?

Meanwhile, you can try these steps:

Check USB Connections:

• Ensure that the USB cable is securely connected both to the drive and the USB port of the laptop.
• Try connecting the drive to different USB ports on your laptop to rule out a faulty port.

Restart Laptop:

• Disconnect the external drive, restart your laptop, and then reconnect the drive.
• Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve recognition issues.

Device Manager Update:

• Go to Device Manager by right-clicking on the Windows Start Button and selecting it from the list.
• Look for any entries under DVD/CD-ROM drives or Universal Serial Bus controllers.
• If you see any yellow exclamation marks, right-click the device and choose Update driver.

Check for Drive Letter Assignment:

• Click on Computer or This PC and check if the drive appears but doesn’t have a letter assigned.
• If listed, right-click on it, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, and assign a new drive letter.

Run Troubleshooting Tool:

• Use Windows built-in troubleshooter: go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• Select Hardware and Devices and run the troubleshooter.

Remove USB Root Hub:

• Go to Device Manager again, expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers.
• Right-click each USB Root Hub entry and select Uninstall.
• Reboot the laptop to automatically reinstall these drivers.

BIOS Check:

• Sometimes making changes in BIOS settings can affect hardware recognition. Reboot the laptop and enter BIOS settings (usually F10 or F2 key during boot).
• Check if the USB ports are enabled and save changes.

Update Operating System:

• Ensure you have the latest Windows updates installed as these might contain driver updates.

Software Conflicts:

• Uninstall any software that might have been installed recently and could interfere with drive recognition (e.g., any virtualization software).

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[dvw1957]

The model of laptop that I have is an HP ENVY x360 laptop. Although I appreciate your long list of suggestions, I have already tried just about all of them (after seeing a similar list from Google AI), and none of them worked. That's when I decided to buy a cheap DVD/CD player from Amazon (half of what the HP-branded player cost) and give it a try. That player works perfectly even though my HP-branded player still isn't recognized by my laptop. Once again I will point out that when I plug the HP player into either one of the USB ports on my laptop, the green light on the player comes on, the CD in the player starts spinning, and I hear noises that indicate the CD is being read. This continues for a short while (30 seconds or so) before the player shuts down. The laptop does not respond by popping a message like "What do you want to do with this disc?" and letting me choose Windows Media Player or iTunes.

A computer tech that I consulted asked me to try several of the actions that you suggested, and once I told him that none worked, he suggested that I contact the manufacturer's support team, which is why I made this post.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @dvw1957,

Thanks for clarifying that you’ve already gone through the common fixes and that another external drive works fine on your HP ENVY x360. Since the GP70N powers up but is not being detected by Windows, that narrows things down a lot.

Here’s what you can try next (a bit more advanced and specific to your case):

1. Check if Windows Detects the Drive at All

Press Win + X → Disk Management.

See if the drive shows up without a letter or as “Unallocated.”

If yes → right-click and assign a drive letter.

If no → move to the next step.

2. Force Windows to Rescan Hardware

Open Device Manager.

Click Action → Scan for hardware changes.

Expand both:

DVD/CD-ROM drives

Universal Serial Bus controllers

See if the GP70N briefly appears, even as an “Unknown device.”

3. Test the Drive on Another Computer

If it works elsewhere → the issue is with the ENVY’s USB handling.

If it fails elsewhere → the GP70N hardware itself is faulty.

4. Use a Powered USB Hub

Some slim external drives (like the GP70N) don’t always get enough stable power from a single laptop USB port.

Try connecting it through a powered USB hub or a Y-cable (dual USB plug).

This often resolves recognition issues even when the LED and spin motor seem to work.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[dvw1957]

OK, I tried your first two suggestions, and neither one worked. I then tried your third suggestion by plugging the CD player into my desktop computer (Dell XPS 8900). The desktop computer did not recognize the CD player either. According to your third suggestion, I should conclude that the CD player's hardware is faulty. Therefore, I assume there is no point in trying your fourth suggestion, but if you think otherwise, please let me know. (Bear in mind that the CD player was working without the need for  a powered USB hub a couple of weeks ago, so I don't know why it would need one now.)

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi,

We understand how important it is to have your device functioning properly, and we're here to assist you.​

To ensure your device receives the appropriate care, we recommend visiting an authorized HP service center. Our certified technicians can provide a thorough diagnosis and offer the best solutions to address the issue.​

You can locate the nearest HP service center using our Service Center Locator:​

🔗 HP Service Center Locator

If you need further assistance or have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.​

Best Regards,