BleepingComputer.com: PC does not recognize CD/DVD combo write/read optical drive

My HP Pavilion dv8000 laptop has a built in multi function optical drive. After many adventures (with the help of m0le here at bleeping computer) I got rid of a browser hijack problem. However, then the system did not recognize that I had an optical drive at all. I believe this came about because I ran defogger. When I ran it again to re-enable my drive, it did not work. m0le thinks the jury is still out, he has been trying to contact the author of defogger. He found a registry fix for me. It then let the system see the drive just as a CD drive, not a burner, and not a DVD drive. Both iTunes, and CD burning software think I do not have a CD writer. I have acronis true image home backup software. I was able to run the acronis utility which creates a bootable CD. So (apparently) using software completely contained in the acronis application, I can write a CD. This tells me my hardware is OK. I need windows XP (mine is media center edition) to again recognize the combo drive for what it actually is, which is a drive that can read and write CDs and DVDs. m0le advised me to post in this windows XP forum.

Thanks in advance for your help

<<This tells me my hardware is OK.>>

Hmmm...I don't think so. I would say that the CD function of the drive...apparently works, not necessarily the DVD function.

Does this drive properly read both DVDs and CDs?

I'll move this to Internal Hardware for a look by others.

Louis

Hi, and thanks for the help. If you look at my original post, maybe I was not totally clear. Under windows XP, the explorer view, and my attempts to use either CD burning application, or iTunes built in CD burning, - both indicate that I only have a CD drive. By that i mean a drive that only reads CDs, it is not a CD writer, and it is not a DVD player OR writer. The acronis test, imho, led me to the conclusion that the hardware is at least working as a CD writer, since it created a bootable CD from a blank writable CD-R. I don't know of a way to check any DVD functions. Hope this is all clear.

What's wrong with...inserting a DVD to see if the drive reads it properly?

Have you tried uninstalling the optical drive, using Device Manager...and the rebooting, allowing it to reinstall?

Worth a look, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982116 .

Louis