[Optical Storage] Optical Drive FAQs and troubleshooting
There are many factors that can cause the optical drive to fail to read discs or for the computer to not recognize the optical drive, you can refer to this article for troubleshooting.
1. The computer does not recognize the optical drive
(1) Check the power :
- Some external optical drives have a power switch, please make sure that the switch is turned on, please check the user manual.
- For most computers, you only need to connect USB connector to the computer for the optical drive to work. However, in certain rare cases, the computer might not be able to support enough power through a single USB port, and you will need to also connect USB connector for extra power. If you are using a USB Y-cable, make sure both USB ports are plugged in. Please refer to the FAQ for more information [Optical Storage] How to connect Y-cable with an ASUS external optical drive?
(2) Check the specifications ：Please make sure that your computer's operating system meets the optical drive support specifications, and you can check the product specifications on the ASUS official website.
(3) Reinstall the driver：In Device Manager, click to expand the list under DVD/CD-ROM drives. If the system correctly detects the external optical drive, the name of the drive will be displayed in the list. If a yellow exclamation mark is shown, right-click on the drive, and click on[Uninstall device] > check [Delete the driver software for this device.] > then click [Uninstall]. Restart the computer to allow the system to automatically reinstall the driver.
(4) Check the hardware：
a. Internal drive：
- Please ensure that the optical drive is properly connected to the motherboard. Check and firmly press or reconnect the SATA/IDE cables and power cables to see if they are loose or damaged. Loose or disconnected cables might be the reason the optical drive is not recognized.
- You can use other cables for testing to rule out the possibility that the cables are causing the optical drive not to be recognized.
b. External optical drive：
- Check that the USB cable is properly inserted into the USB port and is not loose. Firmly press the connector or reconnect the USB cable. Avoid loose or disconnected USB connections that may cause the optical drive not to be recognized.
- You can try installing the optical drive into other USB ports on the same computer or installing it into USB ports on another computer to check if the issue is with the USB port.
- Avoid using USB hub, USB extension cable, or USB converter. Please try plugging the USB external optical drive directly into the computer's USB port to see if the issue persists.
- You can use other cables for testing to rule out the possibility that the cables are causing the optical drive not to be recognized.
2. The optical drive cannot read or burn discs
Note: Do not insert damaged discs into the optical drive, as this may cause the disc to shatter or damage the device.
(1) Computer has recognized the optical drive：Please refer to Step 1.
(2) Reinsert the disc：Remove the disc from the optical drive and then reinsert it, ensuring that the disc is placed in the correct orientation.
(3) Check the specifications：You can check the product specifications on the ASUS official website.
- Check the specifications are listed in the optical drive.
- It is recommended to use the burning software listed in the specifications.
(4) Replace the disc：Use different discs (such as CD, DVD, or Blu-ray) to test if the issue is with the disc.
(5) Try restarting the computer：Try shutting down the computer and then restarting it to see if this resolves the issue.
(6) Try updating the computer system version：Regularly updating your system to the latest version can ensure that your computer remains in optimal condition.
3. FAQs
[Optical Storage]Dose ASUS optical disc drive support the duplicator?
[Optical Storage] Does ASUS optical disc drive support changing region codes?
[Optical Storage] Which ASUS optical drives support Windows 11?
[Optical Storage] How to use external optical drive on Mac?
[Optical Storage] How to fix specific media players cannot play Blu-ray Disc?
If none of the methods mentioned above are applicable, we suggest contact ASUS Customer Service Center for technical support.
Please refer to ASUS Support.
