DVD Drive is missing

[churin]

I have two DVD RW drives and both were recognized on WXP but one of the
two is missing on WVTx86(and WVTx64). To solve this problem I attempted
to follow the Method 1 in MS KB article as follows:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;320553

Method 2:
The method 2 bring the missing one back but it disappears once the
system reboots.

Method 1:
In the step 6 of the method 1 in the above article, data types
"UpperFilters" and "LowerFilters" are to be deleted but I could not see
them there. So I searched for them and removed the first hit for each.
Then I attempted to reboot the system but it failed to do so. I went
through repair procedure using WVT DVDROM and both DVD drives showed up
on Windows Explorer. Since then the two drives shows up every time the
system boots up.

I still have the same problem with WVTx64. I would think the problem
can be resolved by going through the process as above. But I want to
delete "UpperFilters" and "LowerFilters" as the article indicates. Could
anyone clarify what the article says?

Note that both Windows Vista x86 and Windows Vista x64 installed on my
PC are RTM versions whereas KB article is intended for Beta 2.

 

[Chad Harris]

Yes. It's certainly not the only cause for a DVD drive appearing "missing"
and also symptoms that you can see are the drive present, but the burning
software unable to do its job at any point--opening up, selecting the target
for burning, and closing after a burn.

Windows operating systems allow the author the possibility to use upper and
lower class filters with their software. This should allow for more direct
integration with your CD/DVD drive. '

Unfortunately it can also cause issues with certain mixes of burning
software.

Other filters are device filters, these are usually installed by Microsoft
themselves. Common device filters include redbook, partmgr and imapi.
Redbook and imapi are usually found on CD/DVD drives, for audio and burning
within Windows. The Partmgr is the partition manager for the harddisks.

It's quite possible that the filters by themself don't cause problems with
your system, but usually people have several filters installed, not a single
one. These mixed filter configurations can be very problematic as some of
the filters try and make use of the same drive as the next filter. It's like
competing for the same source.

So when can we start thinking that filters have made a mess of our system?
It can rear its ugly head in several ways, lost CD access, slow start of
burning (lead in) unable to finalize disc at end etc or just simply not
allow the ability to see your drive correctly in Windows.

A wide gamut of software can bring in filters and it's not unusual for this
to occur.

Go to the reg subkeys specified in the MSKB, and if you see either upper
filter or lower filter D_Word values, then simply highlight, right click and
delete them. This is one of the few times I don't recommend setting a
restore point and also exporting the registry as a backup.

There are filter check tools all over the web, but since a direct look and
deletion solves this problem, you don't need them. They could ID an
offending file from software or one of its files and theoretically allow an
alternative choice.

Here are examples of what bring in upper and lower filter values:

Common lowerfilters:
AFS2K - CD-Rom Driver by OAK Software and HP Memories Disc.
ANYDVD - Part of the AnyDVD software.
Asapiw2k.sys - Used by Pinnacle Studio 9 by Pinnacle systems or VOB
Computersysteme GMBH.
CDR4_XP - Used by Roxio Easy Media Creator, WinOnCD 6, DragtoDisc and
DirectCD.
cdrbsdrv - from BHA/Ricoh as it was installed with the Ricoh EncryptEase
format/engine and B's Recorder GOLD7.
dvd43llh - It belongs to the software DVD For Free by RIF and its possibly
even installed by DVD43.
drvmcdb - Used by Sonic and Veritas. Yet unknown in which software it is
used (possibly backup software).
ElbyCDFL - Part of Elaborate Bytes(Elby) CloneCD.
ElbyDelay - Part of Elaborate Bytes(ElBy) CloneCD/DVD.
Iviaspi - Used by Pinnacle Studio 9.
MxlW2k - Part of MusicMatch
PFC - Padus ASPI Shell filter driver. Comes with Nero 6.x/7.x.x if you
choose to install it, comes with WinDVD Creator, it comes with DiscJuggler
and it comes with NVIDIA Purevideo decoder.
pxhelp20 - Part of Sonic Burning engine, it's made by prassi/veritas and
licensed to Sonic. Comes with Winamp, 1click DivxToDVD and (older versoins
of) Digion Audio.
PzWDM - Part of the Prassi Zulu engine. Comes with ONES, Zulu2, Recordnow! 4
and (updated) Digion Audio.
Qv2kux - USBSTOR LowerFilter Driver for Qv-2000ux
sscdbhk5 - A Shared Driver Component used by Veritas and Sonic Solutions.
Yet unknown which program it belongs to.
ULCDRHlp - Part of Ulead CD/DVD writing engine. Comes with either Audio DVD
creator or DVD Moviefactory 4

Common upperfilters:
Cdralw2k - Used by Roxio Easy Media Creator, WinOnCD 6.
GearASPIWDM - Part of the Gear burning engine. Comes with iTunes and Drive
Image 7.0.
InCDPass - Part of the Nero InCD engine. Comes with Nero 6.x/7.x.x if you
choose to install it.
incdrm - Part of the Nero InCD engine. Comes with Nero 6.x/7.x.x if you
choose to install it.
ivicd - Used by Pinnacle Studio 9
NTIDrv - NTI CD-ROM Driver used by New Tech Infosystems Inc in their burning
and ripping engine.
Prtseqrd - Part of Easy CD creator 5 Platinum Edition. Usually left behind
after a un-install.
pwd_2k - Used by Adaptec Direct CD.


CH

 

[churin]

Thanks for your detailed explanation about
"UpperFilters"/"LowerFilters". But in essence, you are saying "Do what
MSKB article says" My problem as indicated in my original post is that I
could not find "UpperFilters" and "LowerFilters" at the registry
location indicated in the article. I wonder if this is because the
article is for Windows Vista Beta 2 and not RTM or because I did not
look for them as the article says.

"UpperFilters" I deleted is for Partmgr and "LowerFilters" is for
fvevolecache and these are located at places other than what the article
indicates. These registry deletions made the system not bootable.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Since only one of his DVD drive is not showing it would not be his Upper or Lower Filters. If both would not be showing then I would suspect being that. Most probable reason being is his driver for that particular DVD Drive which the Vista does not recognize. It could be that it is a older drive and the driver is not compatible. The OP should look for a newer driver for that particular DVD Drive at the manufacturers site and install it or re-install the driver for that DVD

 

[Dennis Pack]

Peter:
Glad to see you back.

--
Dennis Pack
Vista x64 Enterprise
Office 2007
Since only one of his DVD drive is not showing it would not be his Upper or
Lower Filters. If both would not be showing then I would suspect being that.
Most probable reason being is his driver for that particular DVD Drive which
the Vista does not recognize. It could be that it is a older drive and the
driver is not compatible. The OP should look for a newer driver for that
particular DVD Drive at the manufacturers site and install it or re-install
the driver for that DVD

 

[Chad Harris]

You're right in this case Peter; I agree. But the DVD drive can be present
and filters cause problems with the burning software,

CH


Since only one of his DVD drive is not showing it would not be his Upper or
Lower Filters. If both would not be showing then I would suspect being that.
Most probable reason being is his driver for that particular DVD Drive which
the Vista does not recognize. It could be that it is a older drive and the
driver is not compatible. The OP should look for a newer driver for that
particular DVD Drive at the manufacturers site and install it or re-install
the driver for that DVD

 

[Chad Harris]

No as Peter said, the filters are not the case here. I should have read more
closely originally. It hasn't got anything to do with Vista vs. XP because
believe me, I've seen the filter problem as frequently in Vista as in XP and
the Beta is just MSFT not updating the title--it happens in RTM or any build
as well.

This sentence makes no sense at all to me. Deleting any filter values is
not going to make your box non-bootable:

"UpperFilters" I deleted is for Partmgr and "LowerFilters" is for
fvevolecache and these are located at places other than what the article
indicates. These registry deletions made the system not bootable.

Recheck to make sure that your device works in Vista. It should though.

See also:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316529/en-us

Check Event Viewer for errors at the time you try to access the drive.

CH

 

[churin]

The two DVD RW drives are Pioneer DVD-A09XL and Hammer DVD RAM drive
HSSW9585-BE(Made by Panasonic). The one which is connected to the slave
channel shows and so if the connection is interchanged the showing drive
changes accordingly. Anyway, as stated in my former post, the problem
was resolved without updating their drivers. So fact remains that the
problem has nothing to do with drivers for the DVD drives.

Why does the process I went through solved the problem? Isn't there a
simpler way to do it?

BTW: No boot situation caused by deleting filters as reported in my
former post is that reboot process jumps back to the beginning just
after the bar graph display.

 

[churin]

Correction:

I have just noticed that the DVD drive showing is only the one which is
connected to the slave channel again.

I have never needed to manually install drivers for CD or DVD drive. I
checked the verdor websites but no drivers for DVD are posted.

 

[churin]

The suggested method does work for me too, but the process appears
neccessary to be repeated every time after the system boots. The method
2 mentioned in my original post also work but the process need be
repeated as above.

 

[Dennis Pack]

Churin:
If plugging the drive into the slave connector on the IDE cable
allows the drive to be recognized, the probable cause is the IDE cable. Swap
the cable with an 80 pin cable instead of a 40 pin cable and retest.

 

[churin]

The IDE cable being used has 80 conductors not 40 conductors.
There is no such problem on WXPx86, WXPx64, W2K, W2K3x86 and W2K3x64
which share the same hardware system with WVTx86 and WVTx64. (WVT means
Windows Vista)

 

[Dennis Pack]

Churin:
Verify that one drive is set as master and the other slave, my
setups are DVD drive master and burner slave. Try swapping the IDE cable
anyway because it seems that Vista is less forgiving on errors.

 

[John Barnes]

Does your drive show up in Device Manager?

The suggested method does work for me too, but the process appears
neccessary to be repeated every time after the system boots. The method 2
mentioned in my original post also work but the process need be repeated
as above.

 

[Steve Urbach]

Correction:

I have just noticed that the DVD drive showing is only the one which is
connected to the slave channel again.

I have never needed to manually install drivers for CD or DVD drive. I
checked the verdor websites but no drivers for DVD are posted.

What is the BIOS setting for the Slave interface. UDMA?, PIO?
where ? is a mode number
What is the setting for the Master?
Are the drives configured Master and Slave or Cable select?
Are you using a 40 wire cable or the 80 wire (UDMA) cable?

 

[churin]

Yes, it does but only one of them which connected to the slave channel.

 

[churin]

Both of them are burners(DVD RW). One of them is jumpered to be master
and another is jumpered as slave.

 

[churin]

What is the BIOS setting for the Slave interface. UDMA?, PIO?
where ? is a mode number
What is the setting for the Master?
Are the drives configured Master and Slave or Cable select?
Are you using a 40 wire cable or the 80 wire (UDMA) cable?

The BIOS settings for the secondary slave are PIO AUTO and UDMA AUTO.
the settings for the Master are the same as the Slave.
The Master and the Slave are set NOT by Cable select.
The cable has 80 wires.

 

[John Barnes]

Does it list in POST and do the lights flash on POST.

 

[churin]

Yes, both of them are listed for POST, but I do not see anything
flashing. The brightness of the DVD drive names on the screen stays
constant.