Optical Drive disappeared (IE not even in device manager) after Win 7 64 bit clean install

Hi all,

As the title suggests I'm having some problems with my optical drive after a clean install of Windows 7 64 bit (replaced Vista 32-bit).

The drive itself is Sony/Nec Optiarc AD-7590A. I have tried disabling integrity checks, the registry had no upper/lower filters to delete and every piece of firmware I can find is for updates rather than the base driver (alienware/dell who supplied my laptop are about as much use as a chocolate fireman for the drivers as well).

This is complicated by the firmware updates not being compatible with OEM drives issued in laptops by manufacturers, which I assume is for reasons purely to blight customers with problems such as myself.

So in short, although the drive is functioning during boot-up, once into Windows 7 it has completely disappeared, not even listed under device manager and my search for any solution/drivers has either turned up frustratingly empty or simply not worked.

Any ideas?

Cheers,

Will

 

Probably unrelated but I find that occasionally my DVD drive isn't detected by Windows if it has certain DVD-R media in during boot.

Rebooting and popping the disk out during POST will fix it.

 

Yeah it's empty, I tried popping it out and connecting it back but I didnt even get a ping as though it recognized anything had connected.

Frustrating since the very same DVD drive installed Windows 7 on it just last night.

 

that is so weird. could it be a faulty odd? id imagine installing windows 7 and doing a windows update check, would download the correct driver for the drive!? have you tried messing with the bios, maybe enable it there?

 

Yeah I've tried a windows update check, nothing found - although I do a miscellaneous listing under "other devices" in the device manager with a warning flag saying no driver, but again the update does not find it.

Only information telling me what this random device is thus: Intel(R) ICH8M-E LPC Interface Controller - 2811 which doesnt mean anything to me.

I installed Windows 7 literally last night (under 24 hours ago) and had been having the "cd/dvd device drivers missing" prior to attempting a clean install on the installation menu, despite the dvd obviously functioning because the disc was booting from the very same drive.

In the end I had to boot from a usb, it is a known issue with some dvd drives apparently but it was highly frustrating.

The most frustrating part about the whole thing is the sheer lack of base drivers for the thing, why companies think its acceptable to not provide drivers just because they were supplied OEM by a supplier that isnt themselves is totally beyond me.

 

Go to control panel-Administrative Tools-Computer Management-Disk management. If it shows there right click on the drive-update drivers(might be re-install,can't remeber off the top of my head). If try refresh from there. Worth a shot. If it's not there try more options in the right panel and rescan for drives. You can also add a drive if you know what it should be. LOL!

 

Thanks for the suggestion but none of those options cleared up the problem.

Ridiculous situation really, is it too much to ask for a smooth OS install.

 

I believe you are missing the Infrared device driver. Locate that driver for you laptop and install it. If you cannot find W7 drivers use the Vista drivers.

 

Thanks mate, thats sorted that niggling issue but unfortunately the DVD drive issue still remains.

 

By chance have you installed the "Intel Matrix Storage Manager". If you have not you might give it a try. It is used to install or update the Intel Serial ATA (SATA) Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) Controller Driver.

 

Yeah thats been installed as well, feels like I'm starting to run out of options.

 

Try this procedure, and see if it makes the drive show up in device manager.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315539

If so, from that you can try updating the driver, or removing it and letting it redetect the drive.

Try booting to an XP disc, just to see if it gets through to the point where you can start an install.

Try removing and reseating the drive in its bay.

 

Device manager procedure brought no new results.

Drive boots a Windows disc no problem, have tried reseating the drive during Win7 to no avail, doesn't even register a ping as though its recognized anything being slotted in.

It seems Microsoft has once again forsaken me

 

And what exactly is the model of this laptop? If you happen to be dual booting, can you look up the hardware ID of the device in device manager? Under the details tab of the device's properties you would pull down the 'Hardware ID' option. When you select a line you can copy it with ctrl-c, but right clicking doesn't give you a useful context menu.

 

The laptop is an Alienware m17x (1st generation), obviously had a good scoop round various forums trying to find anyone with similar problems but any info seems to be thin on the ground.

Unfortunately not dual booting, although the model number of the drive is NEC Optiarc AD 7590-A.

There are firmwares out there for it, but not the base firmware - just updates which apparently arent compatible with drives provided OEM which is useful of them. In any case I dont know if a flash would have worked because it doesnt show up anywhere in Win7.

 

Have you checked if the media bay is active in BIOS? If it is, also check if SATA operation is set too AHCI, if not the media bay won't work, the drive is connected through a SATA port so that at least needs to be active. Did you already update the storage controller with the latest IMSM driver? Normally Win7 loads the driver during installation but not if the SATA operation is set to ATA for instance.

 

Consider borrowing a friend's OD and installing it in your notebook to see whether or not Windows 7 sees it. This could help you rule out controller, port, and power issues. But if you used this OD to install Windows 7, then it must be good...

Man, this is a tough one! The OD shouldn't need a proprietary driver to operate.

Jeremy

 

Issue solved:

Re-formatted and re-installed, then followed the exact guide and drivers laid out in this Alienware support page (thanks to user ebonyknight):

http://4help.alienware.com/cgi-bin/...Wluc3RhbGwgb3JkZXIgbTE3eA**&p_li=&p_topview=1

Hidden away in the depths of their ridiculously un-user friendly support pages away from where common sense would dictate to look, the SATA drivers did the trick.

 

Omg! Remind me never to buy AlienWare

Glad you got it working

 

As if you needed another reason. Glad it's working, sorry you had to go through that.

 

Heh yeah, once this laptop has run its course I don't see myself buying another one.

Thanks for your help and suggestions everyone who posted.

 

FYI for anyone following this thread with a similar problem. Here is what happened to me and how I got through it.

I have an R1 Area 51 m17x which I bought with Vista x86 on it. I ran into trouble trying to do a clean install of Windows 7 x64 over top of the original OS. Unlike Will, I could not get the OS to go on, but like Will, I got the Load Driver error ("A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing..."). For me this happened a moment or two after pressing the "Install Now" button after booting from the Win 7 install disc. I actually already had the Alienware drivers from the KB article referenced earlier (Answer ID 6052). Unfortunately, I couldn't use any of these things because I had no OS yet (at least no x64 OS).

Here is how I got my issue resolved: Step 1: spend 2 hours and 45 minutes on the phone with various Alienware, then Dell, then Alienware tech support guys. Step 2: Take the "Smart Bay Driver" file from the KB article, i.e.: eSata_win7_Vista_x64_1.17.17.00 and unpack it with WinRAR onto a USB key. Next plug the USB key into the m17x and use the Browse button on the installation dialog box to browse to the amd64 folder. An enormous, but repetitive list of drivers shows up. Go to the end of the list and pick one of the last kind of thing (JMicron JMB37X Controller) and press Next to load the driver. They had me do this a bunch of times with the DVD drive pulled out of the Smart Bay. Finally, they had me do it again with the DVD drive put back into the Smart Bay. Well you know what they say, 23rd time's the charm. Now I'm off to spend two days reinstalling software and reorganizing data!