Windows can't read cd-rw, but Media Player plays and burns?

[dangerous]

Been puzzling over this for 3 weeks and need help! Sorry for the length...
Problem:
Windows Explorer, and all other apps, Windows and otherwise, cannot read my cd-rw drive. However, when I put an audio CD in, Windows Media Player easily reads and plays. I know its reading because the song titles are listed and it displays the CD cover (pulled from internet), so its obviously reading and not just playing through the audio cable. Also, WMP will burn onto a disc in the drive, no problems.

Symptoms:
1) When no disc in drive, Explorer shows drive as "CD-RW". Also, when no disc in drive, I can select the drive letter and NOT get the message "Please insert a disk into...".
2) When disc in drive, Explorer changes drive designation to "CD-Rom".
3) Normally in Win Explorer, when you highlight any drive or file, then select "Tools" and "Folder options", you get 4 tabs. For my CD drive, I only get 2 tabs: "General" and "View". I get all 4 tabs when highlighting anything else.
4) I have DVD drive as slave on the IDE cable and it works just fine.
5) Have been running fine for 1+ years. Something fairly recent caused it, but can't figure out what.

Things I've already done/checked:
1) Replaced drive, same problem.
2) Removed DVD drive and put in a second CD drive, and have the problem with that one also. Also tried another manufacturer, HP CD-RW, and this had same problem. And again, DVD drive works just fine.
3) Replaced IDE cable, no help.
4) Removed all CD burning software (never used EZ CD, Roxio, only used Nero).
5) Removed upperfilter, lowerfilters in registry as described in another site help section.
6) Have used 2-3 different registry scan programs. Had numerous issues, but none which resolved this problem.
7) BIOS reads the CD drive correctly. No conflicts in Windows. Verified hardware config, DMA mode...
8) Virus scan with Norton, nothing found.
9) System restore no help because it will only allow me to go back 2-3 weeks. Believe problem has been around for 6-8 weeks.
10) Tried accessing drive in DOS. No go.
11) Uninstalled drivers, uninstalled device (at different times and together) and reboot. Windows drivers get installed and device is correctly recognized in BIOS and Windows, but same problem.

So why does Windows Media Player not have a problem?
If I format and try Windows reinstall, I'm afraid problem will still be there and I'll be SOL.
Whaddya think, oh wise and benevolent ones...

System:
2.4G P4
XP Pro
Asus P4T533-C
Lite-on 52x32x52 (previous was Lite-on 32x...)

[Dax_Brandy]

hello welcome to techimo!
opps, well check for the IDE cables.. and also update your motherboard's IDE drivers...

good luck.

[wallie_x]

How are your IDE channels set up? Is the CD-RW and the DVD on the same IDE channel, and if so are the jumpers set correctly?
I have two CD-RW's set up on IDE 3 and 4, and I've always had problems with IDE #4 modulating speed and reading correctly. I really think it's the IDE drivers not working to well with Win XP. My last two systems have been on Sis based chipsets and initially Win XP generic drivers during install made the CD-RW spin at odd and varing speeds (constantly) and some times they would freeze during reading or not recognize the media in the drive at all, especially on IDE #4. Update IDE drivers like Dax said. And redo the IDE cable and jumper selection if necessary. Also update to WMP #9 if you haven't.
Good Luck wallie

[dangerous]

Thanks.
I have CD-RW and DVD Drive set up as master and slave on secondary IDE channel. CD-RW is Device 0 and DVD is Device 1. I've been running this way for quite a while with no problems.
And what exactly do you mean by 'check for IDE cables'. I have tried using a diffent one but that didn't help. Is there a different type of IDE cable I should try.
I'll check into the drive situation and see what happens. Thanks again for the help. Please check back to see if driver solves it. I'd like to get this problem licked!
Best regards.

[dangerous]

Ooops. Forgot to ask. About the IDE driver, would that be an ASUS specific thing? I went to ASUS website and the last IDE driver update they had for my mobo was 07/02. They do have more recent audio drivers, primarily for WMD (not sure what that is). Are there more generic drivers out there, or should I stick with ASUS? thanks. [still a novice]

[wallie_x]

I'd stick only with the Asus drivers unless you have other non Asus PCI cards that need drivers made by the cards maker.
WMP stands for 'Windows Media Player'
I'Ve had a lot of problems with Win XP modulating, recognizing and reading data from CD-ROM's, CR-RW and what not, so it just may not be your system. However, cheap CD-RW's seem to have the greatest problem. I have a Lite-On CD-RW ad it performs the best. Also you need to set the IDE read parameters in both the BIOS and in the device manager (especially the latter to 'DMA if available.')
However, Win XP seems to adapt somehow and work better over time. It hates hardware changes and initially does not perform well.

Some people have overcome problems by redoing how their IDE Channels are set up. Set both IDE channel 2 devices to 'Cable Select' and see what happens. Also, if your board has a RAID controller and you're not using it, disable it and all other non-used IRQ's eg. serial ports, on board sound and what notin the BIOS. Also don't have the memory timing too hot as this can cause problems as well Good Luck wallie

[dangerous]

1. Tried the 'updated' ASUS IDE driver, which has something to do with an Intel Applications Accelerator. No go.
2. Installed an 80 wire IDE cable which would allow me to use 'Cable Select'. DVD Drive wound up as master and CD-RW as slave, but still no go. Retried with jumpers back to CD-RW as master and DVD as slave, no help.
3. Motherboard doesn't do RAID.
4. Been using WMP 9.0.
BTW. the CD-RW is a Lite-on, as well as my previous one, which I replaced when I thought the problem was the drive itself.

Wallie: You mentioned something about 'memory timing too hot'. What do you mean by this? Could things have gotten too warm inside the case, enough to cause something on the mobo to 'give up'?

I think I'm resigned to the fact that its one of two things:
1) Motherboard
2) Win XP Registry
I've been trying to teach myself about the registry. Have done a couple different registry scan programs with no help. Is there something there that could be causing this but won't show up with any registry scan checkers?
And if its the registry, then a fdisk and reinstall could work, maybe?
I'm sucking wind, here.
Thanks again for all your help. Don't wanna pour money into this, but maybe I'm gonna need to.

[Brainchild]

Have you tried Making the DVD a slave on IDE1 and the CD-RW master on IDE2? Maybe it's something in the #2 channel.

Or maybe juts pull the DVD out and see if ity will work with just the HD and the CD-RW.

Only a guess on my part,but worth a try

[wallie_x]

Sorry, 'memory timing too hot' is slang and refers to the speed parameters you can set for your memory in the BIOS. There are settings, which will allow greater performance even without OC'ing the memory bus. Good memory can usually handle the increase, but cheap or marginal memory can cause lock-ups and data corrution problems if pushed too far. If you haven't fiddled with it, its most likely set to stock speed anyway, so I wouldn't worry about it.
With my system, I’ve just learned to live with the poor IDE #4 performance. I have not downloaded all SP1, so I can’t say if that might help. You might checkout this forum and repost your problem Good Luck wallie-X

HERE

[dangerous]

But seriously...
My board has only 2 IDE ports, but I tried the following:
1) IDE 1: HD = Master, CD-RW = Slave
IDE 2: CD-RW = Master, DVD = Slave
The CD-RW on IDE2 has the same problem.
The CD-RW on IDE1 also won't read, but it did prompt me to "Please insert a disk..." when I selected the drive. And when I did insert a disk, it says "Windows cannot read from this disk. Drive might be corrupted...".
2) IDE 1: HD = Master, CD-RW = Slave
IDE 2: Unconnected
Now CD-RW has same problems as before. Doesn't even prompt me to "insert a disk".

I'm using WMP v9.0 and thought about uninstalling it altogether (I've read that I need to do a System Restore back prior to my installing v9.0, which was within the past 3 weeks) to see if there's an issue with it causing my problems. But then RealPlayer will read audio disks just fine as well.
I'm reaching here!

I did just notice a not too good thing. My CPU fan is not working.
Actually, it occassionally spins, just not constantly. Are these fans supposed to be 'on as needed', or on all the time.
During the month of Dec I played GTA: Vice City and completed the game. If the fan wasn't working then, and I overworked my CPU, could that have fried something on the mobo to cause this problem?? And this being the only problem I have?? Far as I know my CPU is still working fine, cause PC is running fine.

And I haven't heard any feedback on system registry. Is that not the issue?
Once again, thanks for the good info you've been giving me!!