Computer can't find DVD/CD-ROM drives after installing iTunes

Question

After installing iTunes, my computer no longer can detect my DVD-ROM and CD-RW drives. They've disappeared from the "My Computer" window.
I ran "System Restore" and the disc drives showed up, but now they're undetected once again after I re-installed iTunes. I've restarted, I've uninstalled and then reinstalled iTunes, I've run the built-in diagnostic self-checks on the drives, I downloaded updated drivers, I uninstalled and reinstalled drivers, spent 1 hour on the phone with Apple support, and finally spent 2 hours on the phone with Dell Support. Nothing. Please help--I want to be able to use my iPod with Windows.
Dell Dimension E510   Windows XP   Windos XP Media Center Edition 2005
Dell Dimension E510   Windows XP  
Dell Dimension E510   Windows XP  

Answer 1

Hey there. May I interject? Anyone mind?
For the most part, what's occurring is one of two things. Either...
A) an application (such as Roxio, Nero, iTunes, etc.) is installing a driver file (as a .SYS) or replacing a working driver file that is referenced within your registry. For some folks, the replaced driver is still referenced by either an UpperFilterCheck or a LowerFilterCheck, and the device manager is actually seeking out that file that, well... no longer exists. Or, when you try and uninstall the application (iTunes is the frequent transgressor) everything is removed, including the related driver files, but the registry isn't altered... so the device manager continues to try and locate that driver file... which no longer exists.
or
B) a virus (or trojan) burrows its way into your file structure, and creates an element of itself disguised as a .SYS file. We've seen this happen before with viral elements disguising themselves as audio or video card driver files, in the efforts of masking themselves from lower-class anti-virus programs (or un-updated ones). In this case, they take on the name of a driver file that the optical drives are "familiar" with, and so, with the intention of being "fast, friendly, and efficient", the optical drives are tapped to utilize this new "driver" file... and it gets referenced in the registry as such.
However, when your anti-virus actually snaps to it, and removes the virus / trojan, and you go off on a virus-killing mission, galavanting through the registry and cleaning the little buggers out in Safe Mode and everything... you might remove the viral elements... but... the reference to them might still remain. The device manager is still looking for that "driver file", and will cause the optical drives to lock up in a Code 39 or Code 41 because of it.
Either way, the thing to do to reclaim your optical drives is located in your registry here:
HKEYLOCALMACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE1 0318}
You'll want to have that open, and a mini-window of the following:
START -> CONTROL PANEL -> SYSTEM -> Hardware (tab) -> DEVICE MANAGER -> Offending Drive (with yellow tag by it) Right-Mouse-Click and PROPERTIES -> Driver (tab) -> DRIVER DETAILS
Notice that list. It references all the drivers that that particular drive is utilizing. There should be a single .DLL (dynamic link library) file and multiple .SYS files. It's the .SYS files we're focusing on, and they should be located in your C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\ folder stem. If you want to open a new window explorer, and go verify that each of those driver files still exists in that folder stem, you may.
At this point, compare the Driver File Detail list with the Registry Tree Location you're sitting in, and look at the UpperFilterCheck and LowerFilterCheck key values. Your offending key value will NOT be on your Driver File Detail list!!! It might be as small as "PFC" or something else, but that value is referencing to a driver file that no longer exists. Delete that offending key value. Close the registry.
Close the Driver File Details and Drive Properties windows. At this point, to finish this up, you need to Soft Uninstall (Right-mouse-click on the drive, and hit "Uninstall" ) the drive(s), let the Device Manager refresh... then hit ACTION -> Scan For Hardware Changes ...
This should start a new Found New Hardware cycle, and.... poof!... your drives should be back to normal
I don't know if this will help, I think it should.
Good Luck. Post back if you have a problem.
Rachyl