Installing itunes deletes my cd drivers!

Question

I recently installed my ipod and itunes to my computer and it worked fine, except that for some reason it wouldn't burn cds. but i didn't mind as i could use windows media player for that, but that didn't seem to recognise any cd! also i tried playing dvds, cd roms etc on my computer but it did not recognise any of them.
The problem couldn't possibly have been itunes, or so i thought. i went to my computers device manager and it said it could not find my dvd rom drive or my cd writer drive. so i decided to rewind my computer back to before i had installed itunes. everything worked fine.
then i decided to install itunes again and the same thing happened. and since then i have installed it about another 3 times and it deletes my cd drivers every time
please help! anyone! as i want to be able to use my computer and itunes!!!! thankyou!!

Answer 1

Jillian, Relax. This has been seen in hundreds upon hundreds of Packard Bells. It is easily remedied, just get a handle on yourself. I know it is frustrating, but its an easy fix.
Try this:
To resolve this behavior, follow these steps:
Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
Locate the UpperFilters value under the following key in the registry:
HKEYLOCALMACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click OK.
Locate the LowerFilters value under the same key in the registry:
HKEYLOCALMACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click OK.
If this does not help, try this:
I am just copying and pasting it to what I posted for others
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