CDROM Won't Read CDs Correctly - PC Hardware Questions & Answers

Cindy writes in with a hardware question
Q. A couple weeks ago, my daughter used my computer to copy music CDs. She did not download anything, just used my D drive. Now when I put a data disc in it tells me it's an audio drive and will not read the disc. My computer friend is baffled, said it has to do with settings or properties. What can I do to fix this problem?

Answer: It sounds like your computer is not refreshing the contents of the CDROM or it may be having an issue with the Autoplay feature of Windows which determines what type of CD is in the drive and tries to help you choose the right program to open it with. After using Vista for awhile I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Vista bug.

You can try to adjust the CD AutoPlay settings by going to your Control Panel. It should be on your start menu depending on how your start menu is configured. Then find the AutoPlay icon and open that. Check the settings for what Windows is supposed to do each time you insert a certain kind of CD.

If that doesn't work then try to uncheck the button on the top that says Use AutoPlay for all media and devices. You may have to reboot after unchecking it for best results.

There is a patch for Windows XP and 2003 which is supposed to fix this problem. It may or may not help for Vista. It should tell you if its not for Vista when you try and run it.

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