Windows 10 no longer plays audio CDs

Question

Windows 10 no longer plays audio CDs

Richard Hewison 0

This is weird. My 11 year old PC needed a refresh so I reinstalled Windows 10 Pro using the media creation tool and a USB flashdrive. The installation and subsequent set up went fine, except that audio CDs will no longer play in any apps (e.g. Windows Media Player, VLC, etc.). Explorer recognises that the CD is in the drive, correctly calling it an Audio CD and showing the 1kb cd audio files, but if I go to Windows media player, drive F: just says 'Unknown' and it doesn't regard it to be an audio CD. Other apps (e.g. VLC media player) don't recognise an Audio CD as being in the drive. The drive had worked perfectly well for years on the same PC prior to the Windows 10 reinstall (and subsequently had worked fine under the original OEM Windows 7 install). I've done a search and none of the other issues I am seeing are quite the same as mine. Any ideas?

Richard Hewison 0 Reputation points

2025-07-23T20:38:07.1033333+00:00

Hi Randy,

Thanks for replying.

I have already deleted and added the drive again. The drive is using the default Microsoft CDROM driver from 2006 and automatic driver updates just say I am running the latest (and correct) driver already. I downloaded an executable that claimed to be a driver installation program for my specific make and model (a TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-224FB) but when I ran it, it said it couldn't find that type of drive on my system.

There is no option in 'properties' to enable digital cd audio?

Shell Hardware Detection is already running and set to Automatic.

VLC complains:

Playback failure:

VDRead could not open disc "F:".

Your input can't be opened:

VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd:///F:/. Check the log for details.

(Unfortunately, despite enabling the log file functionality, VLC fails to create one).

3 answers

Your answer

Richard Hewison 0 Reputation points

2025-07-23T20:38:07.1033333+00:00

Hi Randy,

Thanks for replying.

I have already deleted and added the drive again. The drive is using the default Microsoft CDROM driver from 2006 and automatic driver updates just say I am running the latest (and correct) driver already. I downloaded an executable that claimed to be a driver installation program for my specific make and model (a TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-224FB) but when I ran it, it said it couldn't find that type of drive on my system.

There is no option in 'properties' to enable digital cd audio?

Shell Hardware Detection is already running and set to Automatic.

VLC complains:

Playback failure:

VDRead could not open disc "F:".

Your input can't be opened:

VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd:///F:/. Check the log for details.

(Unfortunately, despite enabling the log file functionality, VLC fails to create one).

Answer 1

Randy Baroja 19,125 Independent Advisor

Hey there!

Nice to meet you! I'm Randy, an Independent Advisor.

Hey Richard, Let’s try a few easy fixes.

First, open Device Manager, right-click your DVD drive, and choose Update driver. Or uninstall it and restart your PC to reinstall it clean.

Next, check if digital audio is enabled. Right-click the DVD drive in Device Manager > Properties > under the Properties tab, make sure “Enable digital CD audio” is checked.

Then, press Win + R, type services.msc, and check if Shell Hardware Detection is running and set to Automatic.

Try VLC manually: Open VLC > Media > Open Disc . pick Audio CD, select your drive (e.g. F:), and click Play. Tell me what happens.

Also, install the K-Lite Codec Pack from codecguide.com, restart, and test again.

Best regards,

Richard Hewison 0 Reputation points

2025-07-23T20:53:56.03+00:00

Installing the K-Lite Codec Pack (I did a standard installation) hasn't had any effect either. CD Audio is still showing up as Unknown F: in apps, whilst Explorer does correctly identify music CDs as an 'Audio CD'.

Answer 2

Randy Baroja 19,125 Independent Advisor

Hi,

Thanks for the update.

First, try this in VLC: Open VLC > go to Media > Open Disc > select Audio CD. In the device box, type \.\CdRom0 and click Play. Let me know if it plays or gives an error.

Next, check your DVD region setting: Go to Device Manager, right-click your CD/DVD drive > Properties > go to the DVD Region tab. Set your correct region if it’s not set already.

Also, try a different music CD just in case the disc you're using has issues.

One more idea can you try ripping the CD in Windows Media Player? If it doesn’t rip either, we’ll know it’s more than just playback.

Do data CDs still work fine? Any odd noises from the drive?

Kind regards,

Richard Hewison 0 Reputation points

2025-07-24T08:55:20.3966667+00:00

Hi Randy,

Classic Windows Media doesn't let me select the F: drive as it is flagged as 'Unknown', so I can't choose to rip a CD.

Data disks (a DVD-R in this example) are read and load files without any issues.

DVD Region is set to 2 which is correct for my region. This setting has never been changed.

No unusual noises from the drive at all.

VLC complains in the same way as before, i.e.

Playback failure:

DVDRead could not open the disc ".\CdRom0".

Your input can't be opened:

VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd:///./CdRom0'. Check the log for details.

VLC is now producing a log file. If I run VLC, change nothing and try playing an audio CD in my drive F (selected by default in VLC as it's the only drive available) it fails to play as previously described. The logfile says this:

-- logger module started --

main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.

main: playlist is empty

dvdnav error: Could not open F: with libdvdcss.

dvdnav error: Can't open F: for reading

dvdnav error: vm: failed to open/read the DVD

dvdnav warning: cannot open DVD (F:)

dvdread error: Could not open F: with libdvdcss.

dvdread error: Can't open F: for reading

dvdread error: DVDRead cannot open source: F:

-- logger module stopped --

Changing the media device as you suggested produces this in the log file (I tried a couple of times, which is why it repeats certain errors in the following):

-- logger module started --

main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.

main: playlist is empty

dvdnav error: Can't stat .\CdRom0

dvdnav error: Could not open .\CdRom0

dvdnav error: vm: failed to open/read the DVD

dvdnav warning: cannot open DVD (.\CdRom0)

dvdread error: Can't stat .\CdRom0

dvdread error: Could not open .\CdRom0

dvdread error: DVDRead cannot open source: .\CdRom0

dvdnav error: Can't stat .\CdRom0

dvdnav error: Could not open .\CdRom0

dvdnav error: vm: failed to open/read the DVD

dvdnav warning: cannot open DVD (.\CdRom0)

dvdread error: Can't stat .\CdRom0

dvdread error: Could not open .\CdRom0

dvdread error: DVDRead cannot open source: .\CdRom0

-- logger module stopped --

I have tried a different SATA cable connecting to the DVD player/writer inside the PC. I've also tried a different SATA port on the Motherboard. Unfortunately, none of this makes any difference.

One other thing. I've just tried a region 2 DVD and VLC won't play that either. So, the drive is reading (and loading) data files via in Explorer in Windows 10, but the OS won't let other programs play audio CDs or DVDs.
Richard Hewison 0 Reputation points

2025-07-24T11:27:23.99+00:00

A quick update. I managed to find the original drivers DVD-ROM that came with the Mobo (10 years ago), so installed all the tools, the SATA drivers, and so on. Rebooted. Ran the optimizer (which overclocked the CPU by 9% which I've not done before) and when the PC rebooted, CD audio disks were being recognised in Classic Media Player.

I then tried to Rip the CD, which started fine and then almost halfway through the rip, it stopped. Windows then went back to not recognising the disk as CD Audio in any of the apps. To me, this suggests a hardware problem with the Mobo or the cables. I had tried a different SATA cable and a different SATA port on the Mobo previously, but it is starting to have the vibe of a faulty Mobo.

Answer 3

Randy Baroja 19,125 Independent Advisor

Hi,

Thanks for the update. Since it briefly worked after reinstalling drivers, then failed mid-rip, it likely points to a hardware issue probably the motherboard’s SATA controller.

Data discs work, but audio CDs and DVDs use different read methods, which can fail if the connection isn’t stable.

Best next step: try an external USB DVD drive. If that works, the issue is with your motherboard or internal SATA connection.

You can also try booting into a Linux USB to test CD playback. If it works there, it’s a Windows issue. If not, it’s hardware.

Check your BIOS too make sure SATA is in AHCI mode.

Best regards,

Siep 0 Reputation points

2025-12-08T21:31:39.2033333+00:00
Dear Randy Baroja,

Please if I may, join this conversation to ask about an issue of my own akin to the subject of this tread. I am also running windows 10 on my device and I am also having issues with audio cd.

Using your tips I have been able to rule out some posibilities, I have for example tried;

Updating drivers -> drivers are up to date

Checking cd -> cd is new and clean, different cd's offer a similair result and can be played with other devices

Checking hardware -> hardware is working fine with anything but an audio cd, no strange noises

Check for ripping -> Ripping was succesfull and ripped files can be played with no issue. cover picture was not recognised.

Check file explorer -> disc can not be read and shows error "Windows can not access the specified device, path or file. You may not have the appropriate permission to access the item" (I get that the cd might be protected against reading the files.)

I have not been able to check if changing my region has an affect since I do not own a region specific disk and I have not been able to find the setting about "Enable digital CD audio" nor have I been able to find the setting for "Shell Hardware Detection"

Based on this data I've concluded that my device has issues with audio playback.

I would love to hear back from you to help me resolve this issue!

I have found the solution.. it was a setting in the windows media player. Top bar -> tools -> devices -> cd player -> use error correction

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Windows 10 no longer plays audio CDs

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