NS_E_NO_CD (0XC00D0FA0): Drive Empty? Try This

What’s Happening

You pop a CD or DVD into the drive, Windows Media Player or some app throws up error code 0XC00D0FA0 with the message “There is no CD in the CD drive.” But it’s right there, spinning. Or maybe it’s not spinning. Either way, the OS doesn’t see it. This is a classic symptom of either a dirty lens, a wonky driver, or Windows Media Player forgetting how to talk to the drive.

I had a client last month whose whole accounting department couldn’t run their payroll CD because of this. Turned out the drive lens was so gunked up from coffee fumes it couldn’t read squat. Start with the simplest fix. You might be done in under a minute.

Fix 1: The 30-Second Clean

Wipe the Disc and Lens

Grab a soft, lint-free cloth. Wipe the disc from the center outward—never in circles, that can mess with the data track. If the disc is scratched, forget it; this error won’t magically fix a scratched disc.

Next, open the drive tray. Look at the little laser lens (usually a tiny glass dot on a sled). If you see dust or a haze, blow it off with canned air. Don’t touch it with a cloth unless you’re using a lens cleaning disc—those are cheap and worth keeping around.

Close the tray, wait a second, then double-click the drive in File Explorer. If Windows reads the disc now, you’re done. If not, move on.

Fix 2: The 5-Minute Software Reset

Restart the Shell and Re-register the Drive

Sometimes the issue isn’t physical—it’s Windows getting confused. Here’s a quick sequence that works nine times out of ten:

1. Open Device Manager (right-click Start > Device Manager).
2. Expand “DVD/CD-ROM drives.” You’ll see your drive listed, probably as “TSSTcorp” or “HL-DT-ST” or similar.
3. Right-click it, select “Uninstall device.” Check “Attempt to remove the driver for this software” if it shows up—but don’t worry, Windows will reinstall it.
4. Restart your computer. Windows will redetect the drive on boot. If it doesn’t, go to Action > “Scan for hardware changes.”

While you’re in Device Manager, also check the drive’s properties. Right-click the drive > Properties > Driver tab > “Update driver” > “Browse my computer for drivers” > “Let me pick from a list.” Select the standard Microsoft driver (usually “CD-ROM Drive” or “DVD/CD-ROM Drive”). That forces Windows to use its own stable driver instead of a flaky third-party one.

Test the disc again. If it reads now, good. If not, go deeper.

Fix 3: The 15-Minute Registry Tweak (Advanced)

Fix a Dead Upper and Lower Filter

This is the fix that gets the stubborn ones. A corrupted registry entry for CD drives can make Windows think the drive is empty even when a disc is spinning. This happens a lot after installing third-party burning software or Windows updates that botch the filter keys.

Back up your registry first. I’ve seen too many people skip this and hose their PC. File > Export, save somewhere safe.

Then navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

In the right pane, look for UpperFilters and LowerFilters. If they exist, delete them both. Don’t touch anything else here—this key also controls removable media like USB drives, but the filters are CD-specific.

Close Registry Editor, restart your computer. After reboot, your CD drive should show up normally. Pop the disc in and test it. If Windows still won’t read it, the drive itself is likely toast. You can pick up an external USB CD/DVD drive for $20, and honestly, it’s faster than messing with the internal one.

Still Stuck?

If none of these worked, the error isn’t about a missing CD—it’s about a dead drive. Swap it out or use an external drive. I keep a $20 USB LG drive in my bag for exactly this situation. Saves hours of headache.