Code 39 error with DVD/CD-ROM drives in Windows XP or Vista

"Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)"

~Because of this error, the drive did not show up in My Computer and the customer was unable to burn CDs or read any CDs.

To solve this Code 39 error, follow these instructions:

NOTE: After removing these registry keys and rebooting, it may be necessary to reinstall any CD or DVD recording applications.

1) Close all open programs


2) Click on Start, Run, and type REGEDIT and press Enter


3) Click on the plus signs (+) next to the following folders

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Class/{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
4) This folder is the DVD/CD-ROM Drive Class Description in the registry. Look for any of the following names in the right hand column.

UpperFilters
LowerFilters
UpperFilters.bak
LowerFilters.bak

5) If any of the above keys shown in step 4 are listed, right-click on them and choose Delete

6) After deleting the keys, close the Registry Editor

7) Reboot your computer

8) Open My Computer and check to see if your CD or DVD drives have returned. You may also want to open Device Manager and verify that the yellow exclamation and error code on the CD or DVD drive is gone.