Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware.

I am getting error message that says "Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)". I then searched for some solution for this issue and found out that it was something related to comm problem in Windows XP. I have tried troubleshooting by uninstalling and reinstalling all "generic" things but that didnt help me out. Then I found the fix of a registry editing. It was related to deleting some upper filter and lower filter in the registry items. But when I went into the registry editor then I didnt find the lower filter in all of the control sets? So, I was wondering deleting only the upper filters will solve the case for me or not?

The problem is this

I cannot see the CD-RW icon in My Computer

Yellow icon in device manager against the drive name.
Description shows
"Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)"


This happened after i upgraded to the WinXP from Win98
The drive had worked perfectly for past 4 years...till now. and now also I used it to install the same WinXP....10 min ago!!! So drive failure ruled out. BIOS shows drive correctly.

SysConfig:
Win XP SP2
AMD 2000
LG 52X-32X-10X CD-RW GCE8525B

This is What I have tried so far - and prblem not solved yet:

1. Rebooting : Didnt help

2. Removing and Reinstalling the drive in Device Manager : Not useful - it reloads the old drivers

3. Upgrading the driver : Win says it is having the best driver . will not upgrade.

4. The registry edit suggested on the various forums, including this one.

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Control/Class/{4d36e965-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}"

Source: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320553/

In this I can not find the reg values mentioned .

UpperFilters and LowerFilters,

I searched. They are not present.!!!!

5. I have considered another solution suggested: The device Firmware upgrade for the CD-RW drive itself !! Found it on LG site. The warnings on the site freaked me out....Will it be really required ??

Now

I request all you good people out there to suggest me further.

I do not wish to re-install. Somehow i suspect a re-install will give same problem again. I am very scared to do that drive hardware upgrade . it may spoil the drive permanently.

Is a good driver of GCE8525B available for WindowsXP-SP2
and Is ther a way to force system to take this new driver?

Did you try to uninstall the dvd drive in device manager which might have a yellow exclamation mark next to it and then try to reboot to let the computer reinstall the driver for the drive automatically? You can go into Device Manager by clicking on Start and then Control Panel and then System. After that click on hardware tab and click on device manager button. Open the items that says DVD/CD Rom drives and then click the expand button and then right click on the entry and select uninstall. After that restart the computer and upon the next boot, check if the dvd drive is working properly or not.

I think that the drive could have died. So, what you can do is, you can take your pc to a computer repair shop and try to fix the issue. Since you havent told that whether you have desktop computer or a laptop, but incase you have laptop, then you should know that it is not consumer repairable, and therefore you will have to send it to its manufacturer's place. If it is desktop computer then you can replace the dvd drive anytime you want.

I have done everything I can think of I have tried everything that Myownsummers! did and nothing works for me my drivers still have the black ! in the yellow circle and when I go to my computer my d & e drive show a big white ? in a large red circle. Please help I am out of opitions and can't afford repairs. Thank you so much in advance. Mary