You can use Device Manager to turn hardware on and off, get information about hardware settings and how it interacts with programs on your computer, update drivers, and troubleshoot problems. There are several steps to take to disable a drive via Device Manager.
Instructions
Step 1
Call the "Device Manager" component. In the Windows operating system, the same action can be performed in different ways. Choose the option that suits you best. Open the "Control Panel" via the "Start" button or the Windows key. In the Performance and Maintenance category, select the System icon.
Step 2
Alternative way: click on the shortcut "My Computer" on the desktop or in the "Start" menu. From the available commands, select Properties from the context menu. A new "System Properties" dialog box will open. Go to the "Hardware" tab in it and click on the "Device Manager" button in the group of the same name.
Step 3
You can also call the manager in a faster way: right-click on the item "My Computer" and select the item "Device Manager" from the drop-down menu. A new dialog box will open, which will contain a directory with the names of all devices available on the computer.
Step 4
To disable the drive, expand the "DVD and CD-ROM drives" branch, select with the left mouse button the CD drive you want to deactivate. Click on the selection with the right mouse button and select the "Disable" command from the context menu. In the system request window, confirm your actions by clicking on the "Yes" button.
Step 5
Alternatively, double click on the drive name with the left mouse button, a new dialog box will open. Select the "General" tab in it. In the "Device application" group, use the drop-down list to set the value "This device is not used (disabled)". Click the OK button in the properties window.
Step 6
With the second method of disconnecting the device, the system request does not appear. The task manager window will be updated, opposite the name of the disconnected CD or DVD drive, an icon in the form of a red cross will appear. To reconnect the drive, select the "Enable" command in the context menu or open the properties window and set the value "This device is in use (enabled)".
