Optical drives never require a driver when used in any Windows os from Win95 up. Windows XP and Windows Vista both provide native support that allows an optical drive to read a data or music disk and to burn a cd-r disk. No support for playing dvd disks, avi or mpeg video files, or for burning cd-rw or dvd disks. For those tasks, compatible 3rd. party recording & dvd decoding software is required. Any modern optical drive is plug and play in all Windows OS’s beginning with Windows 95.

If your problem is non-detection, ie: drive is not listed in My Computer, there’s 4 different methods to fix this problem….
take your choice from below:

Fix #1: Please read post #24 in this thread: http://forums.driverguide.com/showth…t=21669&page=4

It contains manual instructions on the delete the upper and lower filters fix, that will solve the problem.
If only one of the two filters are listed, just proceed with deleting the one only, then resume.
Alternately, you can use any of the other fixes listed below: (Fix #3 is the easiest of all to use)

Fix #2:
Also, there is a STICKY posted in this forum that contains a file from Microsoft and instructions that will do this registry edit automatically instead of having to do it manually.
You can find this thread here: http://forums.driverguide.com/showthread.php?t=30011

Fix #3:
And here’s another method (CdGone.zip) that will do this procedure automatically for you if you’re afraid to edit the registry manually.

http://forums.driverguide.com/showthread.php?t=22131
(automatic fix, post #7, download file: CdGone.zip)
Unzip the file, then launch it.
I highly recommend this fix to use over the others.
It's quick and requires no skill to use.

Fix #4:
Alternately, download and install the DVD fix from this Web site:http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts/xp_cd_dvd_fix.vbs

Download the file and save it to Desktop. Open an “admin” Command Prompt
Note: You must copy and paste (into Notepad) the text on the Doug Knox page then save it as xp_cd_dvd_fix.vbs
then run the .vbs file by typing the following at the console window:

wscript.exe “%userprofile%\desktop\xp_cd_dvd_fix.vbs”

Now…. after performing this fix, don’t reboot yet. Next, (in Device Manager), uninstall all optical drives listed
(if none are listed, continue with next step)…

Reboot the pc or “scan for hardware changes”. Your drive(s) should now be visible in My Computer and work properly.
If the drive still fails to work properly after performing any of these fixes, it most likely will need to be replaced.

Also, for optical drive problems in Windows Vista, read this HP web page.

Even though it’s for HP/Compaq machines, the same principals applies to all modern IDE optical drives regardless of brand.

If your drive stopped working after installing an Adobe product, please read this thread. Note: about 2/3rds. down the page
is a video that shows how to perform the “delete upper and lower filters fix”.

This is a multi-page thread dealing with issues of the optical drive and problems encountered in Windows XP and Vista.
It covers a lot of issues and the most common causes and solutions. Click here to read the thread.

You can get instructions for performing this fix from Microsoft at this page [in Windows XP] and from this page. [in Windows 2000]

Also, check the USB port(s) in Device Manager to insure it’s working.