To open the CD drive on an HP desktop running Windows 11, press the eject button on the front of the drive. If you can’t find the button or it does nothing, open File Explorer, select This PC, right-click the CD/DVD drive, and select Eject.
Applies to: HP desktop and all-in-one PCs with a built-in or USB CD/DVD drive, running Windows 11. Checked against HP Support and Microsoft Support on October 7, 2026.
Before you start
- Make sure the PC has a disc drive. Many newer HP desktops ship without one. Look on the front of the tower, or along the side edge of an all-in-one, for a thin tray or slot. A plain panel with no button and no pinhole is usually just a blank cover.
- Turn the computer on. The eject button and the Windows Eject command both need power. Only the paper clip method further down works with the PC switched off.
- Close anything that is using the disc. If an app is playing, copying, or burning a disc, let it finish or close it first.
- Find the disc drive. On a tower it is on the front panel. On an all-in-one it is usually on the side edge of the screen.
- Look for a small button on the front of the drive, on or just below the tray. HP’s drive guide calls it the release button. It can be small and hard to see.
- Press the button once and let go. The tray should slide out or pop out slightly within a second or two.
- If the tray only pops out a little, gently pull it out until it stops.
- Place the disc on the tray with the label facing up, or lift out the disc that is already there. Then push the tray in gently, or press the button again, to close it.
Some HP all-in-one models have no raised button. HP support staff describe a touch-sensitive spot instead: lightly tap the small icon or smooth area next to the drive opening.
Open the drive from Windows 11
Use this method when you can’t find the button, the button doesn’t respond, or the drive sits behind a cover.
- Open File Explorer. Select its folder icon on the taskbar, or press Windows logo key + E.
- Select This PC in the left pane. Your drives appear on the right.
- Right-click the CD/DVD drive. It usually has a disc icon and a drive letter such as D: or E:.
- Select Eject. If you don’t see it in the short menu, select Show more options and look there.
- Wait for the tray to open.
Some keyboards also have a dedicated eject key. If yours has one, pressing it does the same thing.
Open a stuck tray with a paper clip
Most tray-loading drives have a small pinhole on the front, which HP calls the release access. It lets you free the tray by hand when the button and Windows both fail, for example when the drive has no power.
Warning: Shut down the computer first so the disc is not spinning. Only use the pinhole on the front of the drive itself, and never push hard.
- Shut down Windows and wait for the computer to turn off.
- Straighten one end of a paper clip.
- Find the small pinhole on the front of the drive, near the button.
- Insert the end of the paper clip into the hole and press in gently until the tray releases.
- Pull the tray out until it stops, then remove the disc.
If the tray needs the paper clip every time, the drive itself is likely faulty. HP’s article HP Desktop PCs – Opening a stuck CD or DVD drive tray (Windows 11, 10) is the manufacturer’s reference for this problem.
How to tell it worked
The tray is out far enough to place or lift a disc without forcing it. After you load a disc and close the tray, give the drive a few seconds to read it. The drive’s name in This PC then changes to the name of the disc. From there you can play a DVD on Windows 11 or rip a CD on Windows 11.
Troubleshooting
The CD/DVD drive isn’t listed in This PC
First confirm the PC really has a drive. If it does, restart the computer and look again. If the drive is still missing, Microsoft’s steps for Windows 11 are to reinstall its driver:
- Press the Windows logo key, type Device Manager, and press Enter.
- Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives.
- Right-click the drive and select Uninstall device, then select Uninstall to confirm.
- Restart the computer. Windows reinstalls the driver on its own.
Microsoft lists more fixes, including checking that the drive is turned on in the BIOS, in Your CD or DVD drive is not recognized by Windows or other programs. If DVD/CD-ROM drives doesn’t appear in Device Manager at all, the PC may not have a drive, or the drive may have failed.
Eject does nothing
- Close any app that is playing, copying, or burning the disc, then try again.
- Restart the computer and select Eject again before opening other apps.
- Listen for the drive. A click or whir with no movement can mean a disc is sitting crooked and blocking the tray. Use the paper clip method above.
You’re on a work or school computer
Some organizations turn off or remove disc drives. If the drive is missing or won’t respond on a managed PC, ask your IT department before trying the driver steps.
The desktop has no disc drive
Connect an external USB CD/DVD drive. Windows 11 shows it in This PC like a built-in drive, and both the eject button and the Eject command work the same way. Check that the drive supports the discs you use, because a DVD drive can’t read Blu-ray discs. Before you unplug the drive itself, right-click the Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media icon in the system tray, select Eject for that drive, and wait for the Safe To Remove Hardware message.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the eject button on an HP desktop?
It is on the front of the disc drive, on or just below the tray. On towers the drive is on the front panel. On all-in-ones it is usually on the side edge, and some models use a touch-sensitive spot instead of a raised button.
Why doesn’t my HP desktop have a CD drive?
Many newer desktops are sold without one because most software, music, and video is now downloaded or streamed. An external USB CD/DVD drive adds the feature back.
Can I open the CD drive with the keyboard?
Yes, partly. Press Windows logo key + E to open File Explorer, then right-click the drive and select Eject. Keyboards with a dedicated eject key can open the tray with one press.
Is the paper clip method safe?
Yes, when the computer is off and you press gently into the pinhole on the front of the drive. It is the manual release HP describes in its drive guide. Don’t push into any other opening.
Does this work the same way in Windows 10?
The eject button and paper clip release are part of the drive, so they don’t depend on Windows. The File Explorer steps are also nearly the same in Windows 10.
Can Windows 11 play a DVD once the disc is in?
Not by itself. Microsoft says DVD playback isn’t included with Windows Media Player Legacy in Windows 11, so you need a separate DVD player app.
Once the tray opens reliably, load your disc and check that it appears in This PC. If the tray keeps sticking, contact HP Support about replacing the drive.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.