How to Erase the Virtual Memory on a CD Drive

CD drives come with a small amount of on-board memory, also known as "cache" memory. While the cache typically clears itself out with substantial regularity, you might want to perform a manual flush of the cache to attempt to troubleshoot some hardware issues. This can be accomplished by manually ejecting the drive's contents from within the operating system.

Instructions

1. Right click "My Computer" and select "Manage."

2. Click "Storage," "Removable Storage" and "Media."

3. Right-click the entry for the CD drive and select "Eject." The cache will be flushed as the old CD is removed from the drive.

4. Wait 30 seconds to a minute and plug it back in.

5. Close up the computer and restart it.

References

• Bit Razor: CD Rom Cache Flush