When Windows Can’t Mount an ISO: How to Reproduce the Virtual Drive Issue and Fix Code 19

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I ran into a case where Windows’ built-in ISO mounting stopped working after a third-party virtual drive had been used.

What the problem looks like

Double-clicking an .iso file makes Explorer hang for a while, then Windows shows this message:

无法装载文件 抱歉，装载文件时出现问题

If you leave that dialog open and check Device Manager, the virtual optical drive may appear with this error:

由于其配置信息(注册表中的)不完整或已损坏，Windows 无法启动这个硬件设备。 (代码 19)

In practice, this usually goes together with a leftover empty virtual CD/DVD drive still visible in This PC, even after the virtual drive software has been closed.

A way to reproduce it

The issue can be reproduced with the following sequence:

  1. Download UltraIso
  2. Add a virtual drive
  3. Mount an iso
  4. Unmount the iso
  5. Notice that an empty virtual drive still remains in This PC, and it stays there even after closing the software
  6. Try uninstalling that drive
  7. Try removing it again from Device Manager
  8. Restart the computer
  9. Confirm the leftover virtual drive is still present in This PC, then double-click an .iso file

After that, Windows’ own mount function may fail instead of opening the image normally.

Fix

!!!注册表操作前先备份

Open the Registry Editor and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4d36e965-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}

The exact location may differ slightly, so if needed, look under the Class branch for the entry whose class value is CDROM.

Delete these keys:

UpperFilters, Lowerfilters

Then open Device Manager, uninstall the virtual optical drive, and scan for hardware changes.

That should usually clear it. If it does not, try the same steps again and reboot once more.