Doesn't CCD's lock drive feature simply prevent you from opening the drive while CCD is using it?
Or
prevent other apps from accessing the drive?

When I'm using CDex and start CCD, CCD delivers a message that it can't get sole access to the drive.

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I had an HP CD Burner that stopped "seeing" discs.
I tried it as master and slave.

I replace it with a CD-ROM drive that worked for a while but soon wouldn't "see" discs.
I tried it as a slave and as a master.
The LED flashes for an instant upon insertion.
SOME time passes before the LED flashes again and the disc is spit out.

The CD-ROM drive is currently the master.
An OOOOOOld TDK CD Burner is the slave.
The TDK "sees" everything and works fine.