can't see cd or dvd drives

[funkycoles]

All of a sudden, I cannot see either my cd or dvd-rom drives. They have power, but I cannot see them in my computer, BIOS (secondary master drive and secondary slave drive unknown), and they do not appear in the device manager at all.

I don't know if this is related, but it happened about a week after I installed a Western Digital SATA hard drive (formatted as a non RAID drive) and a PCI card. The install included an installation of "WD lifeguard" software.

I called Dell they had me:
1)Disconnect the PCI card, and the hard drive... still had the problem.
2) reset the CMOS jumper
3) disconnect the IDE cable from the hard drives and connected (both through the primary or secondary channel) it to the optical drives. This was the only time we were able to see the cdrom drive (not the dvd). The hard drives were not connected.
4) When we connected the harddrives as well as the optical drives we were not able to see the cd rom drive anymore (device unknown).

Please help.

 

[wahnula]

Hello Funky need a little more information please:

1) What is the newly-added PCI card?
2) What is the OS, and on which drive does it reside?
3) List the components connected to primary & secondary
4) Use of the new SATA drive...what is its use?
5) Have you tried System Restore if XP?

It is a possibility that you have reached the limit of hardware you are allowed if using XP (HAL). This can be repaired (I have been told) by booting from CD with all devices attached and choosing the second 'repair' option. This might wipe out all updates so get ready for some downloading if it's an older version.

OF COURSE backup any and all data before trying any repair scheme.

 

[mainegeek]

funkycoles,
What model is your Dell?

 

[BadBigBen]

Also see the following FAQ:

faq602-5358 (just click on it and it will take you further)

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[cdogg]

wahnula and Ben,

You probably missed the part that the CD and DVD drives weren't being seen in the BIOS. Because of this fact alone, it has nothing to do with the Operating System. So I wouldn't recommend going through the trouble of running a restore, trying to repair XP, or even repairing the registry. It's got to show in the BIOS before we worry about that.


funkycoles,

Because they aren't seen in the BIOS, then there is a problem with your IDE configuration. First of all, make sure the cable is tightly connected to the back of each CD/DVD-ROM drive. One may have come loose from reaching inside your case to install the PCI card or SATA drive. It could also be a bad IDE cable, but not likely since the problem just started after making a hardware change inside your case.

In addition, the following should ALL be true:

- The master on each channel should be attached to the end connector

- The slave on each channel should be attached to the middle connector

- If you're using cable select jumper settings, change it to the master/slave configuration


Now to go further after checking all this, we need to know what's on each IDE channel (primary & secondary). We also need to know which device is set as master or slave on each one.
[tab]

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[funkycoles]

Thank you all for your reply's. Below are the answers to all your questions so far:

mainegeek

Dell Dimension XPS series 2 running MS XP as the OS.


wahnula,

1) What is the newly-added PCI card?
PCI RAID card to connect new SATA HD to PC. Couldn't get the PC to see the SATA hard drive when connecting to the SATA port on the motherboard.
2) What is the OS, and on which drive does it reside?
XP on the primary master HD.
3) List the components connected to primary & secondary.
Primary master: hard drive
Primary slave: hard drive
Secondary master: CD-Rom
Secondary slave: DVD-Rom
4) Use of the new SATA drive...what is its use?
bought the new SATA drive as just another HD. Was going to use as the primary data drive - not configured as RAID
5) Have you tried System Restore if XP?
Can not system restore to XP because I cannot use any cd's in the CD or DVD rom drives as the PC does not see them.



cdogg

While on the chat with Dell I reseated the IDE cables to both the harddrives (hard drive on the primary channel master and hard drive on the primary slave) as well as the optical drives (cd-rom on the secondary master and the DVD on the secondary slave channels) many times. Only time I was ever able to see the cd rom drive was when both hard drives were disconnected. I was able to see the cd rom drive only using the IDE cable that was originally connected to the hard drives and I could see it on both the primary and secondary channels. DVD rom drive never was recognized.

The answer is all true to your three "following should ALL be true statements" above.

Funkycoles

 

[funkycoles]

BadBigBen


I tried the regedit and I keep getting an error while trying to delete the key. I went into permissions and gave the system as well as the administrator full control but I still get the same error. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Funkycoles

 

[cdogg]

Again, it's not a Windows problem since the BIOS can't see the drives. They have to show in there first before you worry about Windows.

I'm guessing the problem is an underpowered system or failing power supply, since one drive comes back when you detach the hard drives (though I'm not sure why the DVD drive won't come back).

I would detach the DVD drive altogether (with the PC powered off of course), detach the slave hard drive on the primary channel, and see what happens.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[BadBigBen]

@cdogg - thanx for the Clear up, and yes I missed the statement about the BIOS... sorry that I did not get back earlier to stand corrected, Schooling and all is keeping me busy...

@funkycoles - follow that what CDOGG suggested first... ignore for now, my comment on the REGISTRY...

I would also try this:

on the Primary IDE CHAIN, with brand new cables, connect the DVD as MASTER, does it get recognized as stand alone? if Yes, rejumper the DVD as SLAVE and reconnect it in the SLAVE port on the PRIMARY channel... does it get recognized? if Yes, it is fine!!!

if it does not, it may be bad altogether and may cause the IDE channel to lock up...

I would also try to split the HDDs, one as master on every CHANNEL and see if they get recognized...

Basically any faulty drive may lock up the IDE channels, be it a CDRom, DVD, or HDD... They may even work together up to a point and then you add another and boom they do not work...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."