CD and DVD not being seen--a fix for a special case?

[Guest]

Lemme run this by the group:

Like many here, I suddenly found that XP SP2 wasn't seeing my DVD-ROM (D
and CD-RW (E drives upon starting up, either from a cold or warm boot.
The BIOS was OK, but nothing was in Device Manager--it's as if the drives
never existed.

I'll spare you (almost) everything I did to troubleshoot, but I finally
found that if I disconnected the CD-RW/E: drive, the DVD-ROM/D: drive was
properly seen by XP and worked fine. The reverse was not true--the CD-RW
drive is not seen, no matter what.

I confirmed that the power supply and ribbon cables work properly, and I'm
left with the conclusion that the CD-RW/E: drive is just busted; it doesn't
light up, doesn't spin, doesn't eject.

My question is, is this internally consistent, i.e. can a dead CD-RW drive
in series (I think it's in series) with another functional optical drive
cause both to appear nonfunctional?

A related question--in what order are devices chained together to the
motherboard by ribbon cables (e.g. MB ---> drive E ---> drive D)seen? D
then E or E then D?

Thanks!

Dave Mack

 

[Chad Harris]

David--

I don't know if you've searched the MSKBs on this. They have a better
format now with related articles on the right and the ability to save your
KBs as favorites on their site.

Best,

http://tinyurl.com/6g43l

Chad Harris

_____________________________


Lemme run this by the group:

Like many here, I suddenly found that XP SP2 wasn't seeing my DVD-ROM (D
and CD-RW (E drives upon starting up, either from a cold or warm boot.
The BIOS was OK, but nothing was in Device Manager--it's as if the drives
never existed.

I'll spare you (almost) everything I did to troubleshoot, but I finally
found that if I disconnected the CD-RW/E: drive, the DVD-ROM/D: drive was
properly seen by XP and worked fine. The reverse was not true--the CD-RW
drive is not seen, no matter what.

I confirmed that the power supply and ribbon cables work properly, and I'm
left with the conclusion that the CD-RW/E: drive is just busted; it doesn't
light up, doesn't spin, doesn't eject.

My question is, is this internally consistent, i.e. can a dead CD-RW drive
in series (I think it's in series) with another functional optical drive
cause both to appear nonfunctional?

A related question--in what order are devices chained together to the
motherboard by ribbon cables (e.g. MB ---> drive E ---> drive D)seen? D
then E or E then D?

Thanks!

Dave Mack

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Check the back of the two drives. One should have a jumper set as Master
drive and the other set as Slave. If these settings are used, then is
does not really does not matter which IDE connector you use. Although it is
normally accepted that the following structure is used:

Assuming you are using a Ultra IDE cable:

1) Connect Master drive to Black IDE connector -- at on end of the IDE
ribbon cable

2) Connect Slave drive to Grey IDE connector -- middle connector

3) Connect Blue/Red/Green IDE cable to motherboard IDE connector.


Please note: If your two drives have been set to use "Cable Select" to
control which is Master/Slave, then the above structure is used!!!!!!!!


Y.