Device Mgr - Getting a ! on internal CD and DVD ROM Devices

[JoeWxMan]

Hello: My internal CD and DVD ROM devices are not working. Device Manager
says this:

Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot
find the hardware device.

Troubleshooting has been unsuccessful.

I then opened the tower to check connectivity and everything is connected
ok. Since they are both showing an ! in device manager, before I go buying
new hardware, could it be the connection cable that has gone bad or has a
short in it? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[sandy58]

Hello: My internal CD and DVD ROM devices are not working. Device Manager
says this:

Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot
find the hardware device.

Troubleshooting has been unsuccessful.

I then opened the tower to check connectivity and everything is connected
ok. Since they are both showing an ! in device manager, before I go buying
new hardware, could it be the connection cable that has gone bad or has a
short in it? Thanks in advance for the help.

Remove & re-seat, one at a time, all your (ribbon) cables using your
cd & dvd units. Then reboot. Good luck.

 

[JoeWxMan]

--
Joe

Remove & re-seat, one at a time, all your (ribbon) cables using your
cd & dvd units. Then reboot. Good luck.

Thank you. I will try it. If it doesn't work, I think I will purchase a new
ribbon cable as the one I have probably has gone bad.

 

[Buffalo]

Thank you. I will try it. If it doesn't work, I think I will purchase
a new ribbon cable as the one I have probably has gone bad.

Remove and reseat both ends of the ribbon cable.

 

[Jose]

--
Joe






Thank you. I will try it. If it doesn't work, I think I will purchase a new
ribbon cable as the one I have probably has gone bad.

I really don't think it is a cable, but if it was working before, have
you installed any new CD/DVD software lately? Roxio? Nero?, etc. If
you installed new software was it after that it quit working?

What kind of troubleshooting have you done? Did you perform a Google
search for your error and read the results from many other people that
solved this same problem (it was never the cable)?

Google search for even part of your message: Windows successfully
loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot

Here is a Microsoft article that may apply to you and fixed others
with the same problem which appeared "suddenly" for no reason! They
forgot to mention it quit working AFTER they installed some other
software. Omitting seemingly innocuous facts like this drags out
problem resolution.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314060

The KB has stuff for Vista and XP so be sure you apply only the XP
section. It involves easy to follow registry edits and deletion of
two things that will get recreated on reboot. It's easier than
replacing a cable.

If it does not work, read more of the Google search results.

Either way, let us know.

Jose

 

[Anna]

Thank you. I will try it. If it doesn't work, I think I will purchase a
new
ribbon cable as the one I have probably has gone bad.

Joe:
It is, of course, quite possible that the IDE data cable has become
defective and that's what is causing your problem.

But it really would be helpful if you provided more detailed info re the
problem you're experiencing...

1. You mention "devices". Are you indicating that you're working with two
(or more) optical drives and both are experiencing the *identical*
non-recognition problem?

2. And this non-recognition problem affected both devices simultaneously?

3. The optical drives utilize the same IDE data cable? One is jumpered as
Master, the other jumpered as a Slave, presumably connected on the secondary
IDE channel? Or you use the Cable Select configuration?

4. Assuming your configuration re these optical drives are as indicated
above, have you tried connecting one (or both) to the primary IDE channel?
Same problem of non-recognition?

5. Assuming your boot HDD is connected as Primary Master, what happens if
you connect one (and then the other) optical drive as Primary Slave? System
boots OK but the optical drive(s) are still not recognized?

6. How did the problem arise? One day they were both working just fine; the
next day this problem arose? And you have no clue whatsoever as to a
possible cause other than a defective ribbon (IDE data) cable?

7. You mention you undertook "troubleshooting" which was unsuccessful.
Exactly what did you try?

8. Have you taken a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060, a common
"fix" for these optical drive non-recognition problems?

Also, here - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754497(WS.10).aspx

And if you do a Google search on this problem you'll find a lot more info.
Anna

 

[JoeWxMan]

The "fix" from 8. resolved the issue. Thanks to all who replied.