Need Help to Boot From DVD drive

[Jethro]

I am pretty sure I have booted from this DVD drive in the past, but
now I cannot. In fact, I know I did - else how could I have installed
XP in the first place. I wanted to verify that a disk I just made was
bootable, and I find that the boot-up process is not even looking for
a bootable disk. When I checked the BIOS, the drive is nowhere to be
seen. Yet after WXP comes up, My Computer shows it just fine. And I
can use it to make a disk as well as read a disk.

I have examined the BIOS, and see no option whereby booting from disk
is 'suppressed'. In fact, the drive is not even shown in the BIOS for
some reason. Of course that must be the problem causing me to not be
able to boot from that drive. I can't add it to the BIOS boot
sequence.

The drive is a double-layer New Technology 8.5G drive. The BIOS
apparently is FASTRAK 378 V100.0.37.

What could be causing this?

Anyone?

Thanks

Jethro

 

[Rod Speed]

I am pretty sure I have booted from this DVD drive in the past, but
now I cannot. In fact, I know I did - else how could I have installed
XP in the first place. I wanted to verify that a disk I just made was
bootable, and I find that the boot-up process is not even looking for
a bootable disk. When I checked the BIOS, the drive is nowhere to
be seen. Yet after WXP comes up, My Computer shows it just fine.
And I can use it to make a disk as well as read a disk.

I have examined the BIOS, and see no option whereby booting from
disk is 'suppressed'. In fact, the drive is not even shown in the BIOS for
some reason. Of course that must be the problem causing me to not be
able to boot from that drive. I can't add it to the BIOS boot sequence.

Have you got that drive type entry set to AUTO or to NONE ?

If its set to AUTO as it should be, try with just that
drive on the ribbon cable its on and check its jumpers.

The drive is a double-layer New Technology 8.5G drive.
The BIOS apparently is FASTRAK 378 V100.0.37.

What could be causing this?

Usually you dont have the drive type entry set to AUTO.

Can be because it doesnt pair with something
else on the particular ribbon cable properly.

XP does its own scan for drives and so can find what the BIOS cant.

 

[Jethro]

Have you got that drive type entry set to AUTO or to NONE ?

If its set to AUTO as it should be, try with just that
drive on the ribbon cable its on and check its jumpers.



Usually you dont have the drive type entry set to AUTO.

If I read you right, you mean to set it to AUTO in the BIOS? I can't
do that because the drive does not appear anywhere in the BIOS.
I'll make it the only drive on IDE secondary channel to see effect,

 

[Mike Walsh]

Look in the BIOS for "reset configuration data" or something similar and enable it.

 

[Jethro]

Have you got that drive type entry set to AUTO or to NONE ?

If its set to AUTO as it should be, try with just that
drive on the ribbon cable its on and check its jumpers.



Usually you dont have the drive type entry set to AUTO.

Can be because it doesnt pair with something
else on the particular ribbon cable properly.

This is pretty wild.

I had a boot HDD as primary IDE master.
I had a second HDD as secondary IDE master.
I had the DVD drive as secondary IDE slave.
There was no primary IDE slave.
As I said before, the all the drives had been working fine but then I
discovered that I could not boot from the DVD drive nor could I find
the DVD drive in the BIOS at all.
I first removed the second HDD from the machine entirely and changed
the DVD drive to secondary IDE master. It worked fine - Showed in the
BIOS and it was bootable.
I next replaced the second HDD into the system as secondary IDE slave.
Not only did the DVD drive stop working, the second HDD didn't work
either - neither was recognized in the BIOS at all.
I next moved the second HDD to primary IDE slave. It worked just
fine, as did the DVD drive. The DVD drive was bootable. Having both
HDD drives on the same IDE channel did show a noticeably slower
process speed however.
Now I'm stuck.

Thanks for your ideas anyway.

Jethro

 

[Rod Speed]

This is pretty wild.

Nope. You've just got the drive type entry set to NONE.

I had a boot HDD as primary IDE master.
I had a second HDD as secondary IDE master.
I had the DVD drive as secondary IDE slave.
There was no primary IDE slave.

Thats fine, but you likely just have the drive type entry for the secondary slave set to NONE.

As I said before, the all the drives had been working fine
but then I discovered that I could not boot from the DVD
drive nor could I find the DVD drive in the BIOS at all.

Likely because you have the secondary slave drive type set to NONE.

I first removed the second HDD from the machine entirely
and changed the DVD drive to secondary IDE master.
It worked fine - Showed in the BIOS and it was bootable.

Because the secondary master drive type is AUTO and the DVD
drive is no longer on the drive type entry that is set to NONE.

I next replaced the second HDD into the system as secondary
IDE slave. Not only did the DVD drive stop working, the second
HDD didn't work either - neither was recognized in the BIOS at all.

Likely because the jumpering now isnt correct.

I next moved the second HDD to primary IDE slave. It worked
just fine, as did the DVD drive. The DVD drive was bootable.

Because the drives have AUTO drive type entrys.

Just set the secondary slave drive type entry to
AUTO and it should work fine in the original config.

Having both HDD drives on the same IDE channel
did show a noticeably slower process speed however.

Dont believe it and that was the original config anyway.

Now I'm stuck.

No you arent, just set all the drive type entrys to AUTO.

 

[Rod Speed]

If I read you right, you mean to set it to AUTO in the BIOS?

Yes, the drive type entry for that particular entry should be AUTO. In fact
all the drive types should be AUTO, likely at least that one is set to NONE.

I can't do that because the drive does not appear anywhere in the BIOS.

It wont when the corresponding drive type entry is set to NONE.

This is the main drive type entry, usually with 4 entrys, for
primary master and slave and secondary master and slave.

I'll make it the only drive on IDE secondary channel to see effect,

Wont help if the drive type entry is NONE.

 

[Jethro]

Nope. You've just got the drive type entry set to NONE.


Thats fine, but you likely just have the drive type entry for the secondary slave set to NONE.


Likely because you have the secondary slave drive type set to NONE.


Because the secondary master drive type is AUTO and the DVD
drive is no longer on the drive type entry that is set to NONE.


Likely because the jumpering now isnt correct.


Because the drives have AUTO drive type entrys.

Just set the secondary slave drive type entry to
AUTO and it should work fine in the original config.


Dont believe it and that was the original config anyway.

Uhuh, As I tried to sat above (arrows), originally the two HDDs were
on different IDE channels and both masters.
I'll check this 'auto' business again.
Thanks

Jethro

 

[Jethro]

Nope. You've just got the drive type entry set to NONE.


Thats fine, but you likely just have the drive type entry for the secondary slave set to NONE.


Likely because you have the secondary slave drive type set to NONE.


Because the secondary master drive type is AUTO and the DVD
drive is no longer on the drive type entry that is set to NONE.


Likely because the jumpering now isnt correct.


Because the drives have AUTO drive type entrys.

Just set the secondary slave drive type entry to
AUTO and it should work fine in the original config.


Dont believe it and that was the original config anyway.


No you arent, just set all the drive type entrys to AUTO.

All three drives (both HDDs and the DVD) are set to AUTO in the BIOS
in the last configuration above.

 

[Rod Speed]

All three drives (both HDDs and the DVD) are set to
AUTO in the BIOS in the last configuration above.

Yes, but what matters is whether all FOUR drive type
entrys are set to AUTO for the original config to work.

 

[Jethro]

Yes, but what matters is whether all FOUR drive type
entrys are set to AUTO for the original config to work.

Thanks

I now have:

HDD C drive on primary master IDE
HDD D drive on secondary master IDE
DVD Drive E on primary slave IDE.
Nothing on secondary slave IDE.

All are AUTO

Everything works - even booting from DCD drive.

Thanks

Jethro

 

[Rod Speed]

Thanks

I now have:

HDD C drive on primary master IDE
HDD D drive on secondary master IDE
DVD Drive E on primary slave IDE.
Nothing on secondary slave IDE.

All are AUTO

Everything works - even booting from DCD drive.

Thanks

Thanks for the washup, too rare in my opinion.

 

[1932]

Thanks for the washup, too rare in my opinion.

Got to give you 12 out of 10 there Rod, you just
didn`t give in <g>.

bw..

 

[Rod Speed]

Got to give you 12 out of 10 there Rod, you just didn`t give in <g>.

I hardly ever do give up, even when the recipient doesnt want to hear |-)

Mostly for the others that are likely to be reading the thread or will read it later using
groups.google etc.