replacing CD unit iwth DVD in notebook

[news.microsoft.com]

I am having a problem with replacing a working slimline CD in my Inspiron
8100 computer which only came with a CD. I exchanged it for a DVD, model
Toshiba sd-c2202. I am trying to put this DVD in a newer computer than the
one it came in and no computer besides the original Dell will see a CD in it
at all, either as a DVD or as a CD.

It is recognised as a new device at boot and installs the drivers and there
are no problems in device manager so there are no need for 'external'
drivers and IDE seems to be native in windows XP anyway so this seemed to be
a firmware issue.

There are some firmware upgrades out there but they are all quite elderly
and none seem to apply to this problem (they all seem to be region cracks
for foreign DVDs) so I can't figure out why this DVD unit wouldn't be
working but it does rather obviate my using the CD for the moment for any
purpose

As a cross-check, just to make sure it was something I was doing wrong as
opposed to the computer or OS,. I did the same thing with a newer DVD unit,
a SD-C2402 with the same result. Device manager now sees a 2402 but still
can't read any CDs in it. I obviously haven't tried getting it to read DVDs
as I haven't installed any DVD reading software which I assume the notebook
needs to read DVDs. But surely it should read CDs?

Neither even see an installed CD when I install the CD.

The only other problem which might conceivably be related is that the
notebook doesn't see some brand new or well used flash memory drives either.
These show up normally in device manager as well and give the same error
message when I put them into the computer and try to read from them in
windows explorer, which is that I need to put a drive in the slot which it
knows has a USB flash memory drive in it because it has assigned a drive
letter to it. (meaning it assigns the CD unit a drive letter as well)

I HAVE cleaned the lens

 

[Galen]

In news.microsoft.com had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

I am having a problem with replacing a working slimline CD in my
Inspiron 8100 computer which only came with a CD. I exchanged it for
a DVD, model Toshiba sd-c2202. I am trying to put this DVD in a
newer computer than the one it came in and no computer besides the
original Dell will see a CD in it at all, either as a DVD or as a CD.

It is recognised as a new device at boot and installs the drivers and
there are no problems in device manager so there are no need for
'external' drivers and IDE seems to be native in windows XP anyway so
this seemed to be a firmware issue.

There are some firmware upgrades out there but they are all quite
elderly and none seem to apply to this problem (they all seem to be
region cracks for foreign DVDs) so I can't figure out why this DVD
unit wouldn't be working but it does rather obviate my using the CD
for the moment for any purpose

As a cross-check, just to make sure it was something I was doing
wrong as opposed to the computer or OS,. I did the same thing with a
newer DVD unit, a SD-C2402 with the same result. Device manager now
sees a 2402 but still can't read any CDs in it. I obviously haven't
tried getting it to read DVDs as I haven't installed any DVD reading
software which I assume the notebook needs to read DVDs. But surely
it should read CDs?
Neither even see an installed CD when I install the CD.

The only other problem which might conceivably be related is that the
notebook doesn't see some brand new or well used flash memory drives
either. These show up normally in device manager as well and give the
same error message when I put them into the computer and try to read
from them in windows explorer, which is that I need to put a drive in
the slot which it knows has a USB flash memory drive in it because it
has assigned a drive letter to it. (meaning it assigns the CD unit a
drive letter as well)
I HAVE cleaned the lens

This MIGHT be something as simple as upperfilters and lowerfilters though I
don't insure such a response in this case. Basically I would think that
it looks like it but doesn't actually MEAN that's the problem...

Kill 'em (it doesn't break anything and that is insured) and see what
happens? Pardon the title but the link's the same:

Missing CD/DVD Drives:
http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/general/missing_CD-DVD_drives.html

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"At present I am, as you know, fairly busy, but I propose to devote my
declining years to the composition of a textbook which shall focus the
whole art of detection into one volume." - Sherlock Holmes

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Missing CD/DVD Drives:
http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/general/missing_CD-DVD_drives.html

Sorry, that didn't work: It ran but didn't give me a message telling me that
it had completed running. Just a message telling me that I had to reboot in
order to complete. But rebooting didn't assist. Same error message. Nothing
in drive

And I did a blind test by attaching an IDE drive which didn't work either.
So I attached the external drive to another computer and it DID work on that
one immediately with the xp native drivers

 

[Galen]

In news.microsoft.com had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Sorry, that didn't work: It ran but didn't give me a message telling
me that it had completed running. Just a message telling me that I
had to reboot in order to complete. But rebooting didn't assist. Same
error message. Nothing in drive

And I did a blind test by attaching an IDE drive which didn't work
either. So I attached the external drive to another computer and it
DID work on that one immediately with the xp native drivers

Well then chances are that the new one is not compatible with your current
system. One's from a Toshiba and the Inspiron's a Dell. Is there a BIOS
flash/update (we're REALLY stretching here in hopes that this will help) for
the system?

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"At present I am, as you know, fairly busy, but I propose to devote my
declining years to the composition of a textbook which shall focus the
whole art of detection into one volume." - Sherlock Holmes

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Yes, this is where I ran out of ideas too because the Toshiba one came out
of an earlier Dell Inspiron. and even if it didn't, there is no reason why
the external CD rewriter shouldn't be read by the computer, assuming the OS
sees it and no exclamation marks show up in device manager. (I WILL try
another slimline one in the machine as there is still a slight chance that
the laser or servo itself is dead but that wouldn't account for the external
one not working, which seems to me to be indicative of some tiny problem
with the OS)

Do you think there might be any switches for the CD enabling program which I
tried?. It did seem to run awfully quickly, as if it wasn't actually doing
anything at all. The reboot message came up immediately I pressed start,
without even a millisecond wait.

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Curiously I have now discovered that with the Toshiba DVD unit out and a
hole left in the unit, the external DVD unit does actually work!!

I am wondering if there really is something in the firmware of this slimline
DVD unit which is interfering with the OS in some way although I have to
note that an Optiplex wont boot from a CD in this unit. It may well be a
problem with the TWO Toshiba DVD units I have. A want of reliability to
Toshiba units is certainly borne out by their lack of support?

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Now this is more complicated than I thought

I put a Teac slimline DVD drive from a Gateway in the slot and it
immediately (1) putting it there prevented POST reading the hard drive AT
ALL and (2) POST couldn't see an optical drive in the slot

All this was followed, if I let it get that far, by a bsod

 

[Galen]

In news.microsoft.com had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Now this is more complicated than I thought

I put a Teac slimline DVD drive from a Gateway in the slot and it
immediately (1) putting it there prevented POST reading the hard
drive AT ALL and (2) POST couldn't see an optical drive in the slot

All this was followed, if I let it get that far, by a bsod

At risk of damaging your hardware beyond repair? I beg off... Really - see a
qualified local professional OR look for a BIOS flash/upgrade. Don't try
that last one and come back blaming me though - you get a qualified tech in
there from somewhere other than your local large store. Without putting my
hands on it (and maybe even if I could) I can't tell you for certain but it
might be something as simple as an upgrade. If you're confident then check
the Dell site as they hold BIOS updates for a long time as near as I've been
able to tell.

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"At present I am, as you know, fairly busy, but I propose to devote my
declining years to the composition of a textbook which shall focus the
whole art of detection into one volume." - Sherlock Holmes