"System Cannot Recognize the CD"

[Jeff Y.]

My problem has stumped a Microsoft Certified Technician who finally
gave up (although of course he stll charged me). Here it is:

I recently installed Windows XP in a configuration with a large IDE
drive as the boot device, and 2 SATA drives as storage drives (not
RAID). Windows cannot "see" the two SATA drives from the IDE drive.

At the advice of some other users in this group, I tried to use the
utlity CD-ROM that came with my motherboard (DFI LanParty) to install
drivers for the SATA controllers. When I try to run the motherboard
utlity program, I get a Windows error message: "The system cannot
recognize the CD. Please insert the correct CD into the CD-ROM drive."

I tried several things to identify the problem. First, I put the same
utlity CD-ROM into another computer and tried to access it from
within
Windows. I had no problem at all. The utility popped up immediately.
Second, I made a duplicate of the utility CD-ROM on a blank disc to
be
sure the CD-ROM itself wasn't damaged. Still got the same error
message. Third, I copied all the files from the utlity CD-ROM onto
another disc using a standard ISO format (in case the utlity CD-
ROM used a different format). Same error message. Finally, I
installed
a UDF Reader driver in Windows in case the CD-ROM was in UDF format.
Same error message.

I can't get a response from DFI tech support. What can I try next?

 

[R. McCarty]

Cannot "See" the 2 SATA drives from the IDE drive ? Did you mean
that from within Windows the 2 SATA drives do not appear in either
DiskMgmt.Msc or Device Manager/Windows Explorer ? Are the
SATA drives partitioned and formatted or factory fresh ?

How is the BIOS configured for the SATA operation mode ( Native
or AHCI ? If you aren't using RAID it shouldn't be necessary to add
drivers. The BIOS handles SATA which to XP appears as a simple
IDE type Controller in Device Manager.

 

[Jim]

My problem has stumped a Microsoft Certified Technician who finally
gave up (although of course he stll charged me). Here it is:

I recently installed Windows XP in a configuration with a large IDE
drive as the boot device, and 2 SATA drives as storage drives (not
RAID). Windows cannot "see" the two SATA drives from the IDE drive.

At the advice of some other users in this group, I tried to use the
utlity CD-ROM that came with my motherboard (DFI LanParty) to install
drivers for the SATA controllers. When I try to run the motherboard
utlity program, I get a Windows error message: "The system cannot
recognize the CD. Please insert the correct CD into the CD-ROM drive."

I tried several things to identify the problem. First, I put the same
utlity CD-ROM into another computer and tried to access it from
within
Windows. I had no problem at all. The utility popped up immediately.
Second, I made a duplicate of the utility CD-ROM on a blank disc to
be
sure the CD-ROM itself wasn't damaged. Still got the same error
message. Third, I copied all the files from the utlity CD-ROM onto
another disc using a standard ISO format (in case the utlity CD-
ROM used a different format). Same error message. Finally, I
installed
a UDF Reader driver in Windows in case the CD-ROM was in UDF format.
Same error message.

I can't get a response from DFI tech support. What can I try next?

Replace the drive?

Jim

 

[Jeff Y.]

Yes. From within Windows, the 2 SATA drives do not appear in Disk
Management or Windows Explorer. The SATA drives are partitioned and
formatted.

I don't know what Native and AHCI mean, but they are definitely not
configured for RAID in the BIOS. (The Microsoft technician
reconfigured the BIOS so that the settings would not be a RAID
configuration.)

I've had different opinions about whether drivers are needed in
Windows. Because the SATA drives appear to be configured correctly in
the BIOS, yet Windows still cannot see the drives, 2 users suggested I
try installing the drivers from within Windows.

In either case, I don't understand why Windows cannot read the CD so
that I can run the motherboard utlity. The DFI manual recommends
running the utility disc (containing many drivers) within Windows XP
as the final step in the installation.

 

[Jeff Y.]

Jim, do you mean I should replace the CD-ROM drive or the IDE drive?
The CD-ROM drive seeems to be able to read other CD's. If there's
something wrong with the drive, could it have trouble reading some
kinds of discs but not others?

 

[R. McCarty]

I would download the DFI updates from the web. Likely, the ones
on the website are newer than those on the CD-ROM.

One other point - have you installed the appropriate Chipset driver
package for your motherboard ? This should be done immediately
after installing the OS.

 

[Jim]

Jim, do you mean I should replace the CD-ROM drive or the IDE drive?
The CD-ROM drive seeems to be able to read other CD's. If there's
something wrong with the drive, could it have trouble reading some
kinds of discs but not others?

I meant the CD drive. That seems to be where the difficulty lies.

But, if you can read other CDs in the drive, then I am out of ideas.

Jim

 

[Jeff Y.]

I downloaded the DFI updated drivers. But I couldn't figure out how to
install them. There is no installation program for the drivers online.
How do I do this?

I didn't install a chipset driver. I think it's on the same utility CD-
ROM that comes with the motherboard that Windows cannot read. How do I
install it otherwise? Here is a link to the DFI downloads for my
motherboard, if that helps:

http://us.dfi.com.tw/Support/Download/driver_download_us.jsp?PRODUCT_ID=3872&STATUS_FLAG=A&SITE=NA

 

[Azagtoth]

Unplug the power to the CD rom and boot the computer.

The error that you see is extremely strange, may indicate a short in the
electronics, and issue with the motherboard or other. Check to see if
the BIOS has both RAID ports enabled.

Also, plug only 1 SATA HD in at a time, you may have a bad SATA drive.

Sorry if I repeated stuff.

 

[Terry]

On 3/16/2007 3:36 PM On a whim, R. McCarty pounded out on the keyboard

Cannot "See" the 2 SATA drives from the IDE drive ? Did you mean
that from within Windows the 2 SATA drives do not appear in either
DiskMgmt.Msc or Device Manager/Windows Explorer ? Are the
SATA drives partitioned and formatted or factory fresh ?

How is the BIOS configured for the SATA operation mode ( Native
or AHCI ? If you aren't using RAID it shouldn't be necessary to add
drivers. The BIOS handles SATA which to XP appears as a simple
IDE type Controller in Device Manager.

I also have a DFI board. I just had one of my 3 PATA drives fail.
Today I added a SATA drive to replace the failed one. I am not using it
in a RAID configuration but Windows asked for the driver disk after it
started. I inserted the floppy and it loaded the drivers. So XP DOES
require a SATA driver even if not using RAID. And the drive is
recognized as a SCSI drive in DM.

--
Terry

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[Jeff Y.]

Re: R. McCarthy's suggestion:

I downloaded the DFI updated drivers. But I couldn't figure out how
to
install them. There is no installation program for the drivers
online.
How do I do this?

I didn't install a chipset driver. I think it's on the same utility
CD-
ROM that comes with the motherboard that Windows cannot read. How do
I
install it otherwise? Here is a link to the DFI downloads for my
motherboard, if that helps:

http://us.dfi.com.tw/Support/Download/driver_download_us.jsp?PRODUCT_ID=3872&STATUS_FLAG=A&SITE=NA


Re: Azagtoth

Thanks for the suggestions. I can't try them tonight, but will over
the weekend. Is there a utlity program to check for problems with the
motherboard itself, such as electronics?

 

[Terry]

On 3/16/2007 4:42 PM On a whim, Jeff Y. pounded out on the keyboard

I downloaded the DFI updated drivers. But I couldn't figure out how to
install them. There is no installation program for the drivers online.
How do I do this?

I didn't install a chipset driver. I think it's on the same utility CD-
ROM that comes with the motherboard that Windows cannot read. How do I
install it otherwise? Here is a link to the DFI downloads for my
motherboard, if that helps:

http://us.dfi.com.tw/Support/Download/driver_download_us.jsp?PRODUCT_ID=3872&STATUS_FLAG=A&SITE=NA

Hi Jeff,

See my note to R. McCarty regarding my experience today.

After you installed the drives and booted, did XP recognize the
hardware? If not, SATA may be disabled in the BIOS. Go to the
Integrated Peripherals section and enable it from there.

After that, XP should ask for the location of the driver. You should
have it unzipped and in a location you can point to using the Browse button.

--
Terry

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[Jeff Y.]

Terry,

Thanks for describing your experience. For some reason, when I start
up Windows, it doesn't recognize any new hardware, and therefore never
asks for a driver. I don't know to install the drivers from the floppy
because Windows never asks for them.

 

[Jeff Y.]

Terry,

Windows does not recognize the hardware, so it never asks for a
driver. I'll check the BIOS setting.

By the way, do you know why some of the posts on this thread have
disappeared? There were a couple of useful suggestions about the CD-
ROM drive and motherboard problems that aren't here anymore, including
a reply I wrote.

Thanks.

 

[Terry]

On 3/16/2007 5:17 PM On a whim, Jeff Y. pounded out on the keyboard

Terry,

Windows does not recognize the hardware, so it never asks for a
driver. I'll check the BIOS setting.

By the way, do you know why some of the posts on this thread have
disappeared? There were a couple of useful suggestions about the CD-
ROM drive and motherboard problems that aren't here anymore, including
a reply I wrote.

Thanks.

It's probably disabled in the BIOS then.

Do you have your newsreader set to only display Unread messages? That's
the only thing I can think of offhand.

Let me know if the BIOS setting does it for you,
--
Terry

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[Jeff Y.]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try them over the weeekend. Is there
a utility to check whether there is something wrong with the
motherboard itself (e.g., electronics)?