weird behavior and disappearence/reappearance of CDRW and DVD drives

[albert]

The machine is as follows -- Windows XP, P III, 640 M RAM, two HDs (primary
IDE, master and slave), a CDRW and DVD (secondary IDE, master and slave).

About a week ago the CDRW began to look for disks when it was empty. The
Windows Computer Management logs indicated that IMAPI service was started
and the drive did not respond. Within days, another problem started
occurring -- sometimes, the CDRW would disappear -- either at bootup, or
some time after bootup. If it disappeared, then Windows Computer Management
logs indicated that the DVD drive also exited. Sure enough, Windows
Explorer no longer saw the drive. On the next bootup, they were present
again, only to disappear (usually in the following sequence -- first
something in the system thinks the CDRW has a disk in it, but there isn't
any, and after hunting for that disk and finding none, it gives up. That
sequence may repeat over the next minutes -- and/or the drive disappears
from the system. I have attached some of the logging info at the end of
this message.

I checked all wiring connections. No improvement. I replaced the data
cable between the CD and DVD and the mobo. No improvement. I replaced the
CMOS battery. No change.

I keep the machine updated with any and all patches MS issues. I have
Norton AV and automatically update it, and regularly scan the machine for
viruses. With definitions updated as of today, Norton finds no viruses. I
regularly use Adaware and Spybot to check and clean the machine (I generally
surf conservatively, and do not have to deal with anything more than
tracking cookies.)

None of the various Windows Help files or troubleshooters seem to deal with
this looney problem set of mine. When the OS thinks the drives are present,
they function just fine. But then the CDRW keeps acting as if I put a disk
in. And then, sooner or later, PNP Manager reports that both drives on the
IDE secondary line went AWOL. Is this some sort of problem with whatever
files handle IMAPI, and/or some DLL, and/or whatever manages the secondary
IDE? Is there some way for me to make Windows repair or reinstall all files
that act on these drives? Could this be something else?

I am completely stumped (and now wondering if I will have to replace the
system).
Any ideas will be gratefully accepted.

TIA
albert

Below are excerpts from the Windows Computer Mgt. logs. The following
errors are repeatedly occurring:

==================================
Event Type: Error
Event Source: atapi
Event Category: None
Event ID: 9
Date: 7/25/2004
Time: 10:24:40 AM
User: N/A
Computer: MAINBOY
Description:
The device, \Device\Ide\IdePort1, did not respond within the timeout period.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 0f 00 10 00 01 00 64 00 ......d.
0008: 00 00 00 00 09 00 04 c0 .......À
0010: 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 93 09 00 00 00 00 00 00 ".......
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0028: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0030: 00 00 00 00 07 00 00 00 ........
====================================

And this (Windows thinks it is a "success" -- but there the CDRW was empty
when Windows reported success):

Event Type: Information
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7035
Date: 7/25/2004
Time: 10:26:44 AM
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer: MAINBOY
Description:
The IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service service was successfully sent a start
control.
====================================

And this is what happens when the drives disappear completely from the
system:

ERROR

Event Type: Error
Event Source: PlugPlayManager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 12
Date: 7/25/2004
Time: 10:28:01 AM
User: N/A
Computer: MAINBOY
Description:
The device 'IDE-CD R/RW 8x4x32'
(IDE\CdRomIDE-CD_R/RW_8x4x32_______________________1.5____\5634324f323044393
04f313538332020_0_0_0_0) disappeared from the system without first being
prepared for removal.

and the error for the DVD:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: PlugPlayManager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 12
Date: 7/25/2004
Time: 10:28:02 AM
User: N/A
Computer: MAINBOY
Description:
The device 'PIONEER DVD-ROM DVD-115'
(IDE\CdRomPIONEER_DVD-ROM_DVD-115_________________1.11____\5&35bcaee8&0&0.1.
0) disappeared from the system without first being prepared for removal.

======================================


Event Type: Information
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7035
Date: 7/26/2004
Time: 5:32:16 PM
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer: MAINBOY
Description:
The IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service service was successfully sent a start
control.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

 

[albert]

Rich,

Thanks for the suggestion. I must report, that after all my grief, research
on the internet, and mucking about inside the box and inside Windows, a
friend suggested, more like insisted, I swap out the CDRW on the line, the
one that kept flashing and searching for phantom disks. Of course, I was
certain it couldn't be that simple. No, it had to be something arcane in
the mobo or OS.......Right? Wellllllll, you can guess how the story
nds -- sure enough, swapped out for with an older known good CD, all the
problems ended.

Thanks again for your help

albert