XP New Hardware Update

[PeteB]

I run WinXP Home on a Packard Bell PC. I've just changed the E Drive to a
new Pioneer DVR-109 and having problems getting XP to recognise the new bit
of hardware and install the necessary drivers using the 'add hardware'
wizard in the control panel. The drive doesn't come with an installation CD
so I've had a look at the Pioneer website at
http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/support_software.jsp?category=support/software#fdvdwriter
and this has a list of drivers / firmware but I'm a bit confused what I
should install.

What exactly does firmware do? From the wording on the web page it seems
irreversible if I do the wrong thing. I have Roxio GoBack on my machine
(which has saved me in the past with the odd software screwup) - would this
revert firmware if something went wrong?

I've had the swap over to the new drive double checked and all seems to be
ok with power, etc.

WindowsXP was pre-installed on the machine and I don't have access to the
CD.

Can someone with a bit of hardware experience help me please? Thanks

 

[RJK]

"Firmware" is software "uploaded" or "flashed onto," if you prefer a non
battery backed EPROM IC (eraseable programmeable read only memory)
integrated circuit. Once the "upload" or "flash" is underway, should it be
interrupted during the process - it usually kills the EPROM chip.

If memory serves, Packard Bell uses "Cable Select" IDE ribbons, if so in
your machine - have you set the new drives' jumper to CS ?
i.e. have you set the jumper correctly whichever type of IDE ribbon is in
your machine ?

....is there more than one drive on the ribbon that your Pioneer is connected
to, and are they jumpered correctly as master and slave if they're not CS
etc. ?

regards, Richard

 

[R. McCarty]

Good advice and nice description of EEProms. I've got two other
things that can interfere with adding a device on an IDE channel.
Make sure the IDE channel is detecting the device properly in BIOS.
Also, inside Windows XP make sure the controller channel, Advanced
properties is set to Auto and not None - or it will mask out the device.

 

[RJK]

Hi, ...was in a rush oops...missed out an E (Electronically Erasable
Programmable Read Only Memory)
....was going to go into more detail than I suspect PeteB really needs but,
bit my tongue
http://bluepoint.egenet.net/ek/wincihinfo.html
has an interesting "Payload" section that mentions the first Flash ROMs that
had to unplugged and bathed in UV to erase them !
....whole thing was interesting actually, I thought.

regards, Richard

 

[PeteB]

Thanks guys, I'll let you know how it goes when I get a chance later today.
I downloaded the driver and I'm sure I read a mention of 'new drives' jumper
to CS', etc in the readme file in the zip so should make sense now.
Thanks again.