Re: Blind Windows
 

On Sat, 2 Oct 2004 12:17:05 -0700, "Steve\(UK\)"
<news@homecomptr.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

>
>Any suggestions? Anyone know what might cause this sudden alienation of
>cd/dvd drives?
>
>Ste
>

I really don't know what the problem is at this point because I don't
use Windows XP and don't know anything about it. I've used Windows 98
and Windows NT and Windows 2000.

Just some questions to get you going before someone with a little more
experience can help:

It sounds like the computer is a few years old. Does Windows CP have a
hardware compatibility list like Windows NT does, and are the drive s
on them?

At boot time (or when you enter setup mode for the motherboard), does
the BIOS recognize the drives?

What are the make and model of the computer, the CD drive and the DVD
drive?

How many hard drives are there and which controller cables are being
used for which drives?

Are the CD and DVD drive on the same controller?

If you take one of them out of the picture does XP then recognize the
drive?

Windows 98 supported real mode drivers for older CD drives. The
support for the drive woulld basically be taking place in the DOS
environment that was still part of Windows 98.

That suggests an area of difference between 98 and NT/XP technology
that could be a factor. I believe that Windows XP broke the umbilical
cord with the DOS box that was in Windows95/98/ME.

If the DVD drive is newer than the CD drive and the DVD drive can read
CDs I would be tempted to see if the DVD drive can work on its own.

I would also be tempted to see if the CD drive can work on its own.
There may be master slave jumpering issues.

Re: Blind Windows
 

"Steve(UK)" <news@homecomptr.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cjkal6$45k$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
> I just don't understand whats gone on with a computer someone gave me to
> fix. They have said that they wanted to use XP instead of win 98 and so
> formatted their hard-drive to clean it. He started his computer up and did
> the right stuff, used the XP CD he has and started to install it. However
at
> some point of the installation the computer stopped recognising his DVD
> drive and CD drive. The power is on to both of them and all the leads
appear
> un damaged but XP seems completely blind with regards to these drives. In
> device manager there is no entry for cd or dvd drives.
>
> Any suggestions? Anyone know what might cause this sudden alienation of
> cd/dvd drives?
>
> Ste
>
>

All these answer sound great, thank you for the help offered.

I mentioned to the owner of the computer that there "could" be the
possibility of the cd and DVD drives being old and suggested they get hold
of someone else's to try. But no, they have too much money to spare and went
ahead and bought a brand spanking new dvd drive. lo and behold, it still
didn't work!

So, I'm thinking it might be the problem that has a solution on the
microsoft website. I'm gonna give him a ring and work through it.

In answer to some of the earlier questions though - the dvd player did
manage to work in some fashion but only when the cd player had been
disconnected from the cable they both are attached too.

On boot-up the bios does recognise them :-)

thanks for the suggestions, if anyone has more then I'd be happy to hear,

Steve

Blind Windows
 

I just don't understand whats gone on with a computer someone gave me to
fix. They have said that they wanted to use XP instead of win 98 and so
formatted their hard-drive to clean it. He started his computer up and did
the right stuff, used the XP CD he has and started to install it. However at
some point of the installation the computer stopped recognising his DVD
drive and CD drive. The power is on to both of them and all the leads appear
un damaged but XP seems completely blind with regards to these drives. In
device manager there is no entry for cd or dvd drives.

Any suggestions? Anyone know what might cause this sudden alienation of
cd/dvd drives?

Ste

Re: Blind Windows
 

Make sure the IDE cables ARE PROPERLY PLUGGED IN. Even if some of the pins
are not connected, it may still appear in the BIOS but MAY not function
100%. Double check all cables! Check for any breakage/damage.

Try updating the drivers for the motherboard Chipset.

Try booting into safe mode then go to device manager and go to IDE ATA/ATAPI
controllers section and remove the devices listed in there and reboot.

Try changing the master/slave settings around on the CD/DVD drives.


"Steve(UK)" <news@homecomptr.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cjrvg0$gg8$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
> "Steve(UK)" <news@homecomptr.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:cjkal6$45k$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
> > I just don't understand whats gone on with a computer someone gave me to
> > fix. They have said that they wanted to use XP instead of win 98 and so
> > formatted their hard-drive to clean it. He started his computer up and
did
> > the right stuff, used the XP CD he has and started to install it.
However
> at
> > some point of the installation the computer stopped recognising his DVD
> > drive and CD drive. The power is on to both of them and all the leads
> appear
> > un damaged but XP seems completely blind with regards to these drives.
In
> > device manager there is no entry for cd or dvd drives.
> >
> > Any suggestions? Anyone know what might cause this sudden alienation of
> > cd/dvd drives?
> >
> > Ste
> >
> >
>
> All these answer sound great, thank you for the help offered.
>
> I mentioned to the owner of the computer that there "could" be the
> possibility of the cd and DVD drives being old and suggested they get hold
> of someone else's to try. But no, they have too much money to spare and
went
> ahead and bought a brand spanking new dvd drive. lo and behold, it still
> didn't work!
>
> So, I'm thinking it might be the problem that has a solution on the
> microsoft website. I'm gonna give him a ring and work through it.
>
> In answer to some of the earlier questions though - the dvd player did
> manage to work in some fashion but only when the cd player had been
> disconnected from the cable they both are attached too.
>
> On boot-up the bios does recognise them :-)
>
> thanks for the suggestions, if anyone has more then I'd be happy to hear,
>
> Steve
>
>

Re: Blind Windows
 

"Steve(UK)" <news@homecomptr.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cjkal6$45k$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
> I just don't understand whats gone on with a computer someone gave me to
> fix. They have said that they wanted to use XP instead of win 98 and so
> formatted their hard-drive to clean it. He started his computer up and did
> the right stuff, used the XP CD he has and started to install it. However
at
> some point of the installation the computer stopped recognising his DVD
> drive and CD drive. The power is on to both of them and all the leads
appear
> un damaged but XP seems completely blind with regards to these drives. In
> device manager there is no entry for cd or dvd drives.
>
> Any suggestions? Anyone know what might cause this sudden alienation of
> cd/dvd drives?
>
> Ste

One way to be doubly sure that CDROM or DVD drives themselves are working is
to see if you can boot from the drive. If you can boot a CD then you know
that there is nothing wrong with the drive itself.
I've gotten them to recognize by unplugging the CDROM drive, booting into
the OS, removing any reference to the drives in the registry, shutting down,
replugging the drives and letting the OS detect them. That was Win98 though
not XP.

AG