Posted on 02/12/2005 1:50:43 PM PST by Howlin
I put a music CD that came with a book into my computer last night, played, and now my computer won't recognize either my CD or my CD writer.
I've tried everything; Norton, Restore, rebooting.
Does anybody have any suggestions about what I might try now?
My memory says it is F-5.Hold it down during reboot from the start. If it is not F-5 the other one was F-8 if I recall.
This is a really dumb question, I know, but woudl Dell have sent me a motherboard schematic?
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Illustrations of your computer's interior are available at Dell support. Motherboard schematic really refers to the electronics of the motherboards hence useless to you or me. Motherboard layout, yes.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8250/techov.htm#1084976
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8250/index.htm
A quick test after you have done that is to boot the pc with the windows xp cd if the install program starts then the drive is good and its a windows problem. Try this in both the cdrom and cdrw and if both work then the hardware is good.
As other have stated...try reseating the Ribbon cable/cables going to the CD rom Drives.(Both ends) If that does not change things then try one Drive at a time(Unplug the ribbon cable from one of them with the power off-then restart the computer). If one drive is bad it could prevent the other from working. The CD Rom drive(Not the burner) Should be no problem as far as drivers are concerned. I have never had to download any drivers even in windows 98 for a CD rom drive to show up in windows and be usable. The burner will usually be accessable also...at least to read CD's. This is just using whatever drivers windows installs all by itself. I don't know about XP but windows 98 does not even inform you it found new hardware when you install a new CD drive. It just adds it into the drives. So you might try one drive at a time as suggested above. It might help you narrow things down. If not then you are probably looking at some kind of hardware failure either in your ribbon cable or else your Motherboard IO. There are usually two Channels of IDE which can each support two devices. So it is possible to try your CD roms on a different IDE channel with a little knowledge.
But you need to try Isolation of the CD drives first. I mentioned how to do that above.
Howlin this will use the hardware of your machine the bios,cables etc....
but will use an operating system loaded in from the CD and WILL NOT use the registry on your running system....
We are trying to avoid opening up the clamshell box....see picture somewhere above.
"A quick test after you have done that is to boot the pc with the windows xp cd if the install program starts then the drive is good and its a windows problem. Try this in both the cdrom and cdrw and if both work then the hardware is good."
Very smart thinking. I trying to think of how you could do this with XP. It was easy when DOS was still built in. XP changes all of that. Assuming this is not a really old computer(With non bootable CD) that has been converted to XP then your method is really good.
My assumption is connector error, or I/0 slot problems but opening up these cases for a first timer is not fun.
She is going through all the BS before you open the can.
Hubby had a similar problem and said it requires step by step instructions. If you'd like to call us, he will walk you through it. Let me know and I'll freepmail you my number.
Most likely it is not a I/O problem because if the connector was bad then windows would not even have the yellow marks next to the device because it would not know they were even there if the bios doesn't see them. That's why Howlin should see if the xp install cd works, this bypasses windows and if it works then the hardware is good and means something is wrong with the current installation.
I think Seabiscuit's suggestion at #143, is the way to go at this point, and has potential for getting a handle on whether we have a real hardware problem or a a software problem.....maybe from a messed update from doing the MS$ auto update thing last night.....
worth a try for sure.
Okay....put the CD Dell sent me with Reinstallation CD MS Windows XP Professional in one of the CD drives and reboot?
If it starts to install, what do I do then??? How do I stop it?
Does your hubby do PC fixing for a living....or a lot of it?
I think I'm heading that way. Stay close to an opening, guys; stay close.
Gonna try the disk thing first.
A lot of it. He used to build computers.
Good question.....
I assume it will first ask you some question on the screen....but it depends on how Dell has put it together....
have you got a knoppix CD?
Bad question I suppose....
Yes, that is why I called it a odd problem. That is also why I suggested a safe mode restore. She has norton. I hate what Norton does sometimes to computer problems. In safe mode, if there is program interference with registry repairs, then it is bypassed.
You may be right. I have been seeing a lot of posts around with people complaining about having problems after installing SP2. And I am willing to be there is no such thing as rolling that one back. I don't think this gets rolled back when you try to go back. Is that right?
OK, if it boot up and starts the install progam then the hardware is good, to stop the installation read the instructions at the bottom of the screen, can't remember off hand if it's 'escape' or f2, if you don't see the instruction to stop then just hit your reset button on the pc or if you don't have one then reach behind the pc and shut of the switch on the power supply, it looks just like a light switch.
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