I need some help with CD drives (Vanity)

February 12, 2005

[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?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ROFL!!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I need some help with CD drives (Vanity) ^

Posted by Howlin On General/Chat ^ 02/12/2005 1:50:43 PM PST · 300 replies · 1,584+ views

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Moving ahead...previous number was ....1,155+ views

[daylate-dollarshort]

ping

[Phsstpok]

Reloading the chip set driver would repair any damage to it. The core Intel chip set includes the basic IO, including the IDE controller.

[Magnolia]

1,584+ views

Party goin' on....

[Cold Heat]

Both drives are daisied on to the board. A single unseated pin could cause a corupted or a lack of return from the drives to foul the hardare config directory on boot up. The machine reads it as a change and corupts the configuation.

Apparently, there is enough info gettig through so that the machine knows it has a drive, but it cannot go through the process of verification.

It happens quite a bit, but it usually happens to the hard drive more often.

In this Dell, I don't exactly know how it is set up. The hard drive may well be on the chain as well.

Anyway, for a layman, wiggling a connector is a easy enough thing to do, and it is a high percentage fix.

[Howlin]

I'm back.

And I did what you said; still no CDs; the "bubble" finds it, but then says there's a problem with installation.

Shall I go for the chipset?

BTW, the connector did connect to both drives; we looked at it pretty closely and it looks like there's a little "dent" right in the middle of the connector, about halfway between the motherboard and the drives; could that be anything? (Grasping at straws here.)

[SeaBiscuit]

"I bet I can interest them in checking on this."

No doubt! I've had poorly written software damage hardware before, odd thing is most people don't realize that software can and will damage hardware.

[Magnolia]

At this point I say go for the chipset. It's not supposed to hurt anything.

[Howlin]

[freedumb2003]

ahhh

If it won't boot, then the bios is messed up. I don't think it will be possible to reload XP. Might have to buy a new CD burner to put in the case.

[Cold Heat]

If the controller malfunctioned, would it not be likely that it too,would be flagged. It is in the list on the system hardware page where her drives showed error returns.

At least all of my chipset problem have showed up there as controler malfunction. Or they show up on the desk top balloons.

[Magnolia]

ROFLOL...I bet that's exactly how it must feel!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

there's a little "dent" right in the middle of the connector,

I don't get a mental picture of what you are describing there;????

Does Dell do something so that their cables are different?

[SeaBiscuit]

"Shall I go for the chipset? "

Yes indeed. I still think it's software problem, least I'm hoping.

[Cold Heat]

could that be anything? (Grasping at straws here.)

Don't think so.

[Howlin]

Not that I know of; but we looked at the connector and right in the middle of it, halfway between the board and the drives, there is a little dent that looks like it could have been done when the case was closed or something.

I have no idea what I am talking about, really, except it was the only odd looking thing on the cable.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

If the controller malfunctioned, would it not be likely that it too,would be flagged. It is in the list on the system hardware page where her drives showed error returns.

Let's ask her to check that....

[Howlin]

Let's try one more thing: this computer is suppose to go into Boot whatever when you press F12; I tried to do that, but I am obviously missing the "window of opportunity," pun intended.

I'm willing to try that to see if it's loading, but I can't get the dang Windows XP thing off the monitor.

If you can tell me how to do that, I'll do that and then do the chip thing.