Tech Question

[ManicQueen]

Would anyone know why my computer isn't recognizing either one of my

DVD/CD ROM drives and how I might go about resolving this?

Thanks

[SuZQZ]

I know it's obvious, but I have to ask just like I would ask any of the customers who call into our helpdesk, but have you tried rebooting?

Are you stating that the My Computer doesn't list the devices as drives? Or are you trying to access them using a specific program?

Also, have you made any configuration changes, updates or been inside the case working on any hardware?

[ManicQueen]

I know it's obvious, but I have to ask just like I would ask any of the customers who call into our helpdesk, but have you tried rebooting?

Are you stating that the My Computer doesn't list the devices as drives? Or are you trying to access them using a specific program?

Also, have you made any configuration changes, updates or been inside the case working on any hardware?

Rebooted many times.

My Computer does not show the drives either. I put a disk in one of them and I can't get it to run.

All kinds of changes but this has been going on for many months. I just put a new HD in about a week ago... at that time they stay weren't showing up. About 4 days go I noticed they were listed in My Computer so I went ahead and starting installing a few programs. I looked later and they were still listed.

As of yesterday, they are no long working again.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

So they come and go...

Odd.

Could be a bad data cable...

could be a bad power supply...

could be a loose connection...

Are you cool with opening you case? Odd things like this make me think failing hardware... and with it coming and going it leans me toward a mother board problem....

If you cool with it, I'd like you to visually inspect your motherboard. Look at the capaitors on it. They look like little barrels standing all over the board. They have little X's cut into the top normally. They should have flat tops and smooth sides.

If they are buldging at all or you see stuff leaking out of them... you board is bad and will cause flaky problems suh as this.

[SuZQZ]

Yep, what he said. Very on that it comes and goes. Check the data cables and power supply plugs and see if any of the caps on the motherboard are buldging.

Could also possible check the event log to see if it states anything, but I doubt the cd\dvd issue will show up there.

[ManicQueen]

Thanks you two.. I'll check it out and let ya know what I find

[SuZQZ]

Maybe first you should try updating the driver, or removing the hardware from the device manager, reboot and see if Window reinstalls it... if you haven't already tried this.

Good luck!

[Rayne]

Sounds like a driver issue. The driver could need updating .... or it could be missing, damaged or the generic one Windows chose could be not really the one it should have.

[ManicQueen]

Well, they aren't even listed in Device Manager so.. dunno.

I opened the box and looked around.. inspected the caps and didn't see anything

unusual, cables look fine too.

Anyone have a spare motherboard? lol

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

You know... It could be the Sony DRM rootkit messing with you...

Try downloading and runnig this

[Draco1958]

I'm in Canton till friday night, if you want, I could come take a look at it for you.

[SuZQZ]

If it's not listed in the device manager, then it's not being recognized at boot up. What is the make and model of your pc and what OS are you running? What is the brand and type of the CD and DVD? Go out to that company's website and download the driver's from there, then do an Add/Remove Hardware. When it asks about the driver, choose installing yourself and point to where you saved the files. Do not let Windows choose one itself.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Without having it right in front of me it's very difficult to diagnose. Could be something really simple, hard to tell this way.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

You wont find drivers for cd-roms. You may find firmware updates but not drivers. Also, if the drives do not show up in Device manager at all you cant install drivers for them.

Windows uses Filter Drivers for cd-roms... and if the filter drivers get fucked... like how the Sony DRM software does.. then the drive no longer show up in windows.

[SuZQZ]

I guess I was a little confusing when I typed that earlier... work phones were going off... I meant to try and reinstall the devices, and yes, update the firmware... but it still seems wonky to me, like it's a hardware issue. Some connector not seated snuggly or a bad prong or something, if it's sparatic as she stated. Wish I could get my hands on it. So much easier to diagnose when you have it right in front of you.

[ManicQueen]

I don't wanna download and start screwing with things that I dont' know about so

I'm just going to wait for a friend to look at it.

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciated you'r input

[Kit Kat P]

y'all should give little classes or something

[ManicQueen]

y'all should give little classes or something

Seriously!

I need to go take some class's myself, obviously

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I have tried to teach someone what I know before.. they say they learn more from me than they have wever learned in a class.. but they still can't fix things like I do.

You have to have the right kind of thinking to truly be a tech... Logic paths have to.. well... you have to be able to see them and follow them back to the begining and all the way to the end. Oh, and you have to be able to be wrong. I've been a tech for nearly 20 years.. i still see new stuff everyday that makes me go "What the fuck? Thats not right..."

[Dubh Aingeal]

Even if a a cable (or compnent for that matter) looks like they are sitting correctly. If you suspect they could be the culprit (and even if you don't) you should reseat them. Even a slight change in position can cause it to not work correctly.

[SuZQZ]

...Oh, and you have to be able to be wrong. I've been a tech for nearly 20 years.. i still see new stuff everyday that makes me go "What the fuck? Thats not right..."

Yep, yep... I may know a lot, but I also know I don't know even close to everything. That's what I love about this field. Always changing and always something new to learn everyday.

[Scary Guy]

Stupid basics...

You didn't unplug then replugin the ribbon (data cable) did you? If it gets turned around then it won't recognize the drives. Do the lights stay on constantly on the drives, this could indicate that. Most ribbons now have a notch which should only allow them to go in one way. Older computers and drives may not have a notch (this is where an exacto knife comes in handy).

I highly doubt you moved the jumper on the back but there is MA, SL, CS (master, slave, cable select) on the back of all the CD-ROM drives. If they're both set to the same then the BIOS doesn't know what location they're in. Also some are really picky and want the master to be at the end of the chain and the slave to be in the middle.

Firmware is serious business. Don't mess with it or you could brick your drives (not as huge of a deal as say upgrading your motherboard BIOS would be, at least you can try to reflash the drives). Do NOT shut off your computer while updating either.

I think I saw everything else covered.

Also if windows doesn't see the drives, it does not necessarily mean that the BIOS isn't detecting them. Although I could be thinking of hard disks here I seem to remember running into the problem with a ROM or two.