Windows XP not recognizing my CD or DVD drives

[Ka0skrew]

When I built my new computer I was short and IDE cable for it's CD drive. So I took one from my other computer just to make sure it worked. However, when I finally got another IDE cable my CD and DVD drives that I unhooked no longer are recognized in windows.

This seems to be a windows problem because in the load-up screen it recognizes them and it recognizes them in the bios as well.

Does anybody know how I can make WIndows recognize these drives? I did a hardware search and it doesn't find them and in the Device manager the CD/DVD root is not even there so I can't do a search there.

Advice please. Thanks in advance...

[bailey]

are the two bables the same type, eather a 40 wire or a 80 wire, which one ar you useing.
did you hook up the drives excatly the same as tha old cable was as for which one was at the end of the cable ?
it is obvisualy something you changed when you switched the cables.
you might try putting the first old cable back and see if it works

if it was working with borrowed cable, why did you not just leave it in there and put the new one back on the other system ?

[Force Flow]

Welcome to PCMech, Ka0skrew

Try testing each drive individually. If they both work, look again at the master/slave configuration.

[Karnevil9]

If the wires are OK and the master/slave or cable select jumpers are ok, You can also try the add new hardware wizard. I've had times when I temporarily disconnected a components wires and when I put the wire back, windows sees it as a new install.

[Ka0skrew]

Did, did and did.

After I couldn't get the drives to work the first time I swithced my old cable back to the first computer(the non-working disc drive one) and the new cable to the new computer.

However, the cable wasn't the problem. CD or DVD drive still not work when I hooked up the old wire.

I tried hooking up one at a time but I got the sam problem.(Drives were found in star-up but not in windows)

I also tried the Add new Harware and it never finds anything...

Here's one more tidbit of information. If I hook it up how I think its supposed to be (master/slave issue) then it starts up and boots into Windows and doesn't recognize the drives in windows. If I hook it up how I think is the wrong way Windows will not even boot. I get a enter a System disk error I beleive and the drives act like they have no power.(I.E won't open and lights don't flash...Power works when hooked up how I think is the correct way.)

[Panama Red]

I'm a little confused. Is it the first sytem, the one you "borrowed" the IDE cable from, that is giving you trouble? Or is it the new build?

[Ka0skrew]

OK.

NEW COMPUTER: Borrowed IDE cable and everything worked. Later switched IDE cables to see if IDE cable was the problem. Everything still works.

OLD COMPUTER: Ganked IDE cable to make sure everything on the new computer was working. Put in new IDE cable CD and DVD drives did not work. Replaced old IDE cable into computer. CD and DVD drives still do not work.

BREAKDOWN: Old computer is back to how it was before. (All the smae parts) except the CD and DVD drives do not work. New computer worked with both IDE cable and is currently working fine.

[Craig100]

no matter how you configure the cd-drives, if there is a power connector attatched you should be able to open/close them when the system is running. the system disk error is meaning something is wrong with the hard drive IDE cable, but sorted now. if you have a IDE hard drive, you will need a seperate IDE cable for that, so connect the cable to the mothebroards primary connector and then to the drive(the connector which has the longest strand of cable should go towards the motherboard. then you should have another IDE cable connecting your 2(cd, dvd) drives, inwhich the connector should go into the secondary connector on the motherboard, and the two ends closest together on the cable should be connected to the 2 drives. and if u r using 40 conductor drives should be configured as master and slave, and your hard drive should be on a master jumper. if 80 conductor cable, then put all drives to CS(Cable Select) sorry about the way i described which connectors go into which part of the system, i will think up a better way

[Karnevil9]

In addittion to Craig100's post also make sure that all IDE connecters on the drives and motherboard are installed properly with the red line side of the IDE cables going to pin No 1 of the drives and motherboard. If any of your optical drives are Lite-on, try using master/slave configuration with Lite on being master. They can be funny that way sometimes. If you are already doing Master/Slave config, try doing Cable select and see if anything changes. If you have an 80 IDE wire connector it will be three colors for the Connector. Blue goes to the motherboard, black goes to the master device, gray goes to the slave.

[Craig100]

yea forgot to mention that karnevil, however most IDE cables are keyed nowadays so it can be pretty hard

[andyms18a]

did you have nero or easy cd on the old computer and have you uninstaled any of them ?

[Ka0skrew]

I had nero... I haven't uninstalled it though.

[andyms18a]

in device manager look at ide ata/atpi controlers how many dose it list and check the properties of each one

[Ka0skrew]

I fixed it! I fixed it!! Who-hoo., I fixed it!!

Got it working after trying Andy's advice. I looked at the 3 things under the IDE ATA/ATPI controllers. There was an ATA controller and a Primary and secondary IDE channel.

When I refreshed the drivers of the Secondary IDE it changed to a secondary DISC controller. Next time I booted the comp. There was my DVD and CD drives.

Thanks everyone for your help...

[andyms18a]

happy to help but i never sean that happen befor but at least if i see it on a computer that comes in to the shop for repair i will know how to fix it

[Panama Red]

Nice call, Andy! And thanx Ka0skrew for the feed back. Like Andy said, file that one for future reference.