Hardware

Ask something
Question Locked

IDE CD-ROM not being recognized by BIOS/Win

0 helpful
3 replies

by dmcmillan1 1 view

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Have a Dell Dimension 9100 system with one IDE port on motherboard (IDE primary). Attached to that I had a CD-ROM jumpered as master at the end of my IDE cable, and a CD-RW jumpered as cable select at the 2nd connector. Everything works.

I replace the CD-RW with a DVD-RW but leave the config the same, and make sure the DVD-RW is jumpered as a secondary. Can't see the DVD-RW, by which I mean BIOS isn't seeing it as a PATA device.

I proceed to try every possible primary/secondary/CSEL configuration and discover that only the primary device is being seen by BIOS. Thought it might be a driver or compatibility issue but the DVD-RW works just fine when it's the primary. If I re-cable and re-jumper, now I lose the DVD-RW and see the CD-ROM again.

DVD-RW is an LG GH22LP20. I think I've eliminated jumper settings and IDE cable problems because I can get either drive, just not both, to work.

Any ideas what this would be? Thx.

3 replies

by bfilmfan

Check to see if a BIOS update is available and apply it.

Then jumper one as the master and the other as the slave.

You may actually be having an issue with not enough available power.

by older mycroft

Place the DVD-RW & CD-ROM in juxtaposed positions regarding which part of the cable they're connected to.

Swap 'em round physically.

*If the DVD-RW is now the only one that the BIOS can see - get a new cable.

edit for *

This discussion is closed to new replies.