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w95 cd-rom not working...

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21 replies

by symesd

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
The CD-Rom is connected as Slave (middle shunt jumper) and w95 picks it up and identifies it but when i insert a CD for reading I get "retry" -- it can't read any CD's. I don't need the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat settings for it to work in w95 do i? That's only for DOS programs right? Any hints? Have even tried another CD-rom drive in the computer.

21 replies

by dmiles

Try changing the cable to the cd-rom

Open the Device Manager and check the controller drivers donot have a yellow exclamation point,if so reinstall the controller driver.

by zlitocook

Try what soulrider said if that dont work. Did you get a foppy disk with the cdrom? If so run it some things in 95 still use the autoexec to load driver like cdrom or sound card. Also try moving the jumper to another set of pins. I have seen the pinout wrong on a few drives. Try reversing the cable, if the red or colored end is facing the power plugin try pluging the cable in the other way. Is this cdrom new or an extra you have. Older cdrom need drivers which you can down load off the net.

by symesd

no fd and tried multiple CD-Rom Drives and jumpers didn't do the trick. The ribbon cable is color coded and matches the pins as they are numbered.

by thechas

Try installing the mfg drivers for the motherboard / chipset in use on the computer.
In particular, the IDE bus-master driver.

I have also seen W95 systems stop reading CD-ROMs when UDF (CD-RW) reading software has been installed.

Chas

by ccavazosrc

Uninstall (remove) CDROM FROM DEVICE MANAGER, THEN REBOOT, Windows OS should be able to place a default driver for you. If not, you can download drivers from the internet or the company its from. Also try going into properties of the CD, and switch settings. Good Luck

by symesd

allowed w95 to find it and that looked good. but don't know what settings to try to switch to.

by rev. ned

When is the last time you cleaned your CD-ROM? You know that little laser inside there gets dirty and can't see the disk, hence the notice.

by gigelul

If is an older CD-rom drive try to disable UDMA for slave IDE in BIOS (also in Win95)

by sloowwhand

You have tried 3 different CD drives with the same result. That might indicate a setting in the BIOS that is incorrect. On some older Bios you need to specify "CDROM" for the slave settings and not choose "Auto". Older Megatrends Bios are like that. If that does not work....you may need to install the driver in DOS to get the drive to work properly. Look at the manufacturer of the drive and then go to www.driverguide.com and search for the driver. You have to sign up but it's free and theyhave just about any hard to find driver you need. Get the DOS driver then restart windows in DOS and install it and give it a shot.

by chembrother

What brand computer is this or is it a clone? Compaqs and some clone PCs require that you use the cable select jumper instead of the master/slave jumpers.
If not -> Try putting the CD-Rom onto the second IDE controller as Master (changing the jumper to master). If this fixes the problem part of the hard disks built on controller is bad. If this doesn't work you can try this;
*Read note at bottom first. *

1. On your screen, locate and click the Start button. From the Start menu, click Shut Down. In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart the computer in MS-DOS Mode, then click Yes.
2. Once the computer has restarted, at the C:\Windows directory, type attrib system.dat -r -h -s. Press ENTER.
3. Type: attribc:\system.1st -r -h -s. Press ENTER.
4. Type: ren system.dat system.xxx. Press ENTER.
5. Type: copy c:\system.1st c:\windows\system.dat. Press ENTER.
6. Type: attrib system.dat +r +a +s +h. Press ENTER.
7. Type: attrib c:\system.1st +r +h +s. Press ENTER.
8. At the C:\Windows directory, type: Exit. Press ENTER and the computer will restart Windows.

Note: this will set the hardware part of your registry back to like it was a fresh install. Soyou will need the drivers for all of your hardware available. Your old system.dat file is still there it is just renamed to system.xxx and can be easily restored if this does not work. Like any good advice backup your critical data before doing this.

Best of luck to you Chembrother

by rev. ned

I hadn't even thought that you might be on the same IDE cable as the HDD. If you are, seperate the CD-ROM from the HDD IDE, set your jump, on the CD-Rom to master, start up and go to CMOS, standard CMOS setup, or equivalent, arrow down to secondary master, and page down, or arrow right or left, to set it as CD-ROM. And if drivers are an issue, I've got a dynomite boot disk I could email to you. Well gotta go and finish re-assembeling my printer. Bye, Rev. Ned

by tim_vogt

IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH SPACE. PUT IT ONYOUR H.D. THEN CHANGE IT TO THE DRIVE OF YOUR LIKING

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