Windows

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

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.

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

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

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