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lost cd rom on divice manager! help
- Thread starter rkdrinnin
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2004
- Messages
- 95
Lord Yorien says:
Check my reply on THIS TOPIC. Maybe it can help. Since you're using '98, some directions will be missleaded, but can give you ideas. Specially check the BIOS.
Lord Yorien Dragonard
Check my reply on THIS TOPIC. Maybe it can help. Since you're using '98, some directions will be missleaded, but can give you ideas. Specially check the BIOS.
Lord Yorien Dragonard
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2004
- Messages
- 95
Lord Yorien says:
Ok, Now about the BIOS...
If the CD-ROM is not listed on the Device Manager, you'll have to check the BIOS. Don't worry, you won't mess the BIOS unless you make changes and chose to SAVE the BIOS Settings. If you just look, you cannot mess anything.
Since every system is different,I'll only be able to give you directions, but you'll find it's "easy" to check the BIOS
1-. You should see the type of computer you're using. You may either have a "corporate" (a computer fully made by HP, DELL, COMPAQ, IBM, etc...) or a "clone" (a computer created by custom parts - i.e. motherboard by Asus, ATI video Card, Amd processor, Cooler by Coolsystems... - the kind of computer you buy from computer stores). I mean this because "Clones" use a BIOS created by the motherboard manufacturer, while "Corporates" use a BIOS created by the company that designed the computer. You'll commonly have a "clone".
2-. Now it's time to actually enter the BIOS: When you power on the computer, the first screen you'll ever see is called the POST (the POST loads, performs a series of system checks, then vanishes so it let's the O/S to load). In case of "corporates" the screen will commonly show the corporation logo, while in "clones" it will commonly show the RAM check, the motherboard manufacturer logo and the current settings.
Commonly, in the lower side of the screen , a message will appear telling you to press a key to enter setup. Most common keys are F2, F10, F12 and DEL, but as I said it will depend on the system (there may even be a combination of keys). Quickly press that key(S) before the POST screen vanishes, so you can get access to the system BIOS.
3-. Once in the BIOS, You should get to the IDE device drives setup. on "clones" it is usually called Standard CMOS Setup, but can have another name, like Hardware Devices, or even they can appear on the main BIOS screen. In there you should see the HDD's 3 1/2 disk and other devices connected to the system and detected by it. There are 4 IDE channels here, each having his own name (you don't need to see the channel names, usually you'll see just the information of the device on each channel):
Primary Master --> You'll find here your main HDD. This is the channel system commonly boots from.
Primary Slave --> Is commonly one of the two channels you'd find the CD-ROM. If a CD-ROM is detected here, the channel should be listed as CD-ROM or similar
Secondary Master --> The other channel you'll commonly find the CD-ROM
Secondary Slave --> Usually nothing there. Will appear as NONE or NOT INSTALLED.
As I said before, as long as you DON'T SAVE, you may mess up with the BIOS without problems.
OK, now check the devices you have on your system. You'll need at least a HDD (Primary Master) and a CD-ROM (That may be on Primary Slave or Secondary Master); you may also have a CD/DVD-Writer (Also on Primary Slave or Secondary Master).
You may either find the CD-ROM here, or don't. If you find the CD-ROM here, then the problem is on the O/S; If you don't find it here, then there's something wrong on the drive's hardware or on the BIOS itself.
If the BIOS does not recognize the CD, we'll have to check if we can detect the drive. Most newest (year 1999+) BIOS have an option called AUTODETECT, that allows them to quickly scan for devices (either you have to just press ENTER or a KEY on the IDE channel(s) we think they hold the CD-ROM; or just press a Key that will detects devices found on ALL channels, then we'll have to select the ones we want to load). Take note, if there's something new found by the BIOS, the BIOS can either detect is as a CD-ROM or as an UNKNOWN DEVICE. Don't worry if is detected as an unknown device. Also, take note that you'll have to SAVE CHANGES so the BIOS keeps the newly detected HW.
Another type of BIOSes allows us to set an AUTODETECT MODE on any channel. The advantage is that we change something on a channel, the system will detect it on the following reboots, so we won't have to access the BIOS, just click a key and the system will keep the changes made. On disadvantage, system will check for some time an unused slot, so it will take more time to load.
If the drive was detected by the BIOS, then the problem is on the O/S itself (It won't be the first time Windows doesn't recognize a CD-ROM). First try to boot from a BOOTDISK with CD-ROM SUPPORT (wou can find some on BOOTDISK) or a BOOTABLE CD. This way we'll be sure that the drive is working. Next, find some CD-ROM DOS legacy drivers that work (for example the same ones on the bootdisk you used) and make them to load when your computers boots from HDD (they're usually free, you may even download some drivers with a setup executable so they'll be easier to install). Windows should detect the legacy drivers and show you the drive without problems
Lord Yorien Dragonard
Ok, Now about the BIOS...
If the CD-ROM is not listed on the Device Manager, you'll have to check the BIOS. Don't worry, you won't mess the BIOS unless you make changes and chose to SAVE the BIOS Settings. If you just look, you cannot mess anything.
Since every system is different,I'll only be able to give you directions, but you'll find it's "easy" to check the BIOS
1-. You should see the type of computer you're using. You may either have a "corporate" (a computer fully made by HP, DELL, COMPAQ, IBM, etc...) or a "clone" (a computer created by custom parts - i.e. motherboard by Asus, ATI video Card, Amd processor, Cooler by Coolsystems... - the kind of computer you buy from computer stores). I mean this because "Clones" use a BIOS created by the motherboard manufacturer, while "Corporates" use a BIOS created by the company that designed the computer. You'll commonly have a "clone".
2-. Now it's time to actually enter the BIOS: When you power on the computer, the first screen you'll ever see is called the POST (the POST loads, performs a series of system checks, then vanishes so it let's the O/S to load). In case of "corporates" the screen will commonly show the corporation logo, while in "clones" it will commonly show the RAM check, the motherboard manufacturer logo and the current settings.
Commonly, in the lower side of the screen , a message will appear telling you to press a key to enter setup. Most common keys are F2, F10, F12 and DEL, but as I said it will depend on the system (there may even be a combination of keys). Quickly press that key(S) before the POST screen vanishes, so you can get access to the system BIOS.
3-. Once in the BIOS, You should get to the IDE device drives setup. on "clones" it is usually called Standard CMOS Setup, but can have another name, like Hardware Devices, or even they can appear on the main BIOS screen. In there you should see the HDD's 3 1/2 disk and other devices connected to the system and detected by it. There are 4 IDE channels here, each having his own name (you don't need to see the channel names, usually you'll see just the information of the device on each channel):
Primary Master --> You'll find here your main HDD. This is the channel system commonly boots from.
Primary Slave --> Is commonly one of the two channels you'd find the CD-ROM. If a CD-ROM is detected here, the channel should be listed as CD-ROM or similar
Secondary Master --> The other channel you'll commonly find the CD-ROM
Secondary Slave --> Usually nothing there. Will appear as NONE or NOT INSTALLED.
As I said before, as long as you DON'T SAVE, you may mess up with the BIOS without problems.
OK, now check the devices you have on your system. You'll need at least a HDD (Primary Master) and a CD-ROM (That may be on Primary Slave or Secondary Master); you may also have a CD/DVD-Writer (Also on Primary Slave or Secondary Master).
You may either find the CD-ROM here, or don't. If you find the CD-ROM here, then the problem is on the O/S; If you don't find it here, then there's something wrong on the drive's hardware or on the BIOS itself.
If the BIOS does not recognize the CD, we'll have to check if we can detect the drive. Most newest (year 1999+) BIOS have an option called AUTODETECT, that allows them to quickly scan for devices (either you have to just press ENTER or a KEY on the IDE channel(s) we think they hold the CD-ROM; or just press a Key that will detects devices found on ALL channels, then we'll have to select the ones we want to load). Take note, if there's something new found by the BIOS, the BIOS can either detect is as a CD-ROM or as an UNKNOWN DEVICE. Don't worry if is detected as an unknown device. Also, take note that you'll have to SAVE CHANGES so the BIOS keeps the newly detected HW.
Another type of BIOSes allows us to set an AUTODETECT MODE on any channel. The advantage is that we change something on a channel, the system will detect it on the following reboots, so we won't have to access the BIOS, just click a key and the system will keep the changes made. On disadvantage, system will check for some time an unused slot, so it will take more time to load.
If the drive was detected by the BIOS, then the problem is on the O/S itself (It won't be the first time Windows doesn't recognize a CD-ROM). First try to boot from a BOOTDISK with CD-ROM SUPPORT (wou can find some on BOOTDISK) or a BOOTABLE CD. This way we'll be sure that the drive is working. Next, find some CD-ROM DOS legacy drivers that work (for example the same ones on the bootdisk you used) and make them to load when your computers boots from HDD (they're usually free, you may even download some drivers with a setup executable so they'll be easier to install). Windows should detect the legacy drivers and show you the drive without problems
Lord Yorien Dragonard
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