CDROM drive not detected by computer

[Help!!!]

Well, a few days ago, I installed a new 128MB SDRAM chip into my HP Pavilion 6330. While this is not the source of my problem, this is when all the trouble started. Once the chip was installed and I restarted my computer, I noticed that there was no sound. I immediately checked in the "Device Manager" and found a conflict with my audio system. It turned out to be a resource conflict between my Nvidia Geforce 2 MX chip and the audio system. To solve this, I changed the resource of the audio system to a free space. Once this was done, windows told me to restart, which I did. This is where all the real trouble happened. After restarting, my computer would not go into windows. It would get stuck in the blue Windows 98 screen and would freeze up. I tried to shut down my computer and restart it, but the same thing would happen. I then went into safe mode and found that windows would load under it. After doing a system diagnosis, I found that the problem was my secondary IDE controller (Hard drive), so I disabled it, which solved the problem. Once I did that, windows told me to restart my computer again, which I did. After windows started up properly, I had two more problems which I still have no clue how to fix. My sound still does not work, which it has no resource conflicts this time, and of course, my computer does not detect my CDROM drive. It works however, since the cd "door" opens and closes fine, but windows does not detect it. When I restart my computer, windows shows a pop up message saying there is no CDROM drive attached. I have tried many different CDs to see if it is just a cd, but none work. I checked in the "Device manager" and found that there is no controller installed for the CDROM drive either. I have tried to restore the system configuration in the DOS prompt with regedit/restore...but I have no dates before the incident and the only one that was failed to restore. One person I talked to said my CDROM drive was connected to the Secondary IDE controller that I disabled and told me to put it as a slave to my other IDE controller. This would be fine except I have no clue how to do it. This also doesnt tell me why my secondary IDE controller caused all the original problems. Anyone have any ideas on what to do? Im stuck.

[BigBlue66]

Hi and Welcome,

Yes, it's more than likely that your CD-ROM is connected to your secondary IDE channel, which you disabled. First thing to do is open the computer back up and press firmly down on the motherboard IDE ribbon cable connection. If your memory slots are close to the motherboard IDE connectors, you may have disturbed the connection. The IDE ribbon cable must be connected securely in order to work.

So do that and then re-enable your secondary IDE channel. That should get the CD-ROM going again. Not sure about the sound problem. Did you inadvertently disturb the soundcard or any connectors going to it whilst you were in the case?

Let's get your CD-ROM problem fixed first so follow the above advice and post back with your progress. Maybe, just maybe, when you get the CD-ROM/Secondardy IDE channel problem fixed, your sound problem will be fixed as well.

Oh, and try to avoid putting the CD-ROM on the same channel as your harddrive. It will drag the harddrive down to the speed of the CD-ROM. You don't want that.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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This space reserved for highly intelligent observations and witty remarks.

[Help!!!]

well, dispite your advice of to not set the CDROM as a slave to my hard drive, I did. My CDROM does work now and I am not experiencing any significant slowdowns. My SOUND however still doesnt work. There arnt any conflicts and the sound card is configured correctly...so I dont know how to fix it...and I still dont know whats wrong with my secondary IDE

[BigBlue66]

Hey,

Guess we need to know your setup. Do you have a harddrive on the secondary IDE channel, or did you at one time? When you say you disabled the secondary IDE channel, how exactly did you do that? Is there anything hooked up to the secondary IDE channel now?

Try booting in Safe Mode. Go to Device Manager and find the disk controllers section. Expand the listing. Highlight and Remove all instances of the Secondary IDE channel that you see. Reboot in normal mode and let Windows find and reinstall the secondary IDE channel.

Which "free space" did you assign the soundcard to? If it was IRQ 9, then that's most likely the problem with your sound. Try a different IRQ if you have one free. You could also go the route of deleting the soundcard in Safe Mode and letting Windows find and reinstall it.

If all else fails, remove all the soundcard listings in Device Manager. Power down and install the soundcard in a different PCI slot, if you have one available. Boot up and let Windows find and install the soundcard.

Did you make any changes in BIOS? You might want to check the BIOS settings to make sure the secondary IDE controller, both Master and Slave, are set to Auto. That setting should be in the Standard CMOS Settings screen.

Post back with your progress.

Big Blue 66


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This space reserved for highly intelligent observations and witty remarks.