cd/rw problem

[Jumby]

Sometimes when I start my computer, the TDK Velo CD/RW drive light stays on, as if the CD burner is being accessed, or is on or something. The problem is, I can't access the CD drive, because of this. It will not open. This happens 50% of the time when I start the computer. The only way I can stop it from happening is if the light on the CD burner stays on when I turn on the computer, I turn off the computer after a couple of seconds. When I start it again, it's ok, the light blinks, then goes off and everything works like it's supposed to. But as you can imagine, this is quite irritating. Thanks for any help.

[malcore]

Hey Jumby,
Do you have anything running on startup, like Creative disc detector or mediadet?
Is auto insert shutoff?
Try removing it from device mangager (in safe mode) and rebooting. On reboot, enter BIOS and make sure auto detection is on.

[Whyzman]

Hi Jumby,

My take on it would be to see if you can isolate the problem to either a software problem or hardware issue.

Thinking off the top of my head here (quite dangerous :D). If you boot into SafeMode you'd have a minimal set of drivers, checking to see if the problem presents itself with that scenario.

You didn't mention which Operating System you're using. If Win9x you might want to try a boot disk and select CD-ROM support and see if the drive light stays on then.

Since it goes away after a reboot, my guess would be a software conflict of some sort. In MSconfig do you have anything with the burner software loading at startup?

[Jumby]

The only problem is that sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. Although it never happens after the reboot. This is a new install of XP although it happened in earlier installs and with Win98 (I think). No CD/RW recording software is installed. I'll check the auto insert. Where is that? BIOS?

[ranchdog]

I would begin with :

Check my boot sequence in BIOS.

Check and see which ribbon cable
the burner is attached to and which
position on the cable.

If the CD-ROM and the burner are on
the same cable (probably) check thier
respective jumper settings. The unit
set as master needs to be plugged into
the end of the cable and the unit set
as slave needs to be plugged into the
middle. This arrangement should use
IDE2 on the Mboard.

IDE devices that are jumpered as CS
(cable select) should be the only device
on the ribbon cable and plugged into the
end of the cable.

Evidently BIOS settings are confused about the way
things are configured.



RD.

[Budfred]

I looked at my TDK Velo when I read your original post and noticed that the light was on. I opened it and took out the disk that was there, then closed it again. The light went off. I didn't try to run anything from it, but I thought that this may just be an issue with this drive and you may need to make sure it is empty before you shut your system down. Now if your drive is normally empty, what I am suggesting is irrelevant.:p

Good luck,
Budfred

[malcore]

Jumby,

Auto insert is not in BIOS.

Right click on "My Computer", then "properties", then "device manager".
Click on your CDR, then hit the properties button at the bootom, hit settings and make sure "auto insert" is not checked.

Like Ranchdog said, check your jumper settings. If after all this it still happens, try what I said before. In safe mode, go to device manager again, click on your CDR, and then hit remove. Reboot and Windows will reload the drivers.

For problems like this, TDK's site says to do this and if it doesn't work, the CDR may be defective.

Luck.

[Jumby]

I updated firmware and I'm hoping that will fix the problem (that would be too lucky). I turned off the computer cuz they were calling for possible thunderstorms (that's ok, we need rain real bad), and when I turned on the computer it didn't do it's (sometimes)usual thing with the CDR power light. I'll see what happens after a few days. Thanks.