Wont recognize CD Rom

[leej]

I recently changed my RAM and processor for newer ones and found that when I started up the system it wont recognize my CD Rom. Consequently Windows will not load and all I get is a little flashing cursor at the top left hand of the screen and that is all.

What I need to know is why wont it recognize my CD Rom? When I put the old stuff back in and change all the jumper settings AGAIN, it all works fine.

Thanks in advance for any help.

P.S I know virtually nothing about computers and how they work, so I'm relying on you guys!

[This message has been edited by leej (edited 08-17-2001).]

[PostCode]

When you say the cursor is up in the left hand corner of the screen, I suspect what's going on is the proc is not being setup correctly. Have you tried to boot to a Windows 98 boot disk with CD-ROM support on it yet? Try that with the new processor and RAM in place. Double chack and triple check your jumper settings. What motherboard is it anyway?

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[leej]

Thanks Postcode

I've tried to start the thing up with my Windows '98 CD in and a Windows start up disk on floppy but to no avail. I don't know what sort of mobo it is, all that is on the booklet is a series of numbers, I can't see anywhere where it says a name!

I've triple checked the jumper settings and quadruple checked them until I could do them with my eyes closed. What is most baffling is the fact that everything is fine and dandy when all the old stuff is in.

I don't know, maybe I'm missing something really fundamental here, all this stuff is completely over my head. I could just make do with all the old settings but I want to upgrade.

Hope this helps

Lee j (-:

[PostCode]

Have you tried placing the motherboard back to the original values for the processor yet? Try that with the new proc in and the old one to determine if the proc is bad. Also, look around the PCI slots for any distinctive name. Something like VA-503 or GA-GAZ, or something like that. Large letters and/or numbers. This should be the board model if it is labeled as such. Hope this helps.

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[ranchdog]

leej.... Please give us any string of numbers you have or can find on the Motherboard and we'll see if we can determine who the mfg. happens to be. Also, on the Motherboard see if you can find a small decal that will list the FCC ID#. When you initially boot-up the PC, use the pause button to hold the very first screen you get. Look in the lower left corner and write down the string of numbers and letters that are listed. Send along these also. Using the space bar will let you continue after the pause.
We need to try and find some type of documentation or manual on the Motherboard so the correct jumpers, etc. can be obtained for upgrades.
What type of system are we talking about? Intel? AMD? Send us everything you can about the system. Type of CPU, (old and new), type of RAM, etc. etc. Kinda in the Dark here. Luck.

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......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
...... Kickin' A Rock....

[mjc]

Also is this an off the shelf system like a Compaq or HP?

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

Gun Control...hitting what you aim at!

[classicsoftware]

Just a simple question. You said you swapped out the RAM and the processor and now the system hangs. Have your tried just swapping out the RAM first and seeing what happens. If it doesn't work with the NEW RAM then the RAm is bad. If it works with the new RAM, then use the OLD RAM and the NEW processor and see where that takes you. You may have already tried this, but I like to try easy stuff first when troubleshooting.

[leej]

Thanks you Guys

I'll get all this info you want and you've all given me a few ideas to have a go at. I have to use my local library to get on-line, but I'll get back to you very soon!

Thanks again

Lee j (-:

[leej]

Ok, here goes! Here's the original question I wanted to ask with lots of detail!

I brought a brand new Cyrix 333 Mhz processor to replace my ailing 200 Mhz processor and a new RAM module (64 Meg PC100) as someone told me that my old RAM would not be compatible with the new processor, and they weren’t kidding, it wasn’t. I was told that the old RAM was PC 66 or 33, something like that and the old processor was the same. When I fire up the PC with the 333 installed, and the new RAM, it gets to the post screen where it confirms that it has recognised the processor and the amount of RAM, but further down where it is supposed to recognise the hard drives and any other hardware you may have, it fails to recognize my CD Rom. (It states the Primary Master as a Fujitsu, which was the original HDD and then some number. It states the Primary Slave as just a number – a small HDD I installed myself. It states the Secondary Master as “NONE”, which is supposed to be the CD Rom. Finally it states the Secondary Slave as my CD-RW. It then goes to another black screen, which simply contains a tiny, flashing cursor at the top left, and that’s all, that’s as far as it goes. (It all works fine with the old 200 Mhz processor and old RAM module installed.)

I am wondering if it has anything to do with the type of mobo I have. Is there some compatibility issue with regards mobos and RAM and processors? In the mobo booklet it claims to support Cyrix 6x86/6x86L/6x86MX/M-II processors. I check and check all of the relevant jumper settings over and over until I can do them in my sleep but nothing I do seems to work. By the way, on the processor it says Cyrix MII, 333GP, 75 Mhz bus 3.5x, 2.9 volt.

Lee j )-:

[danleff]

Hi;

Since you state that you have the motherboard manual, what model is this machine or motherboard?

It may be a problem with the bios settings, for example, some bios' need to have Cyrix enabled, but it seems that it recognizes the processor correctly, according to your post. Since you were messing inside the case, make sure that the CD rom ribbon cable is securely connected to the cd rom and motherboard and that it did not come loose in the process of changing things inside the case. Ditto for the power connector to the cd rom. If not, you can go into the bios and make sure that the secondary master is set to auto-detect.

Are you sure that you did not switch the cables for the cd rom and hard drives at all?

Finally, although all seems to work well with the old hardware, a bios update may be needed to get all the components working correctly. But before that, did you try clearing the cmos?

[This message has been edited by danleff (edited 08-25-2001).]

[This message has been edited by danleff (edited 08-25-2001).]

[leej]

Hi Danleff

All the power cables are fine, none of them were swapped over during processor installation. The Secondary Master IS set to auto and I have cleared the CMOS several times but to no avail!

Could I manually set the Secondary Master to recognize the CD Rom in setup? Althogh there is no code or anything like that for the CD Rom at the post, couldn't I just type in "40x CD Rom" in the setup?

Lee j http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

[BigBlue66]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by leej:

Could I manually set the Secondary Master to recognize the CD Rom in setup? Althogh there is no code or anything like that for the CD Rom at the post, couldn't I just type in "40x CD Rom" in the setup?
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No, that won't work. Leave it set to Auto. There is something else going on here.

You say you have checked all the jumper settings. So what you're saying is, you have the bus speed jumper set at 75Mhz, the CPU multiplier jumper set at 3.5 and the CPU voltage jumper set at 2.9volts???

Seems to me that these jumpers have not been correctly set for the new processor. That's why the system works fine when you re-install the old processor. Your motherboard manual should have a section on jumpers that tells you which jumpers should be closed or open for a host of different settings.

Let us know if you have set the jumpers correctly for the new processor and we'll go from there. Again, I don't think this is an issue with the CD-ROM, assuming that there were no changes made in jumper settings on the back of the unit, ribbon cable connections or power connections and you have made sure all connections are securely fitted.

Also, double check your BIOS options. Are there settings for different types of CPU's? You say you have cleared the CMOS several times. When you do that, default values are loaded, which is why the old processor and RAM works. After you have installed the new processor and RAM, boot the machine and choose BIOS setup. Once in the BIOS setup screen, do nothing. Just Save and exit. Let us know what happens with that.

Also, let us know what BIOS options you have in regards to processors and RAM.

Good luck. Hang in there. We'll get it figured out.

Big Blue 66


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"Right turn Clyde!"

[This message has been edited by BigBlue66 (edited 08-28-2001).]

[leej]

Thanks, Big Blue 66.

More food for thought! All you guys are truly amazing - and I'm not just saying that.

back soon with the info you need.

lee j

[leej]

Big Blue 66

I tried the whole thing again. Chip went in, RAM went in. Booted the thing up! Went into set-up, did what you suggested in BIOS options and did nothing just saved and quit. Up came the post screen, recognized the processor and recognized the RAM. Further down the screen it recognized the Primary Master and recognized the Primary Slave, but didn’t recognize Secondary Master or Secondary Slave, so that’s where it froze. Sometimes it will recognize the Secondary Slave as the CD-RW and go on to another screen with the flashing cursor at top left then freeze. Tried several more times after checking jumpers – no joy!

On one particular page of my mobo booklet there is a large box with different jumper settings for different speeds of one make of processor. For my 333 Cyrix processor it starts with CPU Mhz, next to that it has PCI Mhz.

There are two lots of jumper settings, one for 83 Mhz CPU and 27.77 Mhz PCI and the other for 75 Mhz CPU and 37.5 Mhz PCI. As mine is the latter I follow the jumper settings for that set, which are JP3, JP4, JP5 and JP8. The next set is JP1, 2 and 6. The next set are five tiny little jumpers marked as JP11, and the final set are JP39 and JP40.

At the back of the booklet are separate charts entitled “CPU to Bus Frequency Ratio” (JP1, JP2, JP6.) “CPU External Clock (BUS) Frequency (JP3, JP4, JP5, JP8.) “CPU Core Voltage (JP11.) Finally “CPU Power supply” (for single or double voltage CPU) they are JP39 and JP40 – they happen to be set at double voltage. All these correlate exactly with the jumper settings in the main pages of the booklet.

The SDRAM I have is PC 100 (whatever that means) and I can find no mention of RAM and processor compatibility issues in the booklet.

There is one tiny thing that has been bothering me slightly and it may or may not be important. Before I began this escapade I installed my CD-RW. It went in like a dream. All I had to do was connect it up, switch the jumper at the back to slave and put in the software. (I didn’t change the jumper at the back of the CD ROM at all.) Though the whole thing works fine with the old processor and old RAM so I can’t imagine anything there being to blame.

As far as I can tell all the jumper settings are correct. Of course having said that I could still be making one tiny fundamental error in changing the settings over, but logic says to me that for the simple fact that I correctly set the jumpers to revert back to the 200 Mhz processor it would be unreasonable to assume that I incorrectly set them for the 333 Mhz processor.

As I enter set-up and look in the BIOS options the only things I see that relate to the processor and/or RAM are as follows: -
CPU Internal Cache (Enabled)
Cyrix 6x86/MII CPUID (Enabled)
OS Select for DRAM > 64MB (Non OS2)

In closing, for this time at least, someone asked me to supply the numbers and letters associated with the mobo that pop up at the post screen as they could be helpful, though in what capacity I can only hazard a guess. As it is they are as follows: -

MVP4 – 686A – 2A5LHV3AC – 00

The mobo make is H.I.S. I suppose there would be detailed info at their website and maybe even an E mail address I could contact.

It’s all becoming too much, and I don’t think my brain can withstand it any longer. Am I to be stranded with this 200 Mhz snail all my life?

Thanks in anticipation of a solution

"If I push these impulse engines any further in the condition they're in Cap'n, they'll blow apart!"

Lee j



[This message has been edited by leej (edited 09-04-2001).]

[mjc]

I don't recall seeing if you tried to boot with out the CD drives connected?

If not give it a try, that should help narrow it it down. Then check the jumpers on them...making sure that the actual jumpers correspond to the way that you want/have them assigned (master/slave). Also try with just each CD drive connected by itself. I keep coming back to that it seems to be the original CD drive that is a problem (it isn't detected in BIOS), it may have a problem handling the higher bus speed that the new processor requires...

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

Gun Control...hitting what you aim at!