CD-RW drive not functioning

[Sylvander]

Info:
Hewlett Packard CD-Writer Plus 9300i
It has left [L] and right [R] LED's.
When testing a burn, only the left LED blinks...
When burning, the right LED glows constantly and the left LED blinks.

SYMPTOMS
1. At Startup:
Sometimes:
(a) The right LED glows RED, and the HDD LED behaves normally [hardly any blinking because I have a PCI to IDE RAID controller card fitted].
The BIOS doesn't see the drive, and neither does Windows.

(b) The HDD LED glows constantly and the right CD-RW LED doesn't glow at all.
The BIOS doesn't see the drive, and neither does Windows.

(c) Normally, when all's well, the right LED blinks as the BIOS communicates during POST, then once that's completed, the LED stops glowing; the HDD LED doesn't glow at all.
The BIOS sees the CD-RW drive and so does Windows.

Was a time when the above (a) or (b) happened only now and again for a short time, but the CD-RW would begin working normally again.
This latest instance seems to be permanent or much longer lasting.
I tried switching from the primary controller/IDE cable/power cable to the secondary controller/IDE cable/power cable normally used by the CD-reader [that works OK], but it had the same fault there.

I'm trying to make this CD-RW drive last some months [Sept to Dec] until I replace the whole PC when I've decided on Vista versus XP.

[odannyboy000]

Why not just pick up a new drive now? Or better yet, pick up a better DVD-RW for 30 bucks.

[Sylvander]

I'd like [if possible] to wait until I replace the whole PC.

Meanwhile I'd like to use this as a learning opportunity.

There are strange combinations of...

(a) (b) (c) and...

(d) CD-RW right LED glows constant [GREEN], and so does the HDD LED glow constantly [YELLOW].

Various actions produce these different results.
Actions like...

(1) Hit "Esc" during POST to go to the HP [device] boot menu.
Sometimes the CD-RW drive is detected & displayed, sometimes not.
Then...
(2) Choose to enter the BIOS Setup from there.
When the CD-RW drive is detected and displayed in (1) above it is seen in Setup and I sometimes "Reset Configuration Data" when it is detected/displayed, but it never produces a fix now.
OR...
(3) Hit F2 to go into the BIOS Setup.
It may or may not be detected and displayed and I may "Reset Configuration Data" when it is detected/displayed, but it never produces a fix now.

[classicsoftware]

Step one in checking a poorly functioning IDE device. Please check the ribbon cable. Make sure it is firmly attached to the drive and the motherboard. Replace the cable and see if it improves. I love it when people bring system into the shop and a $3.00 part fixes it.....

[odannyboy000]

Have you tried just unplugging it and cleaning and plugging back in? (Run on sentence).

How long has this been happening? Maybe you need to just replace your CMOS battery and reset it.

beat me to it classic

[Sylvander]

"Make sure it is firmly attached to the drive and the motherboard"
1. The CD-RW is jumpered as master and connected to the end connector on the IDE cable connected to the PRIMARY IDE controller.
The power and IDE cables have been unplugged and re-plugged many times, and I take great care to see they are well/fully seated/connected.
All cables etc look good.
See 4 below.

2. The CD-reader is jumpered as master and connected to the end connector on the IDE cable connected to the SECONDARY IDE controller.
This works just fine.

3. The HDD [jumpered as master] is connected to the PCI to IDE RAID controller card. It works just fine.
Each of the 3 drives have their own dedicated controller.

"check the ribbon cable...Replace the cable and see if it improves"
4. The CD-RW has been switched with the CD-reader using the CD-readers' IDE and power cable connections, but doesn't work whereas the reader does.
Hence a different power cable, IDE cable, and controller, that obviously work, don't produce a working CD-RW.
All drives are set to auto-detect in the BIOS Setup, and the change of drive connections was detected.

5. "Have you tried just unplugging it and cleaning and plugging back in?"
Cleaning what exactly?

"How long has this been happening?"
This latest failure of the CD-RW began a few days back.
It was acting up last August; I thought then it might have been "Corn Lice" in the works.
[I'm in the country and surrounded by farmers fields. The tiny corn lice come off the corn when the farmer is harvesting, and tend to get everywhere.]

"Maybe you need to just replace your CMOS battery and reset it"
No sign of that, and the settings look good.