Rosebudteg
Member
+6|6365|Washington State
Alright.  Went to Chicago for a week.  It was fun.  Visited people, ate some good food.. I like Lou Malnati's better than Gino's East.  I didn't get a chance to try Pizzeria Uno's though...

But in any case get home, turn on the computer to play some games and... what the... the CD-ROM drive isn't working... okay... I'll stick it into the DVD-ROM drive... same thing...

I stick a disc in there and it seeks it.  The drive spins then stops, then spins, then stops.  All the while my mouse pointer is getting that pointer with CD like it's looking at the CD, then it goes away (and the drive stops spinning).  Then it comes back when the drive starts up again.

Slows my computer down like you wouldn't believe until I take the disc out.

I'm running Windows XP SP2.

Old dinosaur of a computer (I'm trying to use this as an excuse to my wife for a new computer).  But why would both drives die at the same time?  I'm thinking Motherboard or something...

Any ideas?
Yaocelotl
:D
+221|6619|Keyboard
reinstall drivers.
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6463|N. Ireland
Have you tried just ensuring all the cables are plugged in properly? If you have 2, they are probably connected by 1 IDE cable - so that might be the problem. But nonetheless, just make sure everything is plugged in correctly both on the motherboard-DVD side (normally an IDE cable) and that the molex connectors are definetely plugged in.
Rosebudteg
Member
+6|6365|Washington State

leetkyle wrote:

Have you tried just ensuring all the cables are plugged in properly? If you have 2, they are probably connected by 1 IDE cable - so that might be the problem. But nonetheless, just make sure everything is plugged in correctly both on the motherboard-DVD side (normally an IDE cable) and that the molex connectors are definetely plugged in.
Checked, cables plugged in correctly on the mobo and the drives.  What is a Molex connector though?
Titch2349
iz me!
+358|6322|uk

Rosebudteg wrote:

leetkyle wrote:

Have you tried just ensuring all the cables are plugged in properly? If you have 2, they are probably connected by 1 IDE cable - so that might be the problem. But nonetheless, just make sure everything is plugged in correctly both on the motherboard-DVD side (normally an IDE cable) and that the molex connectors are definetely plugged in.
Checked, cables plugged in correctly on the mobo and the drives.  What is a Molex connector though?
Power Cable

The connector with red and yellow and black cables coming off it, that is usually plugged into the right hand side of the back of the drives.

I've got a similar problem to you mate... my disks recognise half of my disks, won't run the rest of them. Computer just freezes up for a number of minutes when i put the wrong disks in.... Spent weeks trying to work out the problem, never suceeded- happened randomly as well... Gave up in the end... but will be watching this topic to check for any possible solutions.

Last edited by Titch2349 (2007-07-12 17:50:43)

King_County_Downy
shitfaced
+2,791|6567|Seattle

Rosebudteg wrote:

But in any case get home, turn on the computer to play some games and... what the... the CD-ROM drive isn't working... okay... I'll stick it into the DVD-ROM drive... same thing...

I stick a disc in there and it seeks it.  The drive spins then stops, then spins, then stops.  All the while my mouse pointer is getting that pointer with CD like it's looking at the CD, then it goes away (and the drive stops spinning).  Then it comes back when the drive starts up again.

Slows my computer down like you wouldn't believe until I take the disc out.

I'm running Windows XP SP2.

Old dinosaur of a computer (I'm trying to use this as an excuse to my wife for a new computer).  But why would both drives die at the same time?  I'm thinking Motherboard or something...

Any ideas?

Titch2349 wrote:

I've got a similar problem to you mate... my disks recognise half of my disks, won't run the rest of them. Computer just freezes up for a number of minutes when i put the wrong disks in.... Spent weeks trying to work out the problem, never suceeded- happened randomly as well... Gave up in the end... but will be watching this topic to check for any possible solutions.
Try completely unplugging your drives, then boot to the OS. Shut down. Plug them back in, then turn on the computer.
Sober enough to know what I'm doing, drunk enough to really enjoy doing it
Titch2349
iz me!
+358|6322|uk

King_County_Downy wrote:

Titch2349 wrote:

I've got a similar problem to you mate... my disks recognise half of my disks, won't run the rest of them. Computer just freezes up for a number of minutes when i put the wrong disks in.... Spent weeks trying to work out the problem, never suceeded- happened randomly as well... Gave up in the end... but will be watching this topic to check for any possible solutions.
Try completely unplugging your drives, then boot to the OS. Shut down. Plug them back in, then turn on the computer.
Honestly... i've tried everything.

My computer has been reformatted a number of times.
The drives DO work on another computer.
Boots SJ
Member
+6|6172|Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
its a long shot but a possibility but I wonder if your PS has something to do with it I recall before my Powersupply went the last time the drives started acting up as I said its a long shot but if the drive works on another system its hardware lets hope it is PS rather than the board connection
Scorpion0x17
can detect anyone's visible post count...
+691|6735|Cambridge (UK)
If you're sure the power/data cables are securely plugged in, then both issues sound like one of three things:

1. CD/DVD Drive dieing.
2. Power supply dieing.
3. IDE/SATA (whichever is appropriate) controller dieing.

(listed in order of probable likelyhood)

Test by installing a new/alternative CD/DVD drive. If that doesn't help, try PSU. If that doesn't help you're probably looking at needing a new mobo.

Last edited by Scorpion0x17 (2007-07-12 19:50:40)

jaymz9350
Member
+54|6547

Titch2349 wrote:

My computer has been reformatted a number of times.
The drives DO work on another computer.
are you using the same cable in the other machine you tested them in? if not try switching out cables
Agent_Dung_Bomb
Member
+302|6705|Salt Lake City

Have you checked the BIOS to make sure that all the settings there are correct?
Freezer7Pro
I don't come here a lot anymore.
+1,447|6167|Winland

Sounds like a software error, if you get the CD symbol mouse pointer. Can you boot from your WinXP CD?
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
Titch2349
iz me!
+358|6322|uk

jaymz9350 wrote:

Titch2349 wrote:

My computer has been reformatted a number of times.
The drives DO work on another computer.
are you using the same cable in the other machine you tested them in? if not try switching out cables
I tried the same IDE cable in the other computer, and it worked no problems.

I did try a different IDE cable in my computer (well.. i tried about 3), but then the computer refused to boot- wouldnt even show the BIOS.
(The IDE cable in my current PC is blue, and the one i used were grey..... but still shouldn't matter should it?)
But then as soon as I put the origional one back in, computer booted fine- but still wouldnt run the disks.
dubbs
Member
+105|6601|Lexington, KY

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Sounds like a software error, if you get the CD symbol mouse pointer. Can you boot from your WinXP CD?
More or less this seems to be something nobody suggested.  Try using a different CD to see if the issue is still around.  From your description, I would say the CD is badly scratched or something is wrong with it.  I would not say it would be the drives themselves, especially since they work in other PCs.
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

Titch2349 wrote:

The connector with red and yellow and black cables coming off...
Also, the 4-pin molex is the one arranged like this:
_______
|o o o o|
\'''''''''''''/

Last edited by unnamednewbie13 (2007-07-14 02:00:47)

Scorpion0x17
can detect anyone's visible post count...
+691|6735|Cambridge (UK)

Titch2349 wrote:

jaymz9350 wrote:

Titch2349 wrote:

My computer has been reformatted a number of times.
The drives DO work on another computer.
are you using the same cable in the other machine you tested them in? if not try switching out cables
I tried the same IDE cable in the other computer, and it worked no problems.

I did try a different IDE cable in my computer (well.. i tried about 3), but then the computer refused to boot- wouldnt even show the BIOS.
(The IDE cable in my current PC is blue, and the one i used were grey..... but still shouldn't matter should it?)
But then as soon as I put the origional one back in, computer booted fine- but still wouldnt run the disks.
Does the blue one have more wires than the grey one?
Titch2349
iz me!
+358|6322|uk

Scorpion0x17 wrote:

Titch2349 wrote:

jaymz9350 wrote:


are you using the same cable in the other machine you tested them in? if not try switching out cables
I tried the same IDE cable in the other computer, and it worked no problems.

I did try a different IDE cable in my computer (well.. i tried about 3), but then the computer refused to boot- wouldnt even show the BIOS.
(The IDE cable in my current PC is blue, and the one i used were grey..... but still shouldn't matter should it?)
But then as soon as I put the origional one back in, computer booted fine- but still wouldnt run the disks.
Does the blue one have more wires than the grey one?
Nope, all the ones I tried were 40pin IDE Ribbon Cables. They seemed to fit fine, and the stripe (Pin 1) was the right side....
Scorpion0x17
can detect anyone's visible post count...
+691|6735|Cambridge (UK)
And the discs (the CD/DVDs that is, not the drives) you're having issues with - they are not scratched to buggery or anything like that?
samfink
Member
+31|6525
I would say scratched disk, unless it's a dead IDE conbtroller.
Titch2349
iz me!
+358|6322|uk

samfink wrote:

I would say scratched disk, unless it's a dead IDE conbtroller.
Nope, disks work on other computers, and have previously worked on this computer - It is a wide range of disks as well.
Scorpion0x17
can detect anyone's visible post count...
+691|6735|Cambridge (UK)
It's got to be hardware. It's got to be IDE controller. I'd be willing to bet money on it.
Titch2349
iz me!
+358|6322|uk

Scorpion0x17 wrote:

It's got to be hardware. It's got to be IDE controller. I'd be willing to bet money on it.
so I do what?
Scorpion0x17
can detect anyone's visible post count...
+691|6735|Cambridge (UK)
Get a new motherboard, or a PCI IDE controller card (whichever is appropriate) and disable the one on the mobo.

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