CD-ROM Not Installed In Bios On Old Dell Dimensions PC

[dan9393]

Have an old Dell Dimensions 2400. The CD-ROM is not installed in the Bios. The disc drive seems to work on start up, disc, spins but does not read, and the drive is not showing in windows xp.
I heard the is a common problem on the 2400. At some point in the past the hard drive was changed.

Bios has, master, slave, 2nd master, and 2nd slave. Only the HD is set to master.

The CD-ROM has the jumper set on the first selection on a row of three. I assume it is cable select, without removing the drive, to read the label.

The Maxtor HD hs five jumper rows. 1. DS master 2. CS 3. Cap limit 4. is just a single pin j44 no label. Row 5 j42 has a mini jumper on the upper pin. I must remove the jumper for DS slave, not sure if i must remove the mini jumper as well...

How should I set these jumpers, so CD-ROM is installed and works again, and XP on the HD boots up fast?



UPDATE BELOW.

 

[4745454b]

While it's supposed to work, I've never had good luck with one device set to master and the other set to CS. Either have then both on CS, or both set to master/slave.

The CD-ROM has the jumper set on the first selection on a row of three...The Maxtor HD hs five jumper rows. 1. DS master

Sounds like they are both set to master. The cable is probably setup to have the hard drive as master so the optical drive isn't seen.

 

[dan9393]

While it's supposed to work, I've never had good luck with one device set to master and the other set to CS. Either have then both on CS, or both set to master/slave.

The CD-ROM has the jumper set on the first selection on a row of three...The Maxtor HD hs five jumper rows. 1. DS master

Sounds like they are both set to master. The cable is probably setup to have the hard drive as master so the optical drive isn't seen.

Both the jumper on the cd drive and the HD, has the jumpers set to CS. I assume the cd drive is CS, because the jumper is in the first row, can't see the sticker without removing to drive. In BIOS it reads the HD as master, not CS.

 

[dan9393]

After switching the jumper on the HD to master from CS. In the BIOs it lists the HD as primary master, the secondary master is unknown device.
Under boot sequence the CD-ROM is still not installed.

Also under the BIOs drive configuration the IDE drive UDMA is on. Not sure if that matters.

At start up I get the secondary drive is not found press one to continue error. Then XP starts up.

 

[4745454b]

Are they on the same cable? Is secondary master at the end of the cable?

 

[dan9393]

They each have their own cable. But share the power cable.

 

[4745454b]

Then each should be set to master. Each should also be on the end of the cable if it has spots for two devices.

 

[Mark RM]

It's not uncommon to see an old drive like that simply die just because you brushed against it. I'd toss it in the scrap heap and get one that works from the recycling bin at the dump.

 

[dan9393]

After moving the jumper on the CD-ROM to the center, BIOS still doesn't read the drive. I still get that error on start up drive 0 not found press 1 to continue.

It also started up slower this time.

On the back of the PC there are 4 led lights A,B,C, and D. Both A and D light up amber color. B and C is green.

 

[4745454b]

I would just unscrew the optical drive and slide it forward. You can move the jumper around all day, but just reading the sheet on top is easiest.

 

[dan9393]

Then each should be set to master. Each should also be on the end of the cable if it has spots for two devices.

The drive for the HD has room for only one device, it's at the end, and the cable is labeled HD.

The CD-ROM cable has room for two. The disc drive is at the end, and labeled drive 0. The drive 1 plug is not attached to a device.

Maybe it's a bad cable, or the rear part of the disc drive is bad. I might have another cable to use for the CD-ROM.

I'm going to move the jumper on it back to the first row.

 

[dan9393]

I removed the Samsung drive. it's CS, slave, then master. I do have a few extra drives laying around, not sure if they work.

 

[dan9393]

Here's what I will do. Put the jumper on both the disc drive and HD to master. In BIOs I guess I turn on primary and secondary master, or just primary master? Also check to see If it's reading the CD-ROM, and if it's showing installed.

If that doesn't work, I will swap out the cable to the disc drive.

Then, if it still doesn't work, change the CD-ROM device, and start over.

Putting the jumpers on master didn't work...
Swapping the data cable didn't work either...

I put in another CD-ROM drive, and now it's showing as installed in BIOs, and also listed as secondary master drive as well. The disc drive now shows up in Windows XP.

The door didn't open so i used a paper clip open it up, door works again. But now it doesn't read any data on the the discs i put in. I rebooted from CD, doesn't read any data.

So now it's a new problem, maybe the optical eye is just dirty?

I have two other disc drives the the garage, not sure if they work, going to let them warm up a bit as it's cold out there.

 

[4745454b]

You are also bumping your post with the new data. Please edit from now on. But those sound like the right steps to take.