Dell Computer not detecting CD Drive

[anonuser123]

My Windows XP Dell computer is unable to detect its CD drive. The CD drive is physically working, and was fine in another computer before. There's power, and when a disc is inserted, it revs up, but Windows XP shows nothing. In BIOS, it detects a CD drive (IDE), but there's no evidence of an optical drive at all in Windows device manager. Did I accidentally disable an IDE port? Or does it have something to do with my second hard drive being called "D:"? Is "D:" only supposed to be for the optical drive? I can't install drivers because Windows can't even detect the CD drive.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

If not using 80-wire IDE cables make sure that your devices are jumpered master/slave correctly. If using 80-wire cables make sure that all devices are jumpered for CS (Cable Select).

 

[anonuser123]

It's 40-pin IDE, with 2 hard drives. I jumpered the CD drive to "Cable Select", and it still isn't working. Do I have to change something in BIOS? Before, the CD drive showed up as "not installed" in the BIOS, but after I reset CMOS, the BIOS shows it normally, but Windows still can't see it.

 

[anonuser123]

If not using 80-wire IDE cables make sure that your devices are jumpered master/slave correctly. If using 80-wire cables make sure that all devices are jumpered for CS (Cable Select).

It's 40-pin IDE, with 2 hard drives. I jumpered the CD drive to "Cable Select", and it still isn't working. Do I have to change something in BIOS? Before, the CD drive showed up as "not installed" in the BIOS, but after I reset CMOS, the BIOS shows it normally, but Windows still can't see it.

sorry for duplicate post

 

[ex_bubblehead]

40-wire cable = Must jumper each device as Master or Slave (one master, one slave per cable). CS doesn't work reliably here.

80-wire cable = Set all devices for CS (Cable Select). The device on the end of the cable is automatically "Master", the one in the middle is "Slave"

 

[anonuser123]

40-wire cable = Must jumper each device as Master or Slave (one master, one slave per cable). CS doesn't work reliably here.

80-wire cable = Set all devices for CS (Cable Select). The device on the end of the cable is automatically "Master", the one in the middle is "Slave"

Oh... I think I just realized something. Is the dual-head IDE that has the first head as a "Master" and the second head as "Slave" 40-wirw? One of those is connecting my two hard drives to the motherboard. The CD drive is connected through a single-head 40-pin. Does it need a dual-head connector to work properly? I just reset the jumper as "Master" on the CD drive, but now the BIOS shows it as "unknown device". Before, the CD drive still appeared in BIOS.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

This: http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/chap7_9780789750006/elementLinks/07fig06.jpg

will show you the visual difference between the two. It's best to always use 80-wire cables, if you can obtain them. That way all you have to do is set everything to CS and forget about it.