[RESOLVED] Help! CD not accessible in Win98.

[cavaness]

CD connected as IDE Primary Slave. With BIOS set to boot from CD and if inserted CD is bootable, CD is accessible. Windows Explorer and Device Manager do not show a CD. Motherboard IDE controller is Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller. Tried CD as Secondary Master with same result. BIOS detects CDROM and displays the following info "CDROM-UDMA2", "ATAPI CD-ROM", & "found CD ROM F5/B".

[StevePorter]

What's the motherboard make/model? What version of Windows?

Try downloading updates to your motherboard driver files and/or flashing your motherboard's BIOS to the latest version...

------------------
Sometimes computer problems require extreme measures. Our hero, the Intrepid Spaceman Spiff, sets his blaster on "deep fat fry..."

[cavaness]

My motherboard is "ASLIS TX97-E rev 1.12"

OS ver is Win 98 2nd Edition, 4.10.2222A

Attmepted to install latest driver for the Intel dual IDE controller and was informed I had the latest.

Changed IDE driver to the Microsoft "Standard Dual PCI IDE Controller" with driver dated 4-23-1999. Symptoms same.

Have no idea how to flash my AWARD BIOS.

[Rkring1]

Look in the registry for a NOIDE key , if its there , delete it and reboot , Windows should see your CD ROM .

[cavaness]

How do I edit Win98, 2nd Edition Registry? Win98 doesn't have Regedit. I can't find the registry manually and don't see a way to search the Registry for the "NOIDE" key word.

[StevePorter]

You should be able to go to "Start", then "Run", then type in "regedit" and get the Registry Editor to load. Doesn't that work for you?

------------------
Sometimes computer problems require extreme measures. Our hero, the Intrepid Spaceman Spiff, sets his blaster on "deep fat fry..."

[cavaness]

Thanks for your help.
Accessed Regedit from 'Start' then 'Run' and then typed regedit.

From Regedit, went to 'Edit' then 'Find' and searched for NOIDE. Took regedit awhile to finish the search, but it didn't find this key word.

What's next?

[condor]

1. I need to focus the problem to either the CD or Windows...
try this first:
boot from a DOS floppy disk with CD-Support
you can find a good one here :
http://www.bootdisk.com
if the CD works in DOS it's a windows problem. if it doesn't it's a BIOS problem.

if A win porblem:
try to get the following files from another win98se and overwriting the existing files in c:\windows\system\iosubsys

cdfs.vxd
esdi_506.pdr

also run System File checker (sfc.exe) and check for deleted files (in the options)

usually you would have restored the from the CD-ROM but you can write them down and get them from another PC.

------------------
Computers do exactly what you tell them to do - not exactly what you want them to do ...

[cavaness]

Thanks for continuing to work with me.

Built the bootable diskette and was able to view the directory on inserted CD. Not a BIOS problem according to your logic.

Ran SFC and setupx.dll in C:\windows\system was reported as "might be bad". Obtained setupx.dll, cdfs.vxd and esdi_506.pdr from another Win98SE system and copied them over the files on my PC. SFC still shows setupx.dll as "might be bad", but I'm doubting SFC. Reboot PC and CD is still not accessible through Win98.

I'm beginning to suspect Win98 Plug-n-Play Manager / Device Manager. There is a red X over the Primary IDE Controller and Secondary IDE Controller icons in the Device Manager under Hard Disk Controller. The Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller icon does not have a red X. When I "enable" these IDE controllers Windows hangs.

[Darren Wilson]

Go into Regedit and delete the ENUM key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Reboot and let Windows redetect all the hardware. This is your best shot now. I had a TX-97E when they forst came out and they are a very good board for their age (as long as you don't go above 64Mb of RAM else you will slow your system down by upto 70%). Also worth trying is to disconnect the CD-ROM and see if the IDE controllers are still crossed out in Device Manager. Also try turning off DMA mode for your IDE devices in the BIOS just to see if it is this causing your problem.

------------------
Darren Wilson
Webmaster
The Carpers Lodge.net
The Webs Number One Resource for Today's Carp Angler.

FLAMERS

[cavaness]

Good News! Diabling IDE DMA in BIOS was key. As I noted earlier, BIOS was reporting that UDMA2 was being applied to the CD I/F. Win98 Device Manager reports that just I/O and IRQ resources are assigned to the IDE I/F. Disabling DMA mode through BIOS made sense.

Thanks everyone again for the support.

How do I get DMA going with the Intel 82371AB/EB Bus Master PCI Controller? Is this automatic with the PCI bus? Is there a notion of IO Mode vs DMA Mode operation with a PCI peripheral? Do I need to get DMA going for performance sake?