CD drive not detected in Windows, but ok in DOS boot...?

[Virago]

Have a user with a Dell GX150 system that is only a few months old. When I originally set it up for him, it was functioning perfectly. Now though, the cd-rom drive is not detected within Windows (98SE updated fully).

I've checked the cable to the drive, checked the drive in another system, tried installing the drive manually, checked the jumpers on the drive (set to CS), tried updating the drivers from Dell's website, cleared the nvram, and tried a different cd-rom drive in the same system with no luck.

I can't restore the original drivers for the cd-drive, because they're on one of those system discs, which can only be run from within Windows and not dos.

In the Device Manager, I'm also getting !'s for the ATA controller and being asked to update the drivers, which I also cannot do because Dell's site doesn't have them for download -- they're on the system disk which I of course cannot access because I can't get at the cd drive.

Anyone got any brilliant ideas for me? I've got to be overlooking something.

[NooNoo]

Yep

First of all confirm that bios sees the cdrom, by setting the bios to autodetect and watching when it boots. If it sees it, then its installed ok - but you say its ok in DOS so it must be....

There is a little virus that upsets the registry settings for the ide controllers.

First Clue, look in the device manager, does the ide controllers have a ! next to them?

Second Clue, start run, regedit, edit, search, type in NOIDE start the search, if that key is found, delete it. Reboot.

If NOIDE is not found, then you will have to boot to safe mode and remove the ide controllers from device manager, reboot and redetect.

If that doesnt work you will have to remove the ide controllers from the registry in safe mode... please back up your reg before you do!!!

[Virago]

Thank you, I will try that. Is this virus not detected by McAfee? I've got the user on the latest version that is updated once per week, and a full scan didn't pick anything up.

[Matridom]

[quote]Originally posted by Virago:
<strong>Have a user with a Dell GX150 system that is only a few months old. When I originally set it up for him, it was functioning perfectly. Now though, the cd-rom drive is not detected within Windows (98SE updated fully).

I've checked the cable to the drive, checked the drive in another system, tried installing the drive manually, checked the jumpers on the drive (set to CS), tried updating the drivers from Dell's website, cleared the nvram, and tried a different cd-rom drive in the same system with no luck.

I can't restore the original drivers for the cd-drive, because they're on one of those system discs, which can only be run from within Windows and not dos.

In the Device Manager, I'm also getting !'s for the ATA controller and being asked to update the drivers, which I also cannot do because Dell's site doesn't have them for download -- they're on the system disk which I of course cannot access because I can't get at the cd drive.

Anyone got any brilliant ideas for me? I've got to be overlooking something.</strong><hr></blockquote>

you may also wnat to installe the realmode drivers for the CDROM then boot to windows, you'd then be able to access the cdrom regardless of window drivers.

[NooNoo]

[quote]Originally posted by Matridom:
<strong>

you may also wnat to installe the realmode drivers for the CDROM then boot to windows, you'd then be able to access the cdrom regardless of window drivers.</strong><hr></blockquote>

If he does that, he may force the hard drives into compatibility mode and the entire system will be slowed


Sometimes the virus is cleaned without comment but it doesnt set the ide controllers to rights in the registry, or sometimes it just kinda loses it and corrupts all on its lonesome.

[Matridom]

[quote]Originally posted by NooNoo:
[QB]

If he does that, he may force the hard drives into compatibility mode and the entire system will be slowed
QB]<hr></blockquote>

true, but the issue is to get the drivers of the cdrom. once the files where off the cdrom, the realmode drivers could be removed. I've had to do this on several occasions in order to effect repairs.

[Darren Wilson]

You can load the *.sys driver into the config.sys without forcing any drives into compatiability mode and place the mscdex.exe line into the dosstart.bat file for exiting out into 'DOS mode' should you require a CD-Rom in DOS. It is the MSCDEX.EXE file in the Autoexec.bat file that forces drives to use compatiability mode. The other drivers are fine.

[Ruslan]

Your problem isn't new - check out these topics:
<a href="http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum3/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=001757" target="_blank">http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum3/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=001757</a>

<a href="http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum3/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=004514&p=" target="_blank">http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum3/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=004514&p=</a>

Hope, it will help You sort it out...

[TrackMan]

This is a Dell so I'm assuming it's using a Intel chipset. Therefore you can go to Inte's site and download the new INF files, and update the ide drivers, and all the other drivers at the same time.

Also, using realmode drivers can in some cases make the system less stable, or can prevent you from doing stuff like going to sleep mode.

[FatalException0E]

I've seen NYB do that all the time. The first thing I would is start from a (known clean) boot disk and run fdisk/mbr. (It doesn't kill any data, just cleans the boot sector) then boot in safe mode and delete NOIDE from the reg, as well as the IDE controllers from device manager, then reboot in normal mode. 9 times out of 10, things return to normal after that.

[KCarter335]

I'd check for a boot sector virus.