BIOS will not detect CD-RW drive

[Bowdie4th]

I'm a first-timer for a tech forum. This issue has really stumped me and I've run out of thoughts on what to do. Working on a PC for a friend - usual clean-up, defrag, upgrading memory, etc... First turned the system on &
received the error "Secondary Drive 0 not found".

Here are the specifics:
DELL Dimension 3000
DELL Motherboard ON6381 (E210882)
Phoenix BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A03 (latest update per DELL)
Intel 865G Chipset Family
CD-RW is a Samsung SW-252S/DNR (on Window HCL list)
Windows XP Home Edition (SP3)

What I've done to date:
Several AntiVirus & AntiSpyware scans & cleanup
Registry Cleanup
Removed Upper & Lower Filters for the CD drive in the registry
Updated all Intel drivers (Including Intel Ultra ATA Storage Controller)
Tested the CD-RW drive & IDE cable - both working fine in my system.
Cleared the NVRAM
Forced an Auto Detect (automatic IDE configuration) in the BIOS several times.
Edited the Config file to try and force the CD-RW recognition & IRQ
Default jumper setting per DELL is Cable Select, but tried the Master setting
Device Manager shows the Secondary IDE Channel
Installed the HDD in the Secondary IDE Channel & HDD came up fine
Tried the CD-RW in the Primary IDE Channel, no luck
Battery seems fine, not losing date or time, etc....
CD-RW does not require the use of real mode drivers

Here's where it gets a little strange. I put my RW drive in this system & it was detected. Then I powered
down & put the original back in and it too was detected. But, upon reboot, it was not. Tried both of my
drives (DVD & RW) is this system. I had to force an autodetect, but the system detected them and I restarted
and rebooted several times with no problems. Put the original RW back in with no luck. Tried to jumper it to
the Master setting again with no luck.

Once, I was able to get the BIOS to recognize it and actually show "CD-ROM" device in the BIOS, but the Add New Hardware wizard did not detect it and it did not show up in the Device Manager.

Is this a BIOS issue/ mobo issue / or controller issue? I'm reluctant to think it is the drive or IDE cable, just because I installed it in my own system at least twice and it was recognized and worked fine. I'm so tired of thinking about it right now, I'm having trouble thinking it through. Any suggestions would be so appreciated! Thanks for your time!

 

[Bowdie4th]

Here is the latest:

Not sure what magic keystrokes I performed this time, but the BIOS now detects the CD ROM Device. It may have been the way I cleared the NVRAM, but I'm not sure.

Windows does NOT detect the drive at all. I went into the Device Manager and tried to scan for new hardware changes with no luck. I tried to add it manually with no luck.

I made the CD drive 1st in the boot sequence & put a Windows XP OS CD in the drive, but the system went by it and loaded the OS off the HDD.

If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KSoD]

Okay the Drive issues sounds like either a bad cable or a bad connection on the mother board.

I would also suggest you run DSS and post your log in our analyze are.

Please download Deckard's System Scanner (DSS) and save it to your Desktop.

• Close all other windows before proceeding.
• Double-click on dss.exe and follow the prompts.
• When it has finished, dss will open two Notepads main.txt and extra.txt -- please copy (CTRL+A and then CTRL+C) and paste (CTRL+V) the contents of main.txt and extra.txt in your next reply.

Analyze Area where our Security Team will check it for you:

http://www.techist.com/forums/f70/

 

[Bowdie4th]

Thx! Ran DSS w/0 any trouble. Have the main.txt & extra.txt
files. Problem being, when I try to post to the analyze area, the
post is way too long. Tried just sending one at a time, but no go.
Tried to delete sections, etc... but figured I'd check to see the area(s)
of each file that you'd most want to look at so that I can pare it down
and meet the 20k char requirement for the post.


Thanks so much for the help. In the meantime, I'll look through
main & extra to see if I can learn anything.

Laurie (Bowdie4th)

 

[Peter.Cort]

just cut the post up into 20k chunks, and do a couple posts.

 

[Bowdie4th]

Both files from DSS have been posted to the analyze area,
each file in to sections.

Thanks for the help!

 

[wicked23]

I agree with MAk. Have you tried a new cable? controller on mobo could be going.

 

[Bowdie4th]

Hey Mak! Hey wicked!

I've tried my drives w/ their IDE cable in this system and
I tried the drive in question w/ its IDE cable in my system
and all went fine. I'll try it again though. Could be the
cable is starting to go. I was wondering about the controller
cause sometimes it would show up in Device Manager &
sometimes not. Once it gets to the guts of the system (mobo,
controllers, etc...) I don't have any experience detecting
the problems and I don't have any testers either.

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate the input.

Bowdie4th

 

[KSoD]

Hey Bowdie i would suggest finding the updated driver for this board. USe CPUz or Everest or Belarc to find out the make and model of the mobo and from there go to the manufacurer's site to get as many of the updated drivers as you can.

 

[Bowdie4th]

Thanks Mak. Pretty sure it's a DELL mobo. ON6381 (E210882).
DELL's not really great for much on the mobo, but I'll look around
out there and see what I can find. Thx again. Bowdie

P.S. I updated all the Intel chipset & controller drivers already.