Can't access combo drive - ACER

Status
Not open for further replies.
Pablo

Pablo

Joined
Oct 28, 2002
Messages
60,212
Location
Everson WA - Pacific NW USA
Been trying to solve this issue for a few days.

ACER cheapie PC with all the extras new cost $250 with 19” LCD fall of 2006. It’s been fine PC for the kids. Suddenly can’t access the CD-ROM/DVD combo drive.

HELP.
XP sees the plug and pray signals. Even knows it’s a Lite-On blah-blah-blah combo drive – but then can’t complete the install process. I uninstall it and try again to no avail.

Seems like a corrupted driver problem, but there is no mfr. drviver as such – just the XP stock driver and the search tells me there is no other driver.

Maybe hardware so I replace cable, swap to new input connector on MB, ACER even sent us a new combo drive. No help.

ACER support is terrible – they are clueless and want us to send the PC back to them at our expense, since I’ve opened the case.
 
Just a couple of hardware suggestions --

1. Check IDE connector pins on back of CD-ROM. That's where IDE cable plugs into. They can be bent pretty easily sometimes. If one is bent, you may be able to straighten with needle-nosed pliers. Just be careful and don't break it.

2. Check to make sure power and IDE cables are seated correctly. Sometimes they can come loose, especially if you've done much work inside.

3. Check jumper on back of CD-ROM. If you don't have another drive plugged into this same cable, the jumper should usually be set to master with no slave present. Jumper is usually tiny white plastic piece covering 6-8 pins. Most of the time, it's between power and IDE connections. But, don't know why this would be changed, if it is.
dunno.gif


4. You've probably already thought of this. But for different MB connector, you need to make sure CD is set for slave and HD is set for master. That's usually controlled by jumpers on back of each drive. Sometimes, you can get away with cable select option, if you plug primary end of cable into HD and secondary end of cable in CD-ROM.

For software/drivers, you can try uninstalling via Hardware Manager, then either rebooting PC or rescanning for new hardware. When prompted to use existing driver or install new one, select new one. Also, if you haven't done so already, can try going to Lite-On website for driver. May have to do Google search for that, if you have no documentation on drive.

Just some of the things I've run into. Hope this helps and I haven't insulted your intelligence.
grin.gif
 
Oh, on the above post:

I'm assuming it is IDE connections on both HD and CD-ROM. Some of the newer PCs are coming with serial ATA drives (thin, narrow red cable) now.
 
if you have another PC, swap CD drives to see if the drive is bad. If so, NewEgg has DVD drives for $35 or so, often with free shipping. It's cheaper than sending the box out at your expense...
 
lol, i didn't read that part of your post. oops. LOL

Well, if you've swapped drives, cables, etc. then the only 2 things remaining are the power cable to the cd drive, or the port on the motherboard is shot, which means new motherboard.
 
It's a long shot but you could try re-setting your bios.
Unplug your computer. Take the little battery out that is on your motherboard (round about the size of a nickle) wait a couple minutes re-install battery and plug in.While computer is restarting keep tapping the delete key.Some machines it may be your F2 key or F3 key. That should get you into the bios. They you will find many setting for setting the date and year and such. Look around and you will find a list with your installed drives. See if it shows your cdrom if it does show than chances are your IDE port is good on your motherboard. If it does not show than I would say you have a bad IDE slot on the motheboard.Dont forget to reset your time and date after this. And your bios setting to default settings.
 
One last thing that has worked for me in the past is to just unplug the cdrom cable and power. Boot the computer.Let it fully boot up. Than shut it down and reinstall the cdrom ribbon calbe and power cable and restart the computer.It should show new hardware added on reboot.
 
Been through all that.

The two possibilities:

1) Driver is corrupted. Device Mfr. DOES NOT supply supply drivers. It's a generic ATAPI or someother khrap thing via MS, except I can't seem to find it on the MS site and also MS says I have the best driver available.....

2) Bad MB.

Either way ACER wants us to send it back!!
 
Set the jumpers to slave and try running it as a slave on the same cable as the hard drive. This would take the connector on the MB out of the picture.
 
Hard drive is not on the IDE cable. Totally different connection these days. Heavier cable and fewer wires.

The combo drive is NOT run master OR slave - it's "cable controlled"

Again - the BIOS sees the combo drive - the operating system can't talk to it.
 
What DVD/CD burning soft ware are you using? I had similar problem, and had to remove/re-install burning software. If you get an error code, Google it, and get info from MS site. That's where I found the solution.
twocents.gif
 
Pablo,
Have you tried a Windows repair or Windows reload?

Do you know anyone who has an external 5.25" housing? If so, take the drive out and put it in the casing and see if it'll read on your computer.

If neither of those work, I would get ready to put all the blame on the motherboard connectors.
 
Don't have the XP disks. But tonight I'm gonna check the drive....

I could put both combo drives in my PC (pablo's humble Bitog throne) - and I'll bet d to d they will work.
 
Do it, and let us know what happens. Motherboard connectors are what I am blaming.

You said that the hard drive is not an IDE, so I'm guessing that is a SATA connection. What about the CD/DVD drive, is it IDE?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Vavavroom844u
MSI GF-63 Thin Max Q TROUBLES.
Replies
4
Views
577
Vavavroom844u
M
CNC milling machine - failed hard drive
Replies
15
Views
1K
Merek
C6 Modellsport
2014 Challenger long term review: Absolutely terrible.
2 3 4
Replies
61
Views
2K
andrew_j
D
Modern cars and drive-in movies
2 3
Replies
54
Views
4K
andrew_j
Bailes1992
MG ZS
2
Replies
21
Views
742
Bailes1992
Back
Top