# Computer problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem/95967 "2001-11-29T18:22:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jen1297](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cc9497/32.png) [@jen1297](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jen1297)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem/95967/1 "2001-11-29T18:22:52Z")
My friend asked me to fix her computer, which I am usually really good at, but I just can’t figure out the problem. The E:/ drive will not work. I restarted the computer so that it would scan for problems and now the icon is not even showing up in My Computer. The light constantly blinks on the drive, but only when a CD is in there. It will not load any disk put in and say that the E:/ drive is not ready. BUT IT IS! Somebody please help me!!! ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem/95967/2 "2001-11-29T19:16:15Z")
This is not a sarcastic answer: Could it just be broken? I’m assuming that your e:/ drive is your CD-rom drive - maybe a physical internal connection is down. Is there something about this problem in the troubleshooting or Help documentation? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem/95967/3 "2001-11-29T19:23:29Z")
So this “drive” is a CDROM drive correct? Assuming no one has been goofing with jumpers, cables or BIOS settings and you have checked proper cabling and jumper and BIOS settings, if the system will not recognize the drive even in the BIOS startup or the OS it’s likely the CD’s board electronics are done for. Replacement CD drives are cheap (typically 25 to 50 dollars.) If you want to make double sure it’s a hardware and not an OS issue make a boot up disk in the control panel’s “add/remove” software applet and boot the system. If it boots and reads in DOS but not windows it’s likely to be some sort of OS or resource conflict issue and not a hardware problem for the drive. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem/95967/4 "2001-11-29T23:07:53Z")
Did it show up in the cmos bios? Did you try using the cdrom install disk? There are so many cdrom drives & a few types it’s very tricky for me to decide what to say. ---
**Author:** ![pincushion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d9b06d/32.png) [@pincushion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pincushion)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem/95967/5 "2001-11-30T08:24:30Z")
Maybe there is a master/slave conflict between that drive and another. This can usually be fixed by fiddling with jumpers located on the rear of the drive. Another possible cause is that the cable isn’t plugged in all the way… ---
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem/95967/6 "2001-11-30T10:08:39Z")
Well, I actually had this problem once. I had changed everything to a new case and motherboard and inadvertantly reversed the ribbon cable to the cd-rom. Once I flipped it back around properly, it worked fine. YMMV of course. Also, look in the Cmos setup and there should be an autodetect drive function. As long as the cables are all connected properly, this should detect your drive. ---
**Author:** ![pincushion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d9b06d/32.png) [@pincushion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pincushion)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem/95967/7 "2001-11-30T10:37:01Z")
As I understand it, if two drives are occupying the same “slot” (primary master, primary slave, secondary master, or secondary slave) then one will be detected and the other will not. I installed all of my own drives and swapped them between computers and such, and this is something that often causes a problem like this… but then again, this is purely from memory so I could be a little bit off.