# PC not recognizing CD-ROM drive?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2000, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279 "2000-10-17T17:04:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dietrologia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@dietrologia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dietrologia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/1 "2000-10-17T17:04:02Z")
Aaaarrrrgghhh! I’ve tried everything to no avail. Help! Windows 98 SE, Pentium II 266 on an older Dell Optiplex GX1 I just bought a cd-rom drive. When I install it in IDE slot 2, the pc doesn’t know it’s there. Windows plug ‘n’ play doesn’t locate it, manually pointing it to the drive won’t work, and when I say I have the floppy w/the drivers, it can’t find an .inf file on the floppy. I think the driver on the floppy is a .sys type thing. (Using the floppy to install the driver doesn’t get it to work, either) The cd-rom works (and is recognizable) if I install it as a _second_ device on the IDE slot **1** , but of course the cable isn’t long enough for the cd-rom to sit properly in the pc case–so… it _works_ this way, but I can’t shut the case. I’ve even gone into the BIOS and put Drive 2 on auto and it doesn’t detect a drive. So why will windows detect the drive as a secondary on IDE1 but won’t locate it as a primary/secondary on IDE2? Suggestions, ideas, or more proper forums **GLADLY** accepted! ---
**Author:** ![Enos\_Strate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/aca169/32.png) [@Enos\_Strate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enos_Strate)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/2 "2000-10-17T17:19:52Z")
For clarification, when you say “primary/secondary” do you mean “master/slave” by changing the jumpers on the CD-drive? It sounds like you’ve already tried it, but when I ran into this problem, I went into the BIOS and had it autodetect ide/hdd for all of the drives, then it came right in. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/3 "2000-10-17T17:28:55Z")
Sometimes the IDE slot 2 has to be activated. It might be a jumper on the motherboard or maybe a switch in the cmos. ---
**Author:** ![dietrologia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@dietrologia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dietrologia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/4 "2000-10-17T17:32:13Z")
**Diver: Sometimes the IDE slot 2 has to be activated. It might be a jumper on the motherboard or maybe a switch in the cmos.** This sounds like the most plausible explanation. Now all I have to do is figure out how to switch the cmos. Off I go on another quest! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/5 "2000-10-17T21:15:50Z")
Per previous posts problem probably in IDE BIOS-CMOS setup. If not, you can buy extra length IDE cables 24+ inches. If you need a source [http://www.dalco.com](http://www.dalco.com) or [http://www.cyberguys.com](http://www.cyberguys.com) should have them. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/6 "2000-10-17T21:21:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dietrologia \* > \*\ ***Diver: Sometimes the IDE slot 2 has to be activated. It might be a jumper on the motherboard or maybe a switch in the cmos.** > > This sounds like the most plausible explanation. Now all I have to do is figure out how to switch the cmos. > > Off I go on another quest! > > Thanks! \*\* Not guaranteed but… on most Dell units holding (or tapping) the Delete [DEL] key while the system is booting will generally put you into the system BIOS setup page(s). ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/7 "2000-10-17T23:26:11Z")
Get a better cable is the best solution. They are cheap & plentiful at computer stores. ---
**Author:** ![dietrologia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@dietrologia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dietrologia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/8 "2000-10-17T23:38:36Z")
Thanks for all the input. I’ve discovered some new things I’m going to try out. I’ve suspected that problem was in my BIOS because even though I’ve gone in there and fiddled around, the cd-rom still wasn’t picked up. It’s not a cable integrity issue either. The cable works fine. Here’s some newly-discovered info found at the [support.dell.com](http://support.dell.com) site regarding NVRAM: _In some circumstances, you may encounter problems when you change the hardware configuration on your system. The system may not detect the hardware you have added, or may not accept the drivers. The problem could be that the BIOS/CMOS continues to use the original Plug and Play configurations settings retained in the motherboard’s Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM) memory_ Thanks to everyone again for putting me on the right track. Sleep well tonight knowing that you’ve saved one man a lot of frustration. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2000, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/9 "2000-10-18T00:40:57Z")
There is usually some option in the CMOS akin to “reset to factory parameters” or similar. One thing you may want to try. I had a similar situation and by setting the second IDE channel parameters to the most basic setting finally got it to work. As a side note per Enos Strate’s post. I assume you are changing the jumper on the back of the CD drive from the “slave” to the “master” setting when you put it on the second IDE channel. If not what you are describing (ie 1st channel works second channel doesn’t) is exactly what would happen. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2000, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/10 "2000-10-18T14:44:53Z")
Resetting the Bios to “defaults” almost always does the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/11 "2000-10-18T16:11:25Z")
FWIW, I have an NEC hard drive that, if set as the master boot device, will not allow a CD-ROM to be used in any position except as the slave to the NEC. I tried this drive on several different systems by different manufacturers, so I know it’s not the motherboard. I’ve also tried different cables and CD-ROMs, so I know the problem is the hard drive itself. No idea why this happens; it’s something I’ve come to accept, and since it’s only a 2 GB drive (a big deal when I bought it, but not so much any more) I have it on an old, seldom-used system. I’ve never had this problem with any other hard drive, and I’ve built plenty of systems, so I’m fairly confident that it’s not me. 🙂 Perhaps this is the same problem you’re having. ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2000, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/12 "2000-10-18T16:19:40Z")
Another thing that can knock out the detection of your CD-ROM is a boot sector virus. If you check in Start Menu\Settings\Control Panel\System\Performance and it says that you are using compatability mode, it might be worth it to run a virus scan. Another thing I’ve run into lately is a number of CD-ROMS that will only be recognized if they are located on the Primary IDE channel. Keith ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2000, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-not-recognizing-cd-rom-drive/37279/13 "2000-10-18T23:19:03Z")
dietrologia, maybe the NVRAM remembers it on IDE1 so when you put it on IDE2 it can’t find it. Resetting nvram in the bios does the trick.