# Why did this work? (DVD/CD drive master/slave question)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-work-dvd-cd-drive-master-slave-question/286193>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 23, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-work-dvd-cd-drive-master-slave-question/286193 "2005-01-23T03:37:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-work-dvd-cd-drive-master-slave-question/286193/1 "2005-01-23T03:37:37Z")

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Okay, so a desktop computer I’d given my sisters about 2 years ago has been returned to me for “fixing” (ie: removing spyware, etc). In the process, I notice that Windows no longer is recognizing the DVD-ROM drive. Huh. Weird.

Upon rebooting, I notice that both the CD-RW drive and the DVD-ROM drive are displayed in the BIOS boot up. When Windows loads, though, no DVD-ROM drive. I suspect a faulty IDE cable, so I open the case and swap the two on the cable – the CD-RW drive was the Master, the DVD-ROM drive the Slave. Both jumpers are set to Cable Select, and always have been. Rebooting, the DVD-ROM drive is found.

…wtf? Does anyone know why this might have happened? It seems to be fine now that I’ve swapped the master/slave status of the drives (despite that, for some reason, both are listed as CD-ROM drives in Windows Explorer – though both function as their intended use (CD-RW drive and DVD-ROM drive))… but why? Why did this fix it?