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Compaq Presario PCs - Missing CD Drives or System Lock While Reading Media in CD-RW



 
 
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Old September 24th 04, 06:01 PM
Gerry
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Default Compaq Presario PCs - Missing CD Drives or System Lock While Reading Media in CD-RW

Hi,

Offered to take a look at a family friend's freezing Compaq. Last
night noticed that the CDR drive wasn't detected and would not open,
and finally determined that without it connected and detected the
computer would not freeze while booting up. Meli's previous
problems/EXCELLENT posts helped me locate this Compaq/hp tech article.

I hope things turn out to be this simple.

Thanks, Gerry
-----------------------------------
Compaq Presario PCs - Missing CD Drives or System Lock While Reading
Media in CD-RW

ISSUE:
After a cold boot or from a restart of a normal shutdown, the DVD and
CD-RW drive might not be available for use. The Secondary IDE
controller, located under Device Manager in Windows Me, might also
show an error.

If the CD-RW has media in the drive, it might be detected by the
Hardware Manager, but it will not be accessible and the system will
lock, requiring a shutdown to recover.

The ID signal becomes ready faster when it is configured as the master
(first drive) instead of the slave (second drive) causing the drives
not to be detected.

This affects only the Presario 5012US systems that begin with 3D in
the first two digits of the serial number. The serial number is
located behind the bottom door of the CD holder. This issue affects
the Presario 5012US, beginning with 3D in the serial number.

SOLUTION:
Release date: April 2001; Revision: 0
This is not a hardware defect; no replacement parts are needed.

Physically swapping the DVD and CD-RW allows the Operating System to
detect both drives. Use the following steps to swap the drives. If
more detailed instructions are needed, please visit the following Web
site, ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/supportinfo..._CDRW_swap.pdf

NOTE: Because you will need to shutdown your computer to complete the
steps below, Compaq recommends you print the instructions to have
readily available for viewing before starting this process.

Please contact your Compaq Authorized Service Provider for assistance
if you do not feel comfortable performing the following steps and
reference document number UM010419_CW01:
Power down the system and unplug the power cable from the computer.
Remove the screw(s) holding the side access panel and remove the side
panel while holding down the latch.
Move the drive lock tab to the unlock position.
Remove the plastic rings around the drive bays.
Unplug data and power cables to both DVD and CD-RW drives.
Remove the DVD and CD-RW devices from the storage bays.
Replace the DVD drive in the bottom slot where the CD-RW drive was
originally held.
Replace the CD-RW drive in the top slot where the DVD drive was
originally held.
Verify that the DVD is now in the bottom slot and the CD-RW is now in
the TOP slot.
Replug the data and power cables to the CD-RW and DVD.
Replace the side panel and screw(s).
Replug the power cable to the computer and power the computer back on
by pressing the Power button.

NOTE: Because of the position of the data cable, it is not recommended
to swap the cables in place of swapping the drives.

NOTE: The information in this document, including products and
software versions, is current as of the Release Date. This document is
subject to change without notice.
--------------------------------------
"meli" wrote in message
news:OMcGnhfMCHA.1180@tkmsftngp09...
Hello, and thanks to anyone responding to this message.

About three weeks ago, I got an update notice from Compaq for my
Presario 5000 series, year-and-a-half-old, ME system computer.
Innocently, I told them yes. My pc has not run right since then.
Upon booting, I get the following message, the likes of which I have
never seen befo

"The following configuration options were automatically updated:

disk 1 57241[MB] disk 3 CDRom disk 4 CDRom"

This is all I get, on a black screen at boot-up. I immediately noticed
that the computer froze up...the hourglass appears and won't go
away...and I eventually have to shut it down forcibly, often several
times. After about the second or third day of this, I went to system
restore, and restored it to July 3, about a week before the problem
started. It worked for a few days and then I got the message again.
Restore system again. Then I went in and shut off all the Compaq
programs and turned off all the updates. (One problem is that I don't
even know if this was a Windows or a Compaq update. It doesn't matter.
Somehow, that configuration change keeps coming back, no matter how I
try to prevent it. And immediately the computer freezes.

Today, after a few days of the computer running ok, I decided, after a
year and a half, to learn to use the CD burner, Adaptec EZ Creator 4.
It tells me that it cannot find a CD Recorder. Turns out I don't have
the Phillips driver that I should, but only a Compaq one, CDRom
CRD8484B. But here's the really weird thing: My computer started
freezing again after that, and I had to go back to March 31st to
restore it.
And guess what? When I went to the device manager to uncheck the boxes
suggested [in a message in Me.hardware], the Phillips driver I needed
was there!!! However, my computer promptly froze up. And when I
restored again, it had disappeared, and I can't get it back, nor can I
find it among any of the drivers.

So I am theorizing that the auto-configuration was to somehow delete
the Phillips driver and to change the configurations relating to my CD
burner and possibly the sound in general. I now know that I *used* to
have the driver needed for my CD burner, and now I don't, and that the
weird auto-configuration message involves the CD Rom. Also, I can't
seem to get rid of that reconfiguration. I can restore the system to a
date when I know it wasn't there, since I know the date it first
appeared, but after three or four days, it appears again.

Other symptoms: The light for the CD burner comes on and stays on for
a while; the door will usually not open; and the volume and mute
buttons on the keyboard suddenly stopped functioning.

So I guess I need to find out what this reconfiguration is (don't have
a clue as to where to start; looked in Google, and nothing); possibly
get rid of it (no clue as to how); and find out how to replace my
Phillips CD-R/RW driver or to get the Compaq driver to function for
both purposes. (Don't think this is possible.) BTW, I just went to
the Compaq page, and they have absolutely NO drivers on there. I will
try Phillips, but I don't see why they would let me download their
driver for free.

I know this is pretty convoluted and confusing, but if somebody could
give me any help, I would really, really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance from Houston,

Meli
----------------------------------------------
Message 4 in thread
From: meli )
Subject: Weird Autoconfiguration Messages...
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general
Date: 2002-07-26 08:11:39 PST

Hi, Heather, just thought I'd let you know the ending to my crisis,
since you were nice enough to reply.

The problem was the CD burner. Once it was out, the messages stopped.
Apparently the system was attempting to detect the F Drive and the
drivers associated with the burner, and the burner wasn't getting
power all the time, so sometimes it would detect them, and sometimes
not. When it did, it would install them, but the pc would freeze due
to some sort of incompatibility, maybe.

Anyway, I now have a VisionTek burner with Nero software, which came
with it (the Adaptec I got with the pc would not recognize the new
burner, I guess because now a have a different driver which came with
Nero under systems devices). But the Nero works perfectly; I haven't
seen another one of those auto-configuration messages; and the pc runs
faster than it has in months. No need to reformat, no need to lose
anything.

I lucked out. And no thanks to the techs at Compaq!! They either
didn't have a clue, or they weren't telling, if they did. I had to
formulate my own theory and go on that.

Anyway, all is well now. Thanks again for your help.

Meli
 




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