Motherboard can't see DVD drives

[Lysander]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but I installed a new mobo yesterday, Asus P4V800D-x. The problem is that even though everything else is working fine, XP or [more likely the mobo] can't see can't see my DVD drives.

I've tried making some changes in the registry but it didn't make any difference and of course I can't install anything from the driver CD that came with the board!! Any idea as to what I can do? This is really getting frustrating...

 

[Jay_t]

Presume you've double checked that one is a master and the other a slave?

 

[WJA96]

Hi,

In the BIOS - are the drives shown there? It's usually the first screen

If not - are thet plugged into power? Will they open if you press the tray eject?
Are the cables connected the right way around?
Are the drives correctly set up as Master/Slave/CS?

Are the optical drives PATA or SATA?

How did youy load windows without optical drives? If this is a 'bandit' install you may need to download new chipset drivers to the PATA working properly although if your HDD are detected (you don't say if they are PATA or SATA, but I'm assuming SATA) it sounds like IDE is working. If they are PATA then IDE is definitely working.

 

[Lysander]

Hi,

In the BIOS - are the drives shown there? It's usually the first screen

If not - are thet plugged into power? Will they open if you press the tray eject?
Are the cables connected the right way around?
Are the drives correctly set up as Master/Slave/CS?

Are the optical drives PATA or SATA?

How did youy load windows without optical drives? If this is a 'bandit' install you may need to download new chipset drivers to the PATA working properly although if your HDD are detected (you don't say if they are PATA or SATA, but I'm assuming SATA) it sounds like IDE is working. If they are PATA then IDE is definitely working.

In answer to your questions -

1. No, the drives aren't shown in the BIOS, even though device manager in XP says the IDE channels are working fine
2. They both have power - the trays both open and close
3. The cables are connected the right way round, I double-checked
4. Well - this could be the problem. As far as I remember one is set to master and one slave though I hear both should be set to cable select.

The hard disks are both IDE and they both work fine. XP can boot but when I'm in windows the DVD drives don't show up.

Would the jumpers on the DVD drives be repsonsible for them not showing up in the BIOS? They jumpers have always been set the same throughout a coulpe of mobo changes and I've never had a problem till now.

I downloaded a new chipset and installed it, but that didn't seem to do anything. If only I could access the files on the CD...don't know this would solve the problem though.

 

[WJA96]

The Master/Slave/CS issue should not be a problem as long as one is set to master and one to slave.

The fact that do not show up in the BIOS would suggest the motherboard is damaged or that the BIOS is set up incorrectly.

I know that people talk about PATA drives as being IDE, but both SATA and PATA are IDE. This is important because that chipset has only 4 IDE channels. If your BIOS has 2 of them set to SATA then the you will have 2 (probably a master and slave) available for PATA (hence your HDDs show up), but any other PATA drives might not show up.

On Page 1-19 of the Manual it says that using the SATA ports will disable a PATA port. Page 1-20 of the manual shows the BIOS settings to use both PATA ports (you have to disable the SATA ports basically).

Let me know if that solves the problem as otherwise it's probably damaged.

 

[Lysander]

The Master/Slave/CS issue should not be a problem as long as one is set to master and one to slave.

The fact that do not show up in the BIOS would suggest the motherboard is damaged or that the BIOS is set up incorrectly.

I know that people talk about PATA drives as being IDE, but both SATA and PATA are IDE. This is important because that chipset has only 4 IDE channels. If your BIOS has 2 of them set to SATA then the you will have 2 (probably a master and slave) available for PATA (hence your HDDs show up), but any other PATA drives might not show up.

On Page 1-19 of the Manual it says that using the SATA ports will disable a PATA port. Page 1-20 of the manual shows the BIOS settings to use both PATA ports (you have to disable the SATA ports basically).

Let me know if that solves the problem as otherwise it's probably damaged.

OK, I think we might be getting somewhere now. I'll check the cabling and the jumpers again. Make sure the cabling is correct and the jumpers the right way round.

I'm not using any of the SATA ports so I'll check page 1-20 of the manual [I assume the bit I need to look at is on page 20] to see if I need to change any of the BIOS settings. When the PC started for the first time after the new mobo install I did just hit F2 to let the mobo configure its own settings, so I might need to make a change in the BIOS so that I can use both PATA ports. You must have the same motherboard

 

[WJA96]

You must have the same motherboard

No, I downloaded the manual. That's the kind of help you get here. The first time through I'll read the manual and talk you through it, after that it's RTFM!

 

[Lysander]

No, I downloaded the manual. That's the kind of help you get here. The first time through I'll read the manual and talk you through it, after that it's RTFM!

Aha, right, yes. Thank you!! I'll check it out over din dins

 

[Lysander]

Looked at the manual over lunch but I couldn't make head nor tail of it. I went into the Main section and where it said 'not detected' next to Primary master and slave drives I changed it to 'CDROM'. On rebooting it just gave me an error message saying 'ATAPI Master device incompatable' and 'ATAPI slave device incompatable'. Then in XP, no DVD drives were shown as usual.

I must have done something wrong but I really couldn't work out what the manual was saying I couldn't work out what the BIOS setting were to use both PATA ports.

 

[WJA96]

OK - no sweat.

At the bottom of the first screen is a menu option 'IDE Configuration'

Select that and you should be able to get a menu;

Onboard PCI IDE Operate Mode - set this to Enhanced Mode for Windows XP or 2000

Then it should work fine.

If it doesn't then force the IDE Port Settings to P-ATA Ports Only.

This menu allows to specify whether or not you want the OS to detect the SATA or PATA drives. I can't help but think that if you reset the BIOS it would probably work fine straight away.

Was the motherboard new or had someone used it before?

 

[Lysander]

OK - no sweat.

At the bottom of the first screen is a menu option 'IDE Configuration'

Select that and you should be able to get a menu;

Onboard PCI IDE Operate Mode - set this to Enhanced Mode for Windows XP or 2000

Then it should work fine.

OK this sounds easy enough...

If it doesn't then force the IDE Port Settings to P-ATA Ports Only.

This menu allows to specify whether or not you want the OS to detect the SATA or PATA drives. I can't help but think that if you reset the BIOS it would probably work fine straight away.

You mean reset the Bios to defaults?

I did get to the bit in the Advanced section of the BIOS which says you can use PATA only. It then gives four setttings for this - normal, Bi-directional, ECP or EPP and something else.... which one of those should I choose? I also disabled use of SATA since I don't use any SATA devices.

Was the motherboard new or had someone used it before?

Oh, new motherboard.

 

[silversurfer]

Always simplify if you have a mystery like this. Just get the bios to accept the dvd drive first and nothing else, confirm it can work with the motherboard at least

 

[WJA96]

You mean reset the Bios to defaults?

Yes.

I did get to the bit in the Advanced section of the BIOS which says you can use PATA only. It then gives four setttings for this - normal, Bi-directional, ECP or EPP and something else.... which one of those should I choose?

That's the Parallel printer port - use ECP+EPP unless there is a good reason not to. (just use that - I doubt you have a printer old enough not to run ECP or EPP)

I also disabled use of SATA since I don't use any SATA devices.

I would definitely try the BIOS reset first, it sounds like someone has had a good fiddle before you.

Oh, new motherboard.

I wouldn't bet on it....

I still don't understand how you got Windows on there in the first place with no optical drives?

 

[WJA96]

Always simplify if you have a mystery like this. Just get the bios to accept the dvd drive first and nothing else, confirm it can work with the motherboard at least

We established at post 2 that the optical drives are not recognised in the BIOS. We also established that all the connectors are fitted correctly and there is power to the drives.

We also know from the manual that the use of the 2 SATA ports and 2 of the PATA ports are mutually exclusive. What I currently think is that the motherboard has been forced to look for 2 SATA ports and only allowed to look for PATA ports on the first IDE channel. Hence he can see both his hard drives.

You could argue that swapping the slave HDD for the slave DVD would prove that the optical drive is working, but it is exceptionally unlikely that both optical drives failed simultaneously.

I am trying to get Lysander to reset the BIOS to default as it should work like that. If not, I would like him to force the BIOS to see all four PATA devices and shut off the SATA ports.

Now, other than the fact that I believe he has bandit swapped the OS boot disk ie. he has not re-installed the operating system and that could be cocking up all sorts of things I think we're doing OK so far.

If you have any other suggestions I'd be glad to hand this one over to you Silversurfer...

 

[Lysander]

OK, I'll try the BIOS reset then the other things you suggest.

I still don't understand how you got Windows on there in the first place with no optical drives?

Well, I had already built the computer about a year ago and all I changed yesterday was the graphics card and motherboard. Windows was already installed on the hard drive. When I booted up and got into XP I was surprised that I wasn't asked to reactivate Windows since I know that MS don't like people changing motherboards on an OEM copy. Still, about a week ago I had to do a complete format of the hard drive and reinstall Windows due to a NTLDR problem caused by an error in patitioning. That XP reinstall is still awaiting activation [24 days to go] so that may have something to do with why I wasn't asked to activate it again after the mobo was changed.

 

[WJA96]

Well, I had already built the computer about a year ago and all I changed yesterday was the graphics card and motherboard.

OK - well that's only about 80% of the drivers on the system are probably sub-optimal then (unless the previous board was also an Intel 865 board).

 

[silversurfer]

No you carry on WJA Thats just my general advice, reseting the bios is what I'd try also. Iam always forgetting to do that after changing parts, I ran BH5 levels of voltage through normal ram that way one time by accident , it lived luckly

 

[FrankJH]

OK, I'll try the BIOS reset then the other things you suggest.



Well, I had already built the computer about a year ago and all I changed yesterday was the graphics card and motherboard. Windows was already installed on the hard drive. When I booted up and got into XP I was surprised that I wasn't asked to reactivate Windows since I know that MS don't like people changing motherboards on an OEM copy. Still, about a week ago I had to do a complete format of the hard drive and reinstall Windows due to a NTLDR problem caused by an error in patitioning. That XP reinstall is still awaiting activation [24 days to go] so that may have something to do with why I wasn't asked to activate it again after the mobo was changed.

There is your problem - unless its an IDENTICAL motherboard and chipset its highly unlikely Windows will actually work

Even then the mobo manufacturer can sometimes change a device or chip on the mobo without notification and this will mess up the OS install previously completed successfully

I dont mean to sound as if I am treating you stupid or anything, so appologies if thats how it comes about but when you are finally in Windows look at how many items in Device Manager are directly on the mobo - I coulnt at least 20!!!! If you have one difference, especially something as fundamental as a drive port everything can go horribly wrong.

That is why most on here (myself included) always suggest a complete reformat and reinstall of windows on a mobo change

Anyway you have possibly learned your lesson ( as it sounds like you have spent more time fixing this than it would have taken reinstalling from scratch)

and it looks like you have found the solution I hope

 

[Lysander]

Thanks guys - it looks as though I have a process to go through starting with resetting the BIOS and then a couple of other things if that doesn't work. I will then check the cabling and jumpers again and if nothing comes of that I'll do a format and reinstall. Shame I can't back up my files on DVD ROM though!

 

[split]

Shame I can't back up my files on DVD ROM though!

Well that aint gonna happen cos you can't see the drives

You have a few option though.

Network.
USB mass storage.
Spare hard disk as slave.
PartitionMagic <small risk involved.

You may also want to look at this. <slim chance.
Only shame you didnt before you changed mobos.