So let's get the system info out of the way. I found this SiSo Sandra software on my computer, sio I hope nobody minds me using the system summary it gave me...
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SiSoftware Sandra
System
Host Name : PUTER
User : Leslie
Domain : PUTER
Processor
Model : Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1500MHz
Speed : 1.50GHz
Performance Rating : PR1645 (estimated)
Type : Standard
L2 On-board Cache : 256kB ECC Synchronous ATC (8-way sectored, 64 byte line size)
Mainboard
Bus(es) : X-Bus AGP PCI IMB USB FireWire/1394 i2c/SMBus
MP Support : No
MP APIC : Yes
System BIOS : Intel Corp. HV84510A.15A.0008.P03.0108231035
System : Gateway E-3600
Mainboard : Intel Corporation D845HV
Total Memory : 511MB SDRAM
Chipset 1
Model : Intel Corporation 82845 Brookdale Host-Hub Interface Bridge (A3-step)
Front Side Bus Speed : 4x 100MHz (400MHz data rate)
Total Memory : 512MB SDRAM
Memory Bus Speed : 1x 133MHz (133MHz data rate)
Video System
Monitor/Panel : Plug and Play Monitor
Adapter : Matrox Millennium G450 DualHead - English
Imaging Device : Lexmark 4300 Series
Physical Storage Devices
Removable Drive : Floppy disk drive
Hard Disk : MDT MD1000JB-00CRA1 (93.2GB)
Hard Disk : ST320410A (18.6GB)
Hard Disk : Lexmark USB Mass Storage USB Device
CD-ROM/DVD : LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-812S (CD 40X Rd, 40X Wr) (DVD 5X Rd, 5X Wr)
CD-ROM/DVD : _NEC NR-7700A (CD 32X Rd, 12X Wr)
Logical Storage Devices
1.44MB 3.5" (A : N/A
Hard Disk (C : 18.6GB (2.2GB, 12% Free) (NTFS)
Hard Disk (E : 93.2GB (83.9GB, 90% Free) (NTFS)
Removable Drive (G : N/A
Peripherals
Serial/Parallel Port(s) : 1 COM / 1 LPT
USB Controller/Hub : Intel(r) 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2442
USB Controller/Hub : Intel(r) 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2444
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB Composite Device
USB Controller/Hub : USB Printing Support
USB Controller/Hub : USB Mass Storage Device
USB Controller/Hub : USB Composite Device
USB Controller/Hub : Generic USB Hub
FireWire/1394 Controller/Hub : OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller
Keyboard : Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Keyboard : HID Keyboard Device
Mouse : Microsoft PS/2 Mouse
Mouse : HID-compliant mouse
Human Interface : HID-compliant device
Human Interface : HID-compliant consumer control device
Human Interface : HID-compliant consumer control device
Human Interface : HID-compliant device
Human Interface : HID-compliant device
Human Interface : HID-compliant device
Human Interface : USB Human Interface Device
Human Interface : USB Human Interface Device
Human Interface : USB Human Interface Device
Human Interface : USB Human Interface Device
MultiMedia Device(s)
Device : Creative SB Audigy
Device : Creative Game Port
Device : Intel(r) 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Audio Controller
Printers and Faxes
Model : LexmarkFax
Model : Lexmark 4300 Series
Model : EPSON Stylus C60 Series (Copy 1)
Model : EPSON Stylus C60 Series
Model : Broderbund PDF Creator
Power Management
AC Line Status : On-Line
Operating System(s)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Home (Win32 x86/IA32) 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2)
Network Services
Adapter : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
################################################## ########
Now for the hard part...
I have two CDROM drives. The master is the CDR drive that came with the PC, and a DVD drive set as a slave. Neither seem to be working. I can hear the DVD drive try several time to read an inserted disc, but nothing happens, and it eventually gives up. The CDR drive sounds as if it is reading things fine, but will not produce any results on screen.
Some oddities I noticed today which may be of interest...
*Selecting Run in the startup menu produces the message "F:\Autodisable.exe" in the "open:" dialog box.
*Drives F and D (which should be my two CDROM drives) do not show up under "My Computer".
*The menu now shows a drive G (removable disc), which I've never seen before. Selecting it prompts for a disc to be inserted even if discs are loaded into my two CDROM drives.
*Right clicking one of the drives shown under My Computer and selecting the Properties menu will show the two CDROM drives listed with the other drives and my printer in the Hardware tab. However selecting either of the CDROM drives shows the message "Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupt or missing." I have uninstalled and reinstalled both drives and checked MS website for updates. This accomplished nothing.
*Restarting my machine with my XP OS disc inserted in the CDR drive does give me the option of booting XP from the disc. This does not work with the OS disc inserted in the DVD drive.
*I have lost sound from all sources and neither the Windows nor the Audigy audio mixer will function. (ask me if you need more details on this)
*Microsoft Paint has vanished without a trace.
It has been several years since I reinstalled XP. So my intention is to perform a full cleaning and OS reinstall, and hopefully that will clear up the smaller issues. But I can't back up any of my files without my CDROM drive(s).
I ran a search on this forum for "Autodisable.exe" and came up with a thread at the following addy... "http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6035_102-0.html;jsessionid=abc4M2blk9IO_486IGDsr?forumID=44&threadID=58330&messageID=693320&tag=rss.rbf#693320". Tried the AutoFix software mentioned here, but it does not detect the CD drives.
Sorry for the long post. I hope I was thorough enough that someone can throw a suggestion or two my way. Thank you so much. If I've left anything out please let me know...
~Maxx
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General discussion
CD drives not working...
Discussion is locked
5 Posts
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That download worked like a charm! Thanx so much for the help! The master CDROM drive is as good as new, and the DVD drive will now (attempt to) load a DVD when inserted (error message says that the decoder is not found - must have lost that along with my Paint program!)
I do have one more question though...
I've been gathering info and preparing to begin a clean reinstall of XP Home. Nothing I've read, however, indicates weather or not I need to do anything special for a dual hard drive system. I won't be setting up anything like a dual boot system - drive C remains the sole boot drive, while drive E will be used exclusively for media files. Does the reinstall automatically reformat both drives? And if so, does it prompt me to choose which drive I want the OS to be installed on? Probably a silly question. But nothing I've read seems to specify. Thanx again for your assistance!
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Most find that too much work. With IEFIX able to automate most OS repairs I start with that.
Bob
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I figured that that would be the best way to take care of all the little (possibly unrelated) issues and quirks that seem to have infiltrated my PC as of late. It addition to that there are several changes and tweeks I've been meaning to make for a long time now, and I thought it would go more smoothly if I had a clean pallet to start fresh with. For example - when I last reinstalled XP a few years ago (my first try at it) I somehow managed to do so without deleting the previous instance of WinXP on the C drive (it asks me which OS I want to use each time it boots up). I'm guessing that that's taking up a load of extra space! In addition, the last few days I've noticed that several programs and files have mysteriously gone missing - including IE7, MS Paint, Word Pad, Win Media Player, and (aparently) the decoder for my DVD drive. And of course my CDRom drives were suddenly not recognized by any of my media playing/recording software.
I've also been thinking of trying Firefox on for size as opposed to IE, and creating a second user profile so that my fiance can play her games, surf the net, and organize her own desktop for her craft projects, while I can customize my profile for home recording (my hobby), and my own creative projects.
If you or anyone else believe that it will be efficient to take care of these things without reinstalling the OS just say the word. Because I really wasn't looking foreward the whole process! Sorry if I'm being a long-winded pain for you Bob. But the thought now of getting my PC set up the way I want it to be without doing an XP install just has me giddy! Thanx a million for your wisdom!
PS - A new "quirk" has developed... Whenever I select a link from my IE "Favorites" it spawns two new windows. A blank one, and one with the desired URL loaded in it. It does the same thing (spawns a blank window in addition to the desired URL) when I right click a web link and select "open in new window". And just now it spawned over 50 of these empty windows before loading the link I selected from my IE favorites. I'm no expert, but that seems like some kind of add-ware virus. Time to go hunting again...
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