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General discussion

CD-RW drive problems

Aug 21, 2004 3:07AM PDT

My Compaq Presario 5BWN21 desktop PC has been having problems with the CD-RW drive. Last night I had to go inside of the tower to look at the hard drive, which means in my case, I had to remove the CD-RW drive. Anyway, i got the computer back together and everything was fine except for the CD-RW drive. All of the cables are hooked up, and it blinks and lights up at startup, but Windows 98Se dosen't detect it. I went under the System Icon and checked the device maganger and it dosen't list it. However, it does list my other CD-ROM drive. I contacted Compaq and they told me to boot into safe mode and uninstall the drivers there. I tried to do that; the computer will not let me boot into saft mode; however, when I woke up this morning, it let me boot into safe mode. Then everything started to work; I got the thing to work, then the computer froze and I had to restart; once again, it wouldn't let me boot into safe mode. I contacted Compaq again, they told me to make a Win 98 Bootable Diskette so I could restore the computer to an earlier time; i did that. Still wouldn't let me boot into Safe Mode. Anyway, please help me!!! I just want the computer to get into safe mode. The computer: Compaq Presario 5BWN21, Windows 98 SE, 128MB RAM, 20GB Hard Drive, LG CED-8080B CD-RW drive.

Discussion is locked

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Re: CD-RW drive problems
Aug 21, 2004 3:18AM PDT

I looked at that model number and it debued in 2000 and seems to last shipped in 2000. That's a 4 plus year old drive.

Cut your time loss NOW. Try another drive.

Bob

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Re: CD-RW drive problems
Aug 21, 2004 3:24AM PDT

The only problem is that is my mothers computer, and she said that she isn't going to buy a CD-RW drive. Were going to get a new computer in a couple of months anyway, I just want to get the drive working, can you help me?

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Re: CD-RW drive problems
Aug 21, 2004 3:28AM PDT

If the drive is dead, then how can I help you?

If the machine has two CD drives, have a friend make a KNOPPIX CD and test the drive with K3b.

What more help can you get?

Bob

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Re: CD-RW drive problems
Aug 21, 2004 3:30AM PDT

The drive isn't dead, it just isn't being detected by Windows. It blinks and lights up, and will even let you put a CD in it, but it isn't being detected by Windows.

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CD-RW drive noted by???
Aug 21, 2004 3:42AM PDT

If you didn't plug in the CDRW drive wide IDE cable proper (both ends) then what you write will happen.

Does the BIOS see the Drive?

Does a DOS boot diskette show the drive?

Bob

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Re: CD-RW drive noted by???
Aug 21, 2004 3:49AM PDT

After sitting for and hour, the computer let me boot into Safe Mode. It boots up, let me uninstall the drive, and I thought it would work, however, it didn't reinstall the drive when I booted into Windows. Here is the answer to you questions:

1. Yes. That is how I knew the drive model, make, etc.

2. I don't remember if it did. I don't think it did.

I might just wait to get the thing fixed when we get a new computer.