BleepingComputer.com: Bios Does Not Recognize Cd-rw Drive

I'm a first-timer for a tech forum. This issue has really stumped me and I've run out of thoughts on what to do.
Working on a PC for a friend - usual clean-up, defrag, upgrading memory, etc... First turned the system on &
received the error "Secondary Drive 0 not found".

Here are the specifics:

DELL Dimension 3000
DELL Motherboard ON6381 (E210882)
Phoenix BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A03 (latest update per DELL)
Intel 865G Chipset Family
CD-RW is a Samsung SW-252S/DNR (on Window HCL list)

What I've done to date:

Several AntiVirus & AntiSpyware scans & cleanup
Registry Cleanup
Removed Upper & Lower Filters for the CD drive in the registry
Updated all Intel drivers (Including Intel Ultra ATA Storage Controller)
Tested the CD-RW drive & IDE cable - both working fine in my system.
Cleared the NVRAM
Forced an Auto Detect (automatic IDE configuration) in the BIOS several times.
Edited the Config file to try and force the CD-RW recognition & IRQ
Default jumper setting per DELL is Cable Select, but tried the Master setting
Device Manager shows the Secondary IDE Channel
Installed the HDD in the Secondary IDE Channel & HDD came up fine
Tried the CD-RW in the Primary IDE Channel, no luck
Battery seems fine, not losing date or time, etc....
CD-RW does not require the use of real mode drivers

Here's where it gets a little strange. I put my RW drive in this system & it was detected. Then I powered
down & put the original back in and it too was detected. But, upon reboot, it was not. Tried both of my
drives (DVD & RW) is this system. I had to force an autodetect, but the system detected them and I restarted
and rebooted several times with no problems. Put the original RW back in with no luck. Tried to jumper it to
the Master setting again with no luck.

Is this a BIOS issue/ mobo issue / or controller issue? I'm so tired of thinking about it right now, I'm having trouble
thinking it through. Any suggestions would be so appreciated! Thanks for your time!

Hi .

Take a look at Disk Management.

Hard drives are referred to as Disk 0, Disk 1, etc., while my optical drive is referred to as CD-ROM 0.

Check the jumper setting on the optical drive on your system...it should be either C/S or Master and it should be connected to end of the IDE cable connector, not the middle.

My question: Did you change the BIOS settings...when you switched drives or moved them around? Some systems will automatically adjust for such, but not all (depends on the BIOS).

If the drives are properly reflected in the BIOS...and all connections are proper...then they should be properly recognized in Disk Management and My Computer.

Lack of such recognition (with no duplication of drive letter assignments) would lead me to believe that a drive is faulty.

Louis

The CD-RW is on its own IDE cable, separate from the hard drive.

I've tested both the CD-RW and its IDE cable in my PC more than
once, and it works fine.

I have the end connector on the IDE cable connected to the CD-RW
all the time, whether I keep it on the DELL default of Cable Select or
whether I've tried to jumper it to the Master. I tried the middle
connector and set the jumper to slave one time, but that didn't help either.

The BIOS is does not really have a lot of options, so there's really
not a lot to change. When I force it to try and auto-detect the drive,
it does not see it and ends up setting the secondary drive 0 back to the
"OFF" state.

Then...the BIOS is your problem.

Why, I cannot say.

I guess that I've never seen a BIOS that doesn't do either manual or auto-detection of drives. I would consider that unusual and try to see if there is a BIOS update for that particular Dell system that corrects that or deals with it.

Louis

Thank you. I was feeling like it might be the BIOS. I updated it from AO1 to A03, but
that didn't help. Unfortunately, DELL is limited on information for the motherboard.
I've tried, DELL, Intel & Samsung to cover all the bases for each component, but no luck.

Thanks again for your time !

Have you looked in the Device Manager to see if there are any error with the DVD/CD-ROM?

Hi dc3,

The CD-RW does not show up in Device Manager. when I reboot and go into the BIOS,

the Secondary Drive 0 is set to "OFF". When I set it to "Auto" it shows "Unknown Device".

That's ususally when I'll clear the NVRAM and then force the IDE configuration.

I powered down the system and removed the IDE connector for the CD drive from the mobo.
I restarted and went into the BIOS and set the value to the "OFF" state. I powered down and
back on again a couple of times.

Then I re-connected the IDE cable to the mobo, turned the system on and received no errors,
but probably because the value was still in the "OFF" state.

I restarted, went into the BIOS. Clicked on the value and set it to AUTO. Unknown DEVICe
came up. I put caps lock, scroll lock & num lock on and hit ALT, E, F, B and performed the
automatic IDE configuration again. Before Windows booted, I saw the Primary Master HDD
like usual, but I finally saw the Secondary Master CD-ROM.

Windows loaded, but the new hardware wizard never detected the drive. Trying to add it
manually doesn't work either. Obviously it did not show up in Device Manager. I rebooted
and checked the BIOS and it showed CD-ROM device for the first time, but the new hardware
wizard still did not come up, etc...

when I rebooted again I got the same "Secondary DRive 0" not found. The value is back at
unknown device. Do the controllers come into play while the bios is loading? I'm trying to
narrow this down to a BIOS issue or a motherboard issue. I'm still reluctant to believe its
the CD-RW drive or the IDE cable since they are detected and run fine in another system.

I wish I knew when this issue began to occur, but I don't have the specifics. Please help if you can. Thx!

      Through several attempts at setting up the CD drive, the BIOS now detects it.     Not sure of the exact keystrokes that did it this time.   I will say that this     Phoenix BIOS Version 1.10 A03 leaves a lot to be desired. Still not sure
what caused the problem in the first place.

     Now the problem is that Device Manager does not list it.    So far I've had no     luck.   I've done a "scan for hardware changes".    The Secondary IDE Channel     shows up in Device Manager with no conflicts and shows "Device is working     Properly".

Any suggestions? Anyone????

To my untrained eyes...the evidence (or lack thereof) indicates that the drive is the problem.

I would attach a known good drive, reboot (and adjust BIOS, if necessary, to recognize new drive) and see what happens.

Louis

Here is the latest:This CD-RW drive works in 2 other systems whether I use it's own IDE cable or the other system's.Also, 2 other CD-RW drives work in the PC in question whether I use their own IDE cables or theoriginal.All drives have jumper set to Cable Select.What types of applications and/or processes could have first made the BIOS unable to Auto-detectthis drive, then Windows not at all???    I really had to fight with the BIOS to have it come up, butno matter what I tried in Windows, it would not show up in Device Manager.Anyway, I've switched the 2 RW drives and everyone is happy with that, but I would like to helpmy friend keep this from happening again.  I've read about some imaging devices/softwarecausing strange things to happen.      If anyone has heard of an application and/or processcausing this type of thing, I'd really appreciate the info!!   Thanks so much everyone.

Well...congrats on being persistent .

As for what could be responsible for what transpired...impossible to create a short list, IMO.

Louis