My CD drive disappeared 1

[amberlynn]

I have an older PC, with Win 98 SE. I installed a network card, and when it restarted, I received an error message "Your multifunction device (Intel 823.... Bus Master IDE Controller) has some devices using 32-bit drivers and others using compatibility-mode drivers. This configuration is not supported, so your computer has been halted to prevent corruption..."
When I continued, I no longer have a CD drive. It's not showing up in My Computer at all.
Any suggestions how I can fix this??
Thanks!
Amber

 

[edfair]

I didn't list the autoexec.bat changes to be made

any drivers called should have \loader\ in their call line

the path statement should reflect c: rather than a:

if there are errors the file can end up in a loop. use [CRRL]+C to kick out.

At some point after you get the system back operational you need to consider reworking it to get rid of what appears to be a drive overlay program. And you need a emergency boot floppy that works. May require some searching to find what you have.

I tested the procedure on a system and it does what is required. But mine acts different than yours will because of multi-boot capability and there may be other glitches show up.

 

[CertInProgress]

I kinda got lost in all of the other posts. If the configuration changes listed do not work; have you tried using a different cable? Not sure if that was mentioned. Just my 2cents

Computers are like bikinis. They save people a lot of guesswork.
-Sam Ewing-

 

[amberlynn]

Ok, I've made what I thought are all the necessary edits to the autoexec.bat and config.sys, but I am prompted to put a floppy in - obviously I'm missing something, but can't figure out where.

I'm pasting the contents of my newly edited autoexec.bat and config.sys file below:

CONFIG.SYS
[menu]
menuitem=CD, Start computer with CD-ROM support.
menuitem=NOCD, Start computer without CD-ROM support.
menuitem=HELP, View the Help file.
menudefault=CD,30
menucolor=7,0

[CD]
device=c:\loader\himem.sys /testmemff
device=c:\loader\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=c:\loader\btdosm.sys
device=c:\loader\flashpt.sys
device=c:\loader\btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=c:\loader\aspi2dos.sys
device=c:\loader\aspi8dos.sys
device=c:\loader\aspi4dos.sys
device=c:\loader\aspi8u2.sys
device=c:\loader\aspicd.sys /D:mscd001

[NOCD]
device=c:\loader\himem.sys /testmemff

[HELP]
device=c:\loader\himem.sys /testmemff

[COMMON]
files=10
buffers=10
dos=high,umb
stacks=9,256
devicehigh=c:\loader\ramdrive.sys /E 2048
lastdrive=z


AUTOEXEC.BAT
@ECHO OFF
set EXPAND=YES
SET DIRCMD=/O:N
set LglDrv=27 * 26 Z 25 Y 24 X 23 W 22 V 21 U 20 T 19 S 18 R 17 Q 16 P 15
set LglDrv=%LglDrv% O 14 N 13 M 12 L 11 K 10 J 9 I 8 H 7 G 6 F 5 E 4 D 3 C
cls
call c:\loader\setramd.bat %LglDrv%
set temp=c:\loader\
set tmp=c:\loader\
path=%RAMD%:\;a:\;%CDROM%:\
copy c:\loader\command.com %RAMD%:\ > NUL
set comspec=%RAMD%:\command.com
copy c:\loader\extract.exe %RAMD%:\ > NUL
copy c:\loader\readme.txt %RAMD%:\ > NUL

:ERROR
IF EXIST ebd.cab GOTO EXT
echo Please insert Windows 98 Startup Disk 2
echo.
pause
GOTO ERROR

:EXT
%RAMD%:\extract /y /e /l %RAMD%: ebd.cab > NUL
echo The diagnostic tools were successfully loaded to drive %RAMD%.
echo.

IF "%config%"=="NOCD" GOTO QUIT
IF "%config%"=="HELP" GOTO HELP
LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:%CDROM%
echo.
GOTO QUIT

:HELP
cls
call help.bat
echo Your computer will now restart and the startup menu will appear.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
restart.com
GOTO QUIT

:QUIT
echo To get help, type HELP and press ENTER.
echo.
rem clean up environment variables
set CDROM=
set LglDrv=


Thanks!
Amber

 

[edfair]

In your path command in the autoexec.bat. There is an a, should be a c.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[amberlynn]

Thanks Ed,
I changed the
path=%RAMD%:\;a:\;%CDROM%:\
line to
path=%RAMD%:\;c:\;%CDROM%:\

When stepping through each line I get to the point where I get
ECHO Preparing to Start your Computer
This may take a few minutes
Echo
a:\findramd [Y/N]
this still triggers an error because no disk in a:

Amber

 

[edfair]

That is one of the programs that requires the modification to point to c:\loader\findram. I don't see it in your autoexec.bat but think that is were it comes from.
But it is also possible it is coming from the c:\loader\setramd.bat.

These things process one step at a time, calls go out and process then come back to where they were.

How are you enjoying learning script file processing?



Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[amberlynn]

I am enjoying learning script file processing - it's just frustrating that I have to keep bugging you when it doesn't go smoothly

I found the reference in the setramd.bat file and changed it.

Now when I get to the line in my Autoexec.bat file -

If exist ebd.cab GOTO ext [Y/N]

I get a continuous loop that says
Please insert Windows 98 disk 2

Cheers,
Amber

 

[edfair]

maybe if EXIST c:\loader\ebd.cab goto EXT

You were in the error loop, look at that section of the autoexec.bat file.


[CTRL]+c will normally break you out of loops like this. But breaking out doesn't get the job accomplished.

If you get the MSCDEX loaded you will have a CD for the install stuff transfer. Well, in theory.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[amberlynn]

I'm back

I can change the IF EXIST line to point to C:\loader\ebd.cab and no longer am prompted for the Win 98 disk.
I think the problem lies with the extract line - I read the help file, and if I understand correctly, I should end up with a bunch of files on my e: (ramdrive) after the extract.
I don't. So I assume this is why I get 'file not found' when I get to the last line, which ends up being:
LH E:\MSDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001/L:F [y/n]

I've pasted the relevant portion of the autoexec.bat file below.

:EXT
%RAMD%:\extract /y /e /l %RAMD%: ebd.cab > NUL
echo The diagnostic tools were successfully loaded to drive %RAMD%.
echo.

IF "%config%"=="NOCD" GOTO QUIT
IF "%config%"=="HELP" GOTO HELP
LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:%CDROM%
echo.
GOTO QUIT

Any ideas?
Thanks!
Amber

 

[edfair]

You might try that line to be c:\loader\extract....

There is nothing on the ramdrive at the point you are trying to extract. The extract program is in \loader and the ebd.cab is in \loader also.

I'm going to drop out for tonight. I'll look early tomorrow.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[edfair]

you have access to the loader directory.. so
go there

cd loader
md xtract

then run
extract /y /e /l \loader\xtract ebd.cab
which will put the files in loader\xtract

Then make the change in your autoexec to load MSCDEX from the new location c:\loader\xtract as in

LH c:\loader\xtract\MSCDEX ........

You don't really need the ramdrive to have the files. We could have done all this on the hard drive, it was just easier to get you up to speed by paralleling the bootdisk method.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[amberlynn]

Hi Ed,
Here's an update of where I'm at...
Before I saw your message last night, I figured out how to copy the ebd.cab file and extract it (yay!) and got the CD drive working. Copied all files over to the hard drive.
Now I have reinstalled most drivers, but the following items have yellow exclamation marks beside them and the PC freezes up every time I try to install the driver for :
Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)
PCI Universal Serial Bus

I have downloaded the intel chipset driver onto another computer - can't get the dial up to work on the Win98 machine, and because it's bigger than a floppy, will have to burn on a CD and move over that way.

I am getting somewhere at least!!

Amber

 

[amberlynn]

Ok,

I've installed the intel chipset driver - it went through and updated a bunch of drivers on reboot.

But, I still have no CD drive, those same items are showing up with an ! in device manager, and dial-up connection doesn't work.

Amber

 

[amberlynn]

Is my next step to reinstall Windows over itself?
Will I lose data if I do this?

Thanks!!
Amber

 

[kestrel1]

I would totally wipe the hard drive & start again. Save any important data to another hard drive or partition first. I know it sounds drastic, but I think it is your best bet. Windows 98 is very flakey at the best of times, your system sounds really buggy.

 

[edfair]

Delete all the items marked as problem and let it intstall the drivers again.

You are making good progress. But delete the config.sys and autoexec.bat files before you reboot. They have conflicting information that is upsetting SE. If the .inf files are where Intel told you to put them the primary ans secondary IDE controller drivers will load correctly and the CD will miraculously appear.

I have agreed all along that a clean install would be best, but until your data is safe it is not an option. And an "over the top" has a habit of rewriting some of the filesystem pointers and the possibility of corrupting what may be a drive overlay installation could lead to data loss and so I can't be enthusiastic about that right now.

Have faith. You are where you want to be on the road.

We'll address the dial up later.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[edfair]

After dredging the memory: Delete everything related to the hard disk controller and reboot with no or blank config.sys and autoexec.bat into normal or bootlog sections.

This will reinstall the root controller. Reboot up to 3 additional times as each reboot will find additional stuff once the correct drivers are loaded in steps. Somewhere around 4 it quits finding things.
The alternate is to manually load the drivers a step at a time but I would suspect that it won't be neccessary.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[amberlynn]

Hey there.

I was able to remove the PCI Universal Serial Bus but when it tries to reinstall on reboot, the PC freezes up as soon as it's installed.
If I cancel the driver install, it no longer shows up in the device manager with an error, but still tries to reinstall on every reboot.


Under Hard Disk Controllers, I have:
Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Master IDE Controller (there is no yellow exclamation mark beside this)
Both the 'Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)' and 'Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)' have yellow exclamation marks beside them.
I can't remove these, but I can remove the Master IDE controller -but every time my system freezes up - as soon as I do this.

After getting the CD working in DOS, I replaced the autoexec.bat and config.sys with blank files.

Cheers
Amber

 

[edfair]

Try reloading primary and secondary by going into device manager, hard drive controller, hilite one, properties, driver tab, update, and see if it will go in that way.

It sounds like the full Intel .inf set didn't install.

I've not run across one that wouldn't take the update.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[edfair]

Or try the Intel install again. The readme file associated with the download on one of my machines requires it that way.

You might also try for a download of Belarc Advisor and run it on the machine to identify the chipset just to verify that you have one of the sets requiring the update.

Worst case is to delete the ENUM key and let it reinstall all the drivers again and see if it picks up the primary and secondary automatically.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.