Presario 1200 CD driver install problems

[baracuda]

Client upgraded a Presario notebook to Win98 at one point and then CD drive no longer worked. Using a Windows boot disk created from another system, the cd drivers failed to load. Found out the Presario 1200 series CD drive does not work with microsoft drivers or other generic drivers -- only the driver on the recovery CDs work. The drive does not appear in the BIOS. No IDE/ATAPI drivers appear in the device manager. Have attempted to install several drivers (not from the recovery CD) to no avail. I finally was able to locate the recovery CD's but since the computer doesn't recognize the drive, I can't recover the system back to it's original state. What drivers do I need to pull from the recovery CD in order to restore the CD drive? Is there a way to make a boot disk from the recovery CDs? I would welcome any suggestions about how to get around this catch-22.

Baracuda

 

[funkytunaa]

Can you pull the drivers from the recovery CD whack them on a USB drive or disc or something and then load the drivers from that?

Question....How old is this notebook to be "UPGRADING" to Win98? Is the screen more than one colour?

 

[baracuda]

I know, I know. . ."upgrading to win98" . . .client is actually my father-in-law. . .just trying to get things back to a functioning state. Win98 is all he needs. . .
Anyway, I tried pulling a few drivers from the CD and loading them via floppy but it didn't solve the problem. My USB flash is full so I'll have to debate whether it is worth trying to save the files to clear the drive. . .this is turning into a much bigger problem than I want to deal with. Thanks for the suggestion Funkytunaa.

 

[cdogg]

Wait a second...

Because the drive doesn't appear in the BIOS, then the problem has nothing to do with drivers. A driver is loaded by Windows, but has no effect when the drive is not recognized by the BIOS. Getting recognized at startup during the POST is the prerequisite.

Therefore, it seems that the drive is shot or isn't getting a good connection to the motherboard.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[funkytunaa]

But what was said is that when booting from the recovery cd the drive works.

Can you use the recovery CD to make a boot disc, this should have the CD driver on it. Because you are using an old notebook don't forget you may need to load the driver in the config.sys not just in windows. Making a boot disc will also give you an idea what to put in the config.sys file.

What happens if you stand on it?

 

[funkytunaa]

By the way most older CD Rom drives should run from a standard atapi driver which you should be named atapi.sys or something on the recovery cd.

I can't remember the line used in the config.sys file to run that driver though, that was like last mellenium technology!

Also, I maybe wrong. I doubt it. But it has happened once!

 

[funkytunaa]

The more I think about it the more I think I'm full of crap. 98 should be able to see the drive with out the config.sys Just ignore my posts..

Sorry!

 

[cdogg]

funkytunaa,

All due respect, sir...

You need to understand that a CD-ROM (or any internal device) should be recognized in the BIOS. The BIOS does not use drivers to "see" a device. When a device does not show there, then there is either something wrong with the device, it's not getting power, or the connection/cable is no good.

Also re-read the original post again. Baracuda said he "found out" that "[blue]only the driver on the recovery CDs work[/blue]". Perhaps he read it somewhere.
Also look at this quote:

I finally was able to locate the recovery CD's but since the computer doesn't recognize the drive, I can't recover the system back to it's original state.

Right there, he even mentions that he tried the recovery CD, but it doesn't work! That's because the drive isn't even detected. Hence, it's NOT A DRIVER ISSUE.


~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[funkytunaa]

Easy down tiger....

My misread that's all.

Burn it.......Literally

Cheers!

 

[cdogg]

funky,

If you didn't post every two minutes, I might have caught that in time!

 

[baracuda]

I appreciate the dialog -- it does have me thinking in a different direction. Actually, the very first thing I did was replace the drive. When that didn't solve the issue, I started researching for similar problems other people had with this model laptop and low and behold, I discovered that the drive not being recognized is common when the machine has been "upgraded" to Win98. A couple posts I read suggested that it is only solved by using the original compaq drivers supplied on the restore cds. One of my biggest issues is I don't know where to put the atapi.sys file when I find it. Also, do I need to change any command lines? I have not replaced the cable from the drive to the Mobo but that's a possibility. Thanks for the info!

 

[cdogg]

baracuda,
I understand the frustration. However, I think you are missing the points made about the BIOS. When you first power on a PC or laptop, a POST (Power On Self Test) is run. Devices are powered on and initialized.

If the CD-ROM or any IDE device is not showing in the BIOS, then it is failing during POST. POST has nothing to do with the operating system you have installed. If the BIOS doesn't see it, then neither will Windows. I'm not sure how else to describe it to you.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[funkytunaa]

This is very true. If it isn't showing in the BIOS computer doesn't know it's there, so you can install all the drivers you want but it's like trying to start a car with no engine.

You can try as many keys you want but if the engine ain't there, it ain't gonna start!

Maybe se the BIOS back to default, may help.

 

[dglienna]

I've seen more than one BIOS that didn't show CD-ROM drives, and just worked on my second IBM desktop that had NO WAY TO BOOT FROM A CD-ROM DRIVE!!!

-David
2006 Microsoft Most Valueable Professional (MVP)
2006 Dell Certified System Professional (CSP)

 

[baracuda]

Cdogg - I get what you are saying about the drive not showing up in the bios. However, the device does power on -- I can hear it turn for a few seconds if I put a disk in it and change the boot order. Tonight I decided to start the system in safe mode and the CDROM was showing in the device manager correctly (ie, the drive was accurately showing as a Toshiba). In the properties of the drive, it was listed as "E" which was correct. However, it was not showing up in explorer so I couldn't access the recovery files on the CD. Part of my problem is I don't know which files to take off of the recovery CD and then where to copy them to in the windows files.

Thanks for the help.

 

[cdogg]

baracuda,

I want to go back to your original post for a second:

The drive does not appear in the BIOS

Going into safe mode, using the recovery CD, or trying every driver on the internet isn't going to help if the drive doesn't show in the BIOS. It has to be there for the drive to work at all.

In addition, I don't think CD-ROM access is available in Safe Mode for Windows 95/98/ME.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884