Windows SOMETIMES does not recognize second dvd drive

[fonzerelli]

Hello!
I have a problem that I've looked all over the place now for months, without having found any resolution for it.

My problem is that sometimes (often) at very random times Windows will fail to recognize my second dvd drive. It will disappear from the device manager, from windows explorer, and from various programs I use that access both drives.

Sometimes, though not so frequently, the device will be present in the device manager, but not be visible in explorer.

When it is totally absent, I can make it appear by doing a scan for new hardware operation in the device manager.

I run a Dell Dimension 8300 with XP Home (sorry!).
I have two maxtor 80g HD's on the first IDE controller.
I have a Sony 500 dvd writer and a Sony 1621 DVD-ROM drive on the second IDE controller. It is the 1621 with which I am having my issues with.

I dont see any conflicts in the device manager, though i do have my floppy drive controller disabled, since I have no floppy drive installed.

I do have a bunch of other USB peripherals installed, and that is the only thing i can really think of.

Oh, I also have tried CS jumper settings on both drives, as well as master/slave and master/CS. So far, master/CS seems to be 'slightly' more reliable.

i tried tech support at dell, but they were useless.

thanks!
dave

 

[micker377]

Some CD drives don't like to be on the same IDE port. Try swapping one of the hard drives and one of the CD's (secondary). You should be able to swap with no changes needed.

 

[pmonett]

I'm not sure it has anything to do with USB. I have a similar case with a PC that has a DVD writer and a CD reader on the same IDE cable.
The CD reader is a bit old and cannot always read newer CDs properly (often game CDs are unreadable now on that drive). When I do try to pop a CD into the reader, the newer the CD is, the more chance I have of getting the same disappearing drive issue. After reboot, the reader reappears.

A nuisance to be sure, but I'm convinced it is more a problem of the drive than anything else.

Pascal.