perplexing problem!

Discussion in 'Computer Science & Culture' started by slotty, Jul 25, 2007.

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  1. slotty Colostomy-its not my bag Registered Senior Member

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    i wonder if any of you guys can help me out here. my pc has stopped seeing my two dvd drives. they do not show in my computer, or any install hardware device. norton system works check diagnostics can't find them either. i have downloaded new drivers for them but when i run an install all i get is " windows cannot load the device driver forthis hardware,the driver may be corupt or missing".
    i have just tried an external dvd drive in a usb port and the same thing happens- can't find the hardware.
    any help would be fantastic as its driving me crazy!!
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2007
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  3. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    two what ? lol
     
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  5. original sine Registered Senior Member

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    Two? The number 2?
     
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  7. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    What OS?
     
  8. slotty Colostomy-its not my bag Registered Senior Member

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    xp service pack 2 all up to date
     
  9. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    i assume that both are on the same cable in a master/slave configuration.
    2 solutions suggest themselves.
    1. the cable has worked loose from the motherboard.
    2. the IDE driver and/or the hardware finally went south. this scenario requires a new motherboard or external USB drives. in this case you can try to uninstall the secondary IDE driver with device manager, unplug both drives, then turn off your machine. restart your computer and let it reinstall the drivers, then plug everything back in.
    you MUST install the USB drivers before attempting to use the drives or the drives will not be identified.

    edit:
    some BIOSes have an option to enable the secondary IDE channel. make sure yours is enabled.
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2007
  10. John99 Banned Banned

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    right now mine cant find my USB drives, well it loads the drivers but the drives don't show up in Explorer, other problems too. tell me if you find anything out. one othe problem is nothing shows in tray, well most stuff that should be there is not.
     
  11. slotty Colostomy-its not my bag Registered Senior Member

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    thanks for the quick reply. the usb drivers are on a cd!? i'll try your suggestions . many thx
     
  12. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    yes.
    good luck.
     
  13. draqon Banned Banned

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    what are the names of the dvd drivers?
     
  14. Nickelodeon Banned Banned

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    John and Billy.
     
  15. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    :roflmao:
     
  16. Search & Destroy Take one bite at a time Moderator

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    everyone has had this problem before in the computer fixin world

    re secure the cables, unplug one, switch the cables around, etc. just mess with cables until something happens. don't wait for windows to boot, if its not in BIOS its not in windows

    if its not your cables problems trickier and I have no further comment
     
  17. brights Registered Senior Member

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    Must be a corroded cable and socket. Try spraying it with WD-40 or any anti-rust spray on the tiny cable holes and the motherboard pins. Spray it also on the USB ports. Wait for 5-10mins. Try again.

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  18. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    <sarcasm>I haven't extracted enough facts from you.......but I know what the problem is right away! />
     
  19. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    DO NOT, under any circumstances, spray the inside of your computer with a conductive spray such as WD-40. if you must do such a thing then buy a product specifically made for sensitive electronics.
     
  20. Stryder Keeper of "good" ideas. Valued Senior Member

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    If they aren't seen at boot and they worked previously the only way the cable would effect them being seen is if you had moved/cleaned/added hardware to the computer box prior to booting up.

    Another potential is that your BIOS battery has lost it's charge and your BIOS loaded at bootup with the default settings, which might not cover seeking the hardware through automatic. However this would be self evident with problems at boot up like forgetting your processor type, RAM size, adding logo screens and having an altered systems clock.

    Otherwise I'd question as if you attempted to update the drivers, it's known some of windows updates can offer drivers for certain devices that are "signed" however it's suggested that perhaps it's not always best using them because they can be for other devices than the ones they claim to support.

    As Leopold suggested don't use WD-40 in your computer, If not for the conductivity for the concern what it might do in regards to plastics. Certain protective coatings could be removed or generate conductive faults. (Short circuits)

    What I usually use inside the PC for cleaning dust etc is a cheap toothbrush, however you have to be careful since you don't want to knock any component pieces off the internal boards, some people just use vacuum cleaners however if you have a loose screw you could end up having to go through the vacuum looking for it.
     
  21. brights Registered Senior Member

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    Hmm..I've been using WD-40 ever since and it didn't give me any problem whatsoever. My old computer has been working for 5 years with WD-40 sprayed on it. Do you have a link stating WD-40 can't be used in computers? I would like to read more on that. Thanks.
     
  22. Nickelodeon Banned Banned

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    Do you spray it all over your motherboard?
     
  23. Stryder Keeper of "good" ideas. Valued Senior Member

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    From my searches it suggests that it won't increase conductivity. WD stands apparently for "Water Displacement", The only concerns I had was in regards to LCD screens and the nature of a very fine protective coating that certain cleaning fluids will actually remove. Some people have however used WD-40 on such screens with no problem (usually in regards to a youngster crayoning the laptop in question)

    It would therefore suggest on the basis of people that use WD-40 that you could use it for a cleaning application however obviously it's not something suggested by it's company (Should you find it does something you weren't expecting).

    The canisters should be safer now using CO[sub]2[/sub] rather than it's original petrochemical dispersement because of the concern of flammability. Should something be on fire with WD-40 it's stated not to use water to extinguish, which you shouldn't do with electrical fires anyway.
     
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