HP Cd-writer 9100 won't show up in XP

[Adam Russ]

Having just installed windows Xp on my machine (motherboard- ASUS A7V KT 133, AMD 800 processor), my system will not recognize my CD-writer. As per the HP support web site, it should recognize the drive as a reader only. It fails to do so. However, it will read the drive in safe mode. What is the problem here and how do I fix it? I tried to install all of the programs listed on the support page, yet it still fails. I also have a hard time booting the ocmputer (avg. time ~ 5 mins. as the cd rom.sys, cdrawl2k.sys, et. al files are preventing the boot). Where do I go from here? Thanks!

[John Collier]

Adam,

Did you do a clean install on the system or was this an upgrade? Have you been to the Windoze Update site and pulled down all of the latest patches for the system? Have you visited the HP web site to see if there are any specific drivers required to run your hardware in this OS?

I notice that you know the internal components of the computer rather well. Are you the one that built it? Do you feel comfortable with dealing with the hardware as well as the software?

Just a few more detailed questions to get us started???

[Adam Russ]

This was a clean install onto a Maxtor 20 Gig HD. Yes, I have been to the WIndows Update site as well as that for the 9100i on the HP site. However, HP seems to insist that the drivers that come with XP will allow the CD-Rom to function as readable. Again, it doesn't unless I am in safe mode. Could there be a problem with the IDE drivers? Why would function in safe mode but not under normal conditions? Also, how do I cut down this boot time? I know that it is hanging on the drivers associated with Roxio Cr-creator that I initially installed hoping it would ameliorate the problem. I've since uninstalled it. Again, thanks for the help so far...

[John Collier]

Adam,

I???m expecting that Windoze has somehow loaded more than one instance of this device and/or it???s drivers. Before we go and do anything too drastic, I would suggest that we try to verify this.

Here is a link to a web page that will let you pull down a free utility that will do a basic inventory of your PC and tell you what the machine thinks it has:

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Run this on your machine and post the information here so we can determine if we are on the right track or not.

One last thought/question. When you say clean install, was this a disk that previously had another OS on it? If so, what did you do to wipe it clean for this install? I???m guessing that this was not a brand new disk out of the box???

[Norman_21]

Hello,

Good tips John Collier.

One last thing. Open the case, make sure that the CD-ROM IDE cable red strip meets pin 1 on both sides of the MOBO and CD-ROM IDE Pins.

Just a thought before you proceed with anything.
Thanks.

[Norman_21]

Also,

There have been several discussions about 9100 CD-Writer it seems all having the same problem. Take alook here:

http://us-support2.external.hp.com/emse/bin/doc.pl/sid=cf2da43e01380293cd?todo=search&searchcategory=ALL&rn=25&presort=rank&searchtext=HP+Cd-writer+9100+&searchcriteria=allwords&searchtype=SEARCH_FORUMS&x=22&y=9

Good luck.

[John Collier]

Latif (A.K.A. Xman),

I wasn???t too worried about the internal IDE cables at this point simply because Adam has already indicated that this does work in Safe Mode, just not on a normal log in. Sound familiar to you? It should since you and I both worked on something similar in this post:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xa8689c196a4bd71190080090279cd0f9,00.html

I???m thinking that the same type of thing may be occurring here, but the fix will have to be different. The reason I haven???t offered a fix action yet is due to the nature of the steps I???m thinking of for the fix. I don???t want to put Adam through that if it isn???t needed.

[Norman_21]

John Collier,

You're the MAN. I appreciate your patience and I know exactly how you think. I was thinking to start a thread here in the M$ about the question authors who do not assign points for educational porpuse and I need you to enlight us with your magical philosophy words. Also, I remember that A. Clay did something like that before but I couldn't find the link.
I believe the M$ needs to be recognized too.
Any comments.

[John Collier]

Latif,

Not on Adam???s thread. I believe that Adam???s thread should be Adam???s problem. If you want to start the thread that you are referring to, I think you know that I won???t be able to stay out of it when it gets juicy ;-P~~

Adam,

I am still waiting for the output from that little program I pointed you to. I would never suggest that you don???t follow Latif???s suggestion and try the other links that he provided, but on my brief scan of them I didn???t notice your exact problem being listed. Of course, it???s always possible that I missed something or simply misread the one with all of the answers. The solution may very well be there and I???m just not bright enough to notice it.

Let us know what direction you want to go in next.


Regards,
John

[Adam Russ]

Everyone, thanks so much for your help. As it turns out, I isolated the problem as being the cdrom.sys file. After repeatedly renaming the file and removing any other dependent files, I was finally able to be, albeit briefly, the CD/DVD drive to show up with a yellow exclamation in the Device manager. However, when I went to refresh or scan for hardware changes, it would disappear. I tried the same process of renaming the cdrom.sys file repeatedly to no avail.

Anyhow, I finally got the nerve to examine the BIOS version I had on here. Turns out it was a few years old (which I knew), yet what I hadn't known was that there had been an interim update regarding the IDE cable connectivity, esp. on I/O channels. Anyhow, after reverting back to my slave drive with 98 (so as to get to DOS), I was able to update the BIOS. I switched HD's back over to the one with XP and VIOLA!!! Magic happened! There was an update in the VIA Bridge, among other things. At any rate, the CD-Rom now at least shows up. Now all I need to do is to reinstall my Easy CD-Creator (with XP update) to get it to function as a burner (or so I hope).

Not bad for a day's work, although as a first-year law student, time is of the essence right now. Still, playing COMPUTER NERD is my passion. Guess we all have vices... If I don't post on this thread further, it means that all is well and I am happily back at the law library vigorously learning Property Law, Contracts 2, or something like that. However, my heart will still be here, playing with this toy. Again, thanks to all for their help. People like you all are what makes the Internet the most indespensible medium, aside frorm the spoken word, that man has ever created. As always, GO IRISH!

In Notre Dame,
Adam Russ