PC-Rom dies

[The Olde Man]

IBM Thinkpad 600 2645-45U Win 98

People following my travail in installing a new HD in my 600 are well aware that I have been using my CD-Rom drive quite a bit.

Well, it died. I can't remember if it died between inserts, or between discs.

It does not appear on any of the machine configuration lists and there is no response on the test list. The little yellow light goes on and stays on. The only way to get it off is to turn off the machine.

I replaced it with one that supposedly worked with the same resut.

Thinking it might be a software glitch, I replaced the new HD with the original HD. No change.

The 3.5 floppy works.

Am I into Bad News here like a screwed up mother board?

[csouter]

It looks like bad news, but it mightn't be.

Try this:

1. Try disconnecting all power sources (including the battery).

2. Remove the CD drive and insert the floppy drive in its place.

3. Reconnect your power sources.

4. Hold down F1 key and turn the machine on. Keep holding the F1 key down until the "Easy Setup" screen appears. DON'T LET GO OF THE F1 KEY UNTIL YOU ARE IN "EASY SETUP!"

5. Click on "Config," then click on "Initialize," then click on "Exit."

6. Click on "Start up," then click on "Power On," then click on "Reset," then click on "FDD1," then "HDD1." Click on "Exit."

7. Click on "Restart," then click on "OK."

8. After the machine restarts, shut it down and, repeat steps 1 to 7 (with the exception that step 2 is reversed: return the CD drive to its original place and the floppy drive to its original place). (Also, you will have to re-do the boot (Start up) sequence and re-include "CD-ROM").

9. After having completely disconnected and then reconnected the CD drive, then system might find it again.

This is just an idea... It often works with my desktop machine, so it might also work with a laptop. More than once, I have had a CD or DVD drive lock up on me and refuse to reset itself. Then disk inside also refuses to reject. Sometimes I can get it to reset by completely disconnecting it, doing a CMOS setup without it, then reconnecting it and doing another CMOS setup. The BIOS often then can find it and re-initialize it. Let us know how you go, anyway.

Good luck!

[tfflivemb2]

You might want to check the internal connections, to make sure that nothing is bent. It could be that removing and then reinstalling the drive might have bent a pin, or gotten something jammed inside, like lint.

[WarMachine]

Hiya !

Another tip :

Check the position of the jumper (well, I might call it a dipswitch). If your drive isn't set on "Master", it might be invisible in Windows.

On the other side, have you watched in the "Device Manager", to verify if your IDE controller is enabled ? You can eventually uninstall it, it will reinstall itself on the next boot.

What does the BIOS says ?

Could you try this drive on another laptop (or in a barebone) ?



W.

[The Olde Man]

Well, Shucks! I tried the Aussie Drill and no luck. Then I checked for lint..nothing. Looked at the controllers and they seemed to be happy.

Put in the floppy and it worked so no problem at the connection.

Put the CD-ROM in and the [censored] thing worked!

Now I am afraid to touch anything.

BTW, the eject button was not working on the earlier problem which is what attracted my attention in the first place. Should have mentioned that.

Anyway, thanks for the help, one of you guys cured it but I don't know which one. .

[WarMachine]

Hey, glad to see that your problem is resolved.



W.