Computer and CD-rom errors

[cpgoose]

Ok, I can usually figure this stuff out, but I'm stuck.
ANY ideas would be great!

I have an old 233 that I'm trying to get running for a friend.
Basically, the pc boots fine when the cd-rom isn't hooked up (via ide cable).

There's 2 ide connections on the mother board. If I:

1. Connect just the harddrive to IDE 1, it boots fine.
2. Connect the harddrive AND the cd-rom on the same IDE cable,
it freezes at the WINDOWS98 bitmap.
3. Connect the harddrive to IDE1 and the cd-rom to IDE2, it boots
to the desktop, but never recognizes the cd-rom.

I've fiddled with what I just mentioned, plus in the BIOS, and still
can't get it. I even changed the properties of the hard disk controller
in the Device Manager to (1) allow both IDE channels and (2) "default",
and to no avail.

ANY IDEAS?

yes, I tried other cd-roms, too, and got the same result.
yes, I tried other ide cables, and got the same result.

AGH!

[sterno]

Just to check the obvious, did you verify the master/slave jumpers? And if you're using "cable select", don't. I haven't seen it work correctly on many older machines, even when everything supposedly supported it. Another thing about some old/cheap machines, they care about which connector on the IDE cable is master and which is slave even when you set the jumpers - put the slave (CD-ROM) in the middle and the master (HD) on the end.

[cpgoose]

AWESOME, thanks for the reply! I tried messing with the jumpers, too,
forgot to mention that...it still didn't work. I don't know much about
the settings, so I pretty much tried each one on the cd-rom, and even
no jumper.

For some reason, I don't think I tried the cd-rom in the middle of the
cable, tho, so I'll try that.

Thanks again...any other ideas (big or small) lemme know.

[cpgoose]

Agh, I get the same error...I tried putting the cd-rom in the middle of
the cable and the harddrive at the end, and no go.

It's weird because when it recognizes the cd-rom on bootup, it freezes
at the bitmap. But when it doesn't recognize it at bootup, it boots to
windows fine.

Any other suggestions? I even pulled the battery on the board
to totally reset it, and still doesn't work.

[KingJohn]

Hard drive, Master
CD ROM, Slave

OK dose that boot up ok and if so run Add new hardware, see if it then find it.

Has the BIOS got both master and secondary controlers enabled, is there an auto detect. Do you have DOS drivers for it ?

[cpgoose]

Hard drive, Master
CD ROM, Slave
--------------------------
ANSWER: That's how I had it, one on cable and on two when I tried it

OK does that boot up ok and if so run Add new hardware, see if it then find it.
--------------------------
ANSWER: Well, if they're on the same cable, it detects the rom in the
bootup, but the freezes in the win98 bootup. If they're on different
cables, it boots up, but the rom is never detected.
Yep, ran ADD NEW HARDWARE, but didn't detect it.

Has the BIOS got both master and secondary controlers enabled, is there an auto detect. Do you have DOS drivers for it ?
-------------------------
ANSWER: I'm pretty sure they're both enabled (is that throught the bios
or the device manager, or both?). Yes, there is an auto detect...didn't
detect the cd-rom. I don't have DOS drivers for it.

[KingJohn]

Pentium 233 with Windows 98SE ?
Wouldnt Windows 95 C work better ?

When it is working, have you tried starting in safe mode ?

[cpgoose]

in safe mode, only the harddrive shows up, no cd-rom

I just can't understand what's making it freeze at the bitmap. Grrr.

I should make my friend pay the $800 and take it to CompUSA to get
looked at for 10 minutes.

[KingJohn]

If you press ESC on startup to remove the screen, can you see anything ?

What about a step by step bootup ?

If its showing the bitmap, its got past the BIOS boot and is OK then !!

BOOT in BIOS is A then C ? not CDROM then C ????