Author Topic: Bizarre drive recognition stuff (Read 285 times)

Simaril · « **on:** September 03, 2006, 06:14:30 PM »

My build is complete, and most software is set up... but naturally there's a problem. For some reason, my system is misidentifying my CD/DVD drives.

It started with the drive newegg sent me, which was the IDE version of the SATA drive I had ordered. I went ahead and installed it, since there was no way i was going to wait, and all was well until about day 5-6.

Around that time I began to get some boot problems, where the initial ASUS screen would come up and fail to progress....or go to a blank screen with no cursor. It always would respond to a reset or power down, except for one time that it happened 3-4 attempts in a row.

Then yesterday I got an "I/O error" every time I tried to access the drive. When I checked device manager, it was correctly ID'd by manufacturer and model, but it was called a SCSI drive. I could find no way to reset that. Interestingly, when I'd boot and the initial drivers came up it was id'd correctly as an IDE.

Well, I tried system restore but couldnt get to a point that had the drive working. Without the drive, I couldnt reinstall any drivers. I rooted around on the net, without finding any useful drivers or info. With the time already invested, and with some question about the ASUS driver install, I decided to reformat and start over.

Since I was starting over, I also decided to return the drive for the SATA version and made RMA arrangements. I robbed a working drive from another computer, and the install again went fine...but with the drive still I'd as a SCSI on the system properties. I figured this was a quirk of the motherboard, maybe related to the RAID option software (JMicron RAID configurer -- which i found out previously was necessary for any CD/DVD drive to function on this board when I removed it thinking it irrelevant for my non-RAID system.)

Now I found a new problem. The system has identified the drive correctly as to manufacturer and model, but it allows it ONLY read privileges. Device manager calls it a ROM drive even though it is a fully functioning burner too. I went to the manufacturer's site, and found that it doesnt have drivers per se... it has "firmware updates", which I downloaded and installed per instructions.

Windows sees the device, can read the discs I insert, and says the device is functioning properly.

I dont know what to do at this point.

Simaril · « **Reply #1 on:** September 03, 2006, 06:35:45 PM »

oops.

Motherboard.............P5W DH Deluxe
CPU.......................... Intel X6600
RAM.......................... 2GB of PC6400 DDR2-800 Crucial RAM
Hard Drive................Western Digital SE16 250GB SATA
Video Card...............HIS Radeon X1900XT 512MB (not the XTX)
Drives....................... currently installed is Memorex DVD16+/-dl4rwid2 IDE
............................. ....(initial was Samsung SH-S162, the IDE version instead of the SATA
Sound Card..............None for now
Operating System....MS Windows XP – Pro
Power Supply...........Antec TruePower 2.0 TP2-550W
Case........................T hermaltake Tsunami VA3000VWA

FBplmmr · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2006, 09:23:22 AM »

its the case! you will have to send the case to me and I will fix it!:t

NOT · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2006, 09:56:12 AM »

check your bios settings.

Simaril · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2006, 01:09:52 PM »

Plmmer...sorry, the case seems to be stuck to the motherboard so I wont be able to send it to you!

BMnot....what specifically should I be looking for in the BIOS?

Schutt · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2006, 01:26:07 PM »

As soon as you have specific drivers installed for the drive it may show up as scsi in windows because thats what the driver claims the drive is.

Maybe you have 2 ide channels on the motherboard and plugged your drive cable into the one provided by the add on chip rather than the one provided by the intel chipset, or all ide interfaces on your board are off the chip?

Maybe you have to install a diffrent driver for the motherboard to be able to use the drive as RW?

Check what the bios says to your drive. Your boot problems sound strange... there is some problem in the woods, you sure the board is compatible with cpu and ram as well as has a up to date bios?

Simaril · « **Reply #6 on:** September 04, 2006, 06:43:09 PM »

Bios is right up to date...this is a Core 2 duo bios.

There's only one ide socket on the board, and its labelled the "Pri_IDE" for (I assume) primary. I have absolutely no idea why its called a scsi.

I cant find any drivers per se, but I did come across a firmware update. It wont load because IT doesnt see the drive as compatable.

The windows driver the system loaded for the device are generic CD/DVD drivers dated 2001, but I cant track down anything more recent.

The board has a autoupdate utility that I ran without any newer stuff being identified.

In the BIOS, I went through the options screen by screen with the manual in hand but found nothing to explain what's going on. All the RAID driver software isnt applicable, because its designed to more or less PnP a raid setup...which I dont have.

FLS · « **Reply #7 on:** September 04, 2006, 07:09:48 PM »

I didn't know they made SATA DVD Drives.

I have the same MB and my IDE DVD is identified as an ATAPI CD-ROM in BIOS but it works just fine and all I did was plug it in. I didn't load any drivers or set anything in BIOS for it.

You might try uninstalling the drivers for it, resetting your BIOS to default, and let the MB find the drive again.

Boot problems should be seperate from DVD problems. Try booting with the DVD disconnected to isolate the Boot problem.

Simaril · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2006, 10:45:29 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by FLS
I didn't know they made SATA DVD Drives.

I have the same MB and my IDE DVD is identified as an ATAPI CD-ROM in BIOS but it works just fine and all I did was plug it in. I didn't load any drivers or set anything in BIOS for it.

You might try uninstalling the drivers for it, resetting your BIOS to default, and let the MB find the drive again.

Boot problems should be seperate from DVD problems. Try booting with the DVD disconnected to isolate the Boot problem.

Duh.

Just realized that this board has 2 IDE connectors, not one. The one labelled PRI_EIDE is actually the secondary one... and the primary one is oriented 90 degrees to the side, with the prongs parallel to the plane of the board.

Moved the connector, and the drive was properly ID'd. Havent checked to see if it can burn, but I'm expecting problem is solved.

They ought to make the board locked until you've actually read the manual, i guesss.....