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Geek Culture / CD-ROM Drives

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 01:51
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HELP!!!
For some queer reason, my CD rom drives are no longer recognized by Windows!!! I haven't installed anything recently... except flash MX, but I don't think that was the cause. I *Think* they dissapeared today.
Anyway, here are the details:
I have a PIII 650 MHZ, 128MB Ram, WinME. I have a DVD-Rom drive and a seperate internal cd-rom/burner. They work fine, ie- when I put a cd in they whir and such, but when I go to explorer, the don't show up. I can't even access them from DOS!!! It does however, register my external Flash Card Reader...
Very Very wierd...

Anyone have any ideas on what may have caused it, and how to fix it?

PS- Multiple reboots have failed...
Alex Wanuch
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 01:55
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...the BIOS recognizes them... but windows doesn't

Alex Wanuch
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 01:58
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and for some REALLY retarted reason, Windows ME has deleted ALL MY SYSTEM CHECKPOINTS, so I can't even restore it!!!!
WTF????

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denki
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 02:09
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Virus? Hacked? Sounds weird man... Sorry, I don't know

denki
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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 04:14
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I get that all the time under WinME, i still haven't a bloody clue what causes it.
Run the drive under WinXP, Win2000 fixxes it right up

Anata aru kowagaru no watashi!
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Puffy
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 05:27
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i use win2000 pro

AMD Athlon XP 2100+ OC to 3Ghz/1.5gigs ram/128mb ti4200/120gigs hd/19" monitor/Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum EX/2.5mbs Sat Con... I joined in!
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 05:58
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oh thanks, that's real helpful...

Anyway, I tried re-installing Windows ME, guess what?
Can't get the F*cking computer started! At first it was moaning that it couldn't load Norton files... now theres no more complaining, it just won't load, even if it's in safe mode. It loads my desktop background, then nothing. Alt-Ctrl-Delete shows nothing happening....

Can somebody HELP???

(PS- I'm on another comp on my network, and when Windows half-starts up, I can access my HD through the network. Queer that...)

Alex Wanuch
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Puffy
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 06:04
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O_O your comp comited suicide

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 07:06
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...
DAMMIT!!!
...
The ONLY weekend when I have a massive amount of comp work to do for school.

...

DAMMMIT!!!

Alex Wanuch
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 07:07
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oh btw- I can't even log into windows now... doesn't work. Loads my background then hangs forever.

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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 11:45
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only think you can do when that happens is a full clean installation of Windows...
full format the hdd and start again
but yeah as long as windows boots the network drivers also boot up so, as long as it actually loads the environment you can use that as part of the network cool eh

if you have work put the hdd in the other machine copy across important files ... then reinstall, about the only option there

Really suggest adding Win2k and a dual boot for WinMe, kinda odd but makes it more stable. Would really just use 2k or XP personally, perhaps 98SE if you have it.

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Megaman X
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 15:50
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Bub Don't use ME That would fix more problems than u think. Win ME is a virus itselves lol

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
-- Rogue
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 19:02
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Don't really have a choice... I have to use WinME, for reasons I won't get into here... but I've never had a problem with it.
And formatting really isn't an option, I NEED that computer fully operational TODAY! I don't see how that'll happen though...

The following is the full story, which I posted on a tech support forum. No replies of course
---

I seem to be in a rather difficult and wierd situation. I have massive homework to do this weekend, so of course my computer picks today to die on me. (BTW - I am using another computer on my network, in case anyone wants to know)

Alright, here we go, I'll try to be as clear as possible, and outline what exactly happened. First, I'll list my setup:

Pentium III 600Mhz
128MB Ram
Windows ME
DVDRom Drive
CD/CDR/CDRW Drive
Floppy

Today, I was about to pop a blank CD into my burner, but the darn thing wouldn't open. I went into explorer to open my CD drive using the Eject command, only to find that both my CD drives were not listed. A,C, and F were all listed (F being a USB Flash card reader), but no D, and no E. I tried the usual restart, noticing that the BIOS recognized both my CD drives. Unfortunatly, Windows ME still didn't. I then tried various diagnostics and other progs, but none of them could find my missing drives. So, turning to system restore, I found, to my dismay that Windows wasn't keeping any restore points. Crap. So finally resorted to reinstalling windows ME over top the existing version. Worked fine too, until the restart at the end. While windows was starting up again, I got two errors from Norton Antivirus, that some file was missing. (Didn't write em down... oops) Well, I was forced to restart when everything froze, and the same thing happened. Except this time, it didn't freeze, then went on fine and dandy. Great, I thought. But then, it restarted again. Uh-oh, I thought. But Windows loaded my desktop background, and I thought I was home free. Ten minutes later, it was still on the background. Ctrl-Alt-Delete showed the following items:

- DkService
- Mdm

I don't know what either are. Anyway, I was again forced to restart, and continually the same thing happens. Sometimes I get the scandisk program scanning for errors, sometimes I don't.
So I got out my handy Windows ME Boot Disk. But, in accordance with Murphy's law, it didn't work. In fact nothing happened. Not even when I placed a non-system disk in the drive. I'm guessing that the A:\ drive isn't even booting.

So thats that. I don't see what happened, I didn't install any programs or anything like that, it just sort of happened. About the drives, I even tried changing the boot sequence in the BIOS setup. Still nothing. Launching Windows in safe-mode also doesn't work, nor does step-by-step confirmation.

I am at a loss as to what to do now... can anyone help?

PS- Interesting to note, I can access my HDs from the network, but again, not my CD drives. (And my floppy isn't networked)

Alex Wanuch
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Megaman X
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 20:36
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Hmmmmmmmmmm...... This is the most weird thing I'd ever heard bub. Particulary, I should do this:

U said u can still access ur files via network? Backup all ur important files in another computer.
It really seems like a virus of some short for me, once norton also points something weird. A format is what ur computer really ask for sorry bub...

Well, try also unistalling norton and see what happens. Well, another thing I've learned after many formats is... I make one partion only for the OS ( like C:\ ) and put all stuff and huge programs in another partion ( let's say D:\ ). So I can format over and over and over again the OS partition without any fear ( Unless u r like me and deleted by mistake 50 gigas of 2 years of work trying to install Linux ).

Really, this is what I should do if it'd happened to me. Don't be mad about me if u don't agree I just like to format, my computer always runs so smooth after And it's virus free for sure too.

Oh yeah... if u can open ur computer, try to disable one Drive ( the DVD one ). If for a miracle u can boot and the win ME find the CDr drive, u can backup all the stuff....then.... format c:

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
-- Rogue
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 21:05
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arg!
Ok, I may have to format, but only as a last resort on monday... How do you suggest I go about doing it when I can't get into DOS?

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Puffy
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 21:12
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O_O .... what kinda hd is it

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 21:25
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um... dunno
IT's 20Gig, thats about all I can tell you right now

Oh, and disconnecting one or both cd-drives deosn't work

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Megaman X
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 21:50
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Hmmmmmmm, u may need a boot disk in order to format it U could well ask someone to make one for u I can make one for u A win 98 boot disk is all I can do

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 22:02
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BOOT DISK DOESN'T WORK!!! I put it in and the floppy drive ignores it! Yes the floppy is getting power, yes it whirs during the boot sequence, I even tried it with another floppy drive, IT DOESN't WORK!
Sorry, just VERY pissed right now...

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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 16th Nov 2002 23:53
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when your on the BIOS screen just as it bleeps, press and hold CTRL or F8 ... it'll bring up a familiar Screen.
You can jump into safe mode find out if its a driver problem, you can load into DOS but not loading anything.

It is something that has always baffled me, as WinMe on Ocasion for no reason what so ever made CDRoms seem useless - it also seem's to make Floppy Drivers not recognise Boot Disks created on that machine (acting yes very much like Empire Monkey B of Chim32 virus's)

Sorry only option is to Reformat unless you can actually get into safe mode and run the Restore. However i always forgot to make restore points and they had a knack of becomming corrupt (if there is a corrupt one then you have a virus on there).

Sorry really can't give anymore help than that...

Anata aru kowagaru no watashi!
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 17th Nov 2002 00:52
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HAH! I WIN!!!
I got it back! ALL OF IT!!!

I guess you just give up too easily Raven (j/k)

Thanks anyways though

Alex Wanuch
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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 17th Nov 2002 01:27
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hahaa... how'd you do it?
alot of things i know howto do but not explain

though the CDRoms i could never get working without XP or Reinstalling Me from an upgrade install on another machine (using 95b).

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 17th Nov 2002 02:37
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Well lets see:
I replaced my floppy drive because the damn thing didn't work
Made a new boot disk on my other comp because the one I already had didn't work
Ran the boot disk
Reinstalled windows me through DOS
WORKED!

Now there are three main problems: My firewall, burner and outlook express are messed up, so I still have to fix those. But I got the rest back!

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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 17th Nov 2002 04:19
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... well the floppy will still work, but needs to go into another OS, WinME's access has no doubt messed it up.

Firewall will be simple running of the Network Wizard again and then giving it access when you're Firewall program detects access, Norton tends to ignore those connections between Network machines
Outlook Express, just reinstall IE 6.0 everything will fall back in place
Burner will need to also run in another OS, as I've mentioned XP is the best one - WinMe just locks up the Drive so even though your BIOS sees it AND MSCDEX loads it you can't access any data and it won't detect any CDs.

Win95 is also a good one to get it back normal.

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 17th Nov 2002 18:05
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oh good greif, my burner works fine, it's just the software that's broken. A re-install of the software will fix it.
Unfortunately, a reinstall of IE6 doesn't help, because it refuses to work. I can download all the needed files and such, but the install stops at 75 percent, and tells me that the install has failed, but doesn't say why. Damn microsoft. Anyway, I am going to upgrade to XP/wipe my hardrive and such, but the problem is, I NEED my computer right now, because of the work I have to get done this weekend. I can do without email and such, but I have to get my work done. Monday I can start fresh, but today I have to get the burner working

Alex Wanuch
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Puffy
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Posted: 18th Nov 2002 01:47
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your comp killed itself... what did you do again...

AMD Athlon XP 2100+ OC to 3Ghz/1.5gigs ram/128mb ti4200/120gigs hd/19" monitor/Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum EX/2.5mbs Sat Con... I joined in!
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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 18th Nov 2002 05:56
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lol... it was his kitty - got inside and nibbled on some of the IDE wires

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 18th Nov 2002 06:15
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... weew, done! It took the damn thig 6 hours to render a simple movie clip for school, but it's done!
Now in a day or so I'll backup the stuff I need, format, install a second HD, create a Dual Boot Win98/WinXP, then re-install everything I need. With all that junk done, I'll use Norton Ghost to create an image of my HD's, that way formatting and restoring is a breeze

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