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Booting form Cd drive and installing a new drive
The door to my cd-rw drive bay will no longer open unless I do the paper clip trick. This is a bit annoying to do every time since the hole is difficult to see unless I get down to the floor, etc. All responses to my questions about the problem never go beyond the paper clip trick, and do not tell me if there is a better, permanent repair to free the door. Is there a fix?
If not, if I go ahead to install an new optic drive, can I install a DVD-RW drive in that bay and still have the option of using the designated drive as one from which the computer will boot in case I have to reformat. That is, now my computer will reformat from the CD drive; if I install another drive and use the same drive designation(E) will the computer boot if needed?
Am I about to opoen a can of tech worms?
I hope that my question is clear.
Specs:
Dell Dimension 4550
P4 processor @ 2.53GHz
1gb DDR memory
16 max DVD Rom Drive Lite-on
Samsung Cd-R/RW SW--28F Cd-Rom Drive
XFX 7600Gs video card with 256mb onboard memory
Predator
15.3K Posts
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June 27th, 2007 20:00
Hi Bar50env,
I will try to address the issue of installation and booting first.
Dell uses the Cable Select jumper setting not Master/Slave, in a nutshell you set the small plastic shunt (jumper) on the back of the drive over the two pins labeled CS or CSEL. Location on the Cable determines Drive 0 (Master), Drive 1 (Slave), with the "End" connection being Drive 0. Thus, the drive setting in the Top Bay will be Drive 0 (Master). The majority of Dell systems tend to boot from the Drive that sets in the Top Bay, so if you are replacing the drive in the Top bay and set the jumper to Cable Select, this will be the boot device. Was that fairly clear?
As for the drive no longer opening, sorry I must have missed your previous posts on the subject.
Click on the CD/RW link in my post and scroll to Section 13-0, article 22. There are 4 approaches to this, you have covered the paper clip, see if the others will help.
If not, what is the model of the Lite-on DVD-ROM, Dell may have a firmware update for the drive.
However considering you can pick up a DVD+/-RW drive for around $35, you may not want to waste any more time on the DVD-ROM.
Best Regards!
God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the
difference.
CD/RW Link
Bar50env
22 Posts
0
June 27th, 2007 22:00
Bar50env
22 Posts
0
June 28th, 2007 14:00
Predator
15.3K Posts
0
June 28th, 2007 16:00
Hi Bar,
Once you restart the system Windows will install the proper drivers for the controller.
It is possible the drive with the tray problem will need replacing if the steps listed does not help.
Best Regards!
God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the
difference.
CD/RW Link