Optiplex 760 USFF optical drive

Did you enter the Set-up (BIOS) and find the Drives and Enable it there?

Hi Skybird.

Well, I went into Setup and enabled everything that looked vaguely useful.  There doesn't seem to be any mention of an optical drive there though.  Do I need a BIOS update

maybe?  And if so how do I do that given that there's no OS and I cannot boot from a CD?

Thanks

JB

In the Set-up, you Enable the CD drive (ATA) is connected to under Drives.
After that is done, then check the boot sequence and set the CD drive as the
first boot device.

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

You do not at this time need a BIOS update.

Hi Skybird (and anyone else interested).

I am an idiot!  I foolishly assumed that, because the cases were the same, the new machines were the same as my existing ones.  In fact they are not Optiplexes at all but Dell System SX280's.  Their Bios is A04 (02/09/05).  They show a USB and a Floppy and something referred to as 'Module' in Setup but no CD drive.  I've tried enabling everything that looks even slightly helpful but no joy.  Any ideas?

JB

Hi Skybird and anyone else interested).

I am an idiot!  I foolishly assumed that, because the cases were the same, the new machines were the same as my existing ones.  In fact they are not Optiplexes at all but Dell System SX280's.  Their Bios is A04 (02/09/05).  They show a USB and a Floppy and something referred to as 'Module' in Setup but no CD drive.  I've tried enabling everything that looks even slightly helpful but no joy.  Any ideas?

JB

Hi, The Guernseyman:

If it's any help, here is your manual section on system setup. The module bay refers to your CD drive. That should be enabled.

Osprey4 thanks for the Manual.  I'm sure that will come in very useful.  (Any reference here to the Neath\Swansea Ospreys? - I'm a Welsh Rugby supporter.)

So far as my problem is concerned I have 2 thoughts:

1.  The Bios needs updating (if so how?)

2.  The DVD drive from the Optiplex machine is not compatible with the SX280 machine (although it fits OK).

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

JB

This is a media bay drive, and you've enabled the media bay in the BIOS, right? Does a drive letter show up in XP?

Thanks for the reply Osprey4.

I've enabled the 'Module'bay.  I cannot see any drive letters because there's no OS at all.  I need a way to install Windows XP on several of these machines (they were donated to us - we're a school).  So far I cannot get the DVD drive recognised at all.

JB

:emotion-2: I believe I have solved my problem.  I borrowed a USB CD drive and set that as the first boot option and Win XP is loading as I write.  I'll try upgrading the BIOS once XP is loaded and maybe then the PC will recognise a DVD drive.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help.

JB

JB:

Good to hear. Let me know how things go.

SOLUTION: The way to solve this problem is to insert the optical drive, then go into BIOS and click Restore Factory Defaults.  Confirm by clicking Yes, and Exit.  When the Optiplex resets, you will see it performing Auto-Configuration of IDE devices instead of the Dell splash screen.  Only then will the optical devices correctly appear, instead of showing as an  "unknown device".  Press F2 to get back into BIOS to verify the drive is listed, and put any other settings back how you want them.

None of my 760's came with optical drives, but one user later asked to have one, so I grabbed a spare from an older 755 and plugged it in, assuming it would appear right away.  That was when I encountered this issue.  I thought that maybe certain drives weren't compatible, but I tried several and none would work.  It seems that if the system never had an optical drive installed, the IDE bus won't see it until a full enumeration is forced by factory-default resetting the BIOS.