help with CD drive

Question

I have a DELL-Dimension 4100 computer that the top drive (my DVD drive) doesn't work (the D drive if i'm correct), but the bottom (the E- drive) works fine. but when i put a CD in the bottom E drive it shows up in the D. and if i put a CD in the D it won't show up at all ... but the lights flickers like its reading. I'm curious if this has to do with any of the wire-ing inside the computer or if it has anything with the BIOS that the bottom drive being the master slave drive and the top just the slave. and another question while i'm at it..... i'm looking to buy a game called silverfall here are the requirements Media Format: DVD-ROM System Requirements: * Operating System: Windows XP * CPU: 2 GHz with 512 MB of RAM * Graphic Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible 3D card with 128 MB, Nvidia FX 5200, ATI 9500 or above * Hard drive: 10 GB of available space * DVD Rom Drive: 2X * Sound Card: DirectX 9 compatible .... and my only concern is it says DVD-ROM so do i have to have my top drive if its the only dvd drive to read this game cd, and it says dvd rom drive 2x, is 2x the speed it reads? sorry i needed a 2nd head for this, thanks your for reading my trouble shoot/questions. Gus

osprey4 · Answer

Gus:

Open up your system and make sure which drive is end of the cable (master position) and which is in the middle (slave). Then based on which drive is where, check the drive letters against the model numbers and make sure you know which should be where.

Next, run the Dell diagnostics on both drives with a data CD in the drive.

Once you've got that down, post your drive models and results.

Gryz34 · Answer

hey i'm not entirely sure what wires to look at , is thier a picture you can send me ?   How do i run the dell diagnostics? please go in more depth.... in steps even though what you say should be a piece of care to any computer wiz   .... umm ya i need help with a picture i'm not familiar of the inside of a computer only lookin at stuff on screen.   sorry ... to make this alot more troubling, just wanna make sure i'm not going to ruin the computer if i alter wires.   thanks again, osprey4

osprey4 · Answer

There are pictures in your manual. Do you have that?

Gryz34 · Answer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/Gaberiel/computer%20help/computerhelp1.jpg   ok this is the diagram that i'm lookin in the Manual so i'm lookin at the power cables, and the drive cables, and where they are hooked.  You said something about getting the drive letters and the model numbers..... i opened it yesterday and looked at it without messing with it before i get all my info... and its so cramp with wires and stuff i couldn't see much.  I might have to take out the drive cage in order to see how things are hooked since its like about 2 and half inches space so its hard (just like in diagram) to look at. esspecially for a guy like me who has like half an idea and unsure what i'm lookin at inside of computer.... lol    is thier any other information you can give me before operating with stuff inside the computer?   thank you osprey4!

osprey4 · Answer

Ok, there is a flat ribbon cable running from the motherboard to both drives. The drive at the end of the cable is the master device and will normally take the D drive letter. The other is in the slave position and takes an E. Can you tell which drive is which model?

Gryz34 · Answer

Ok I drew a picture of how its setup inside of my computer i opened and even took out the drive case since it was hard to see how the ribbon was connected. I talked with my uncle who knows a little about drives, and said it might have to be with how the pins are setup (so i drew those in and how they were setup on the back of the drives) Here is my beatiful master piece of art....lol http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/Gaberiel/computer%20help/computerhelp2.jpg so the long ribbon seems to go to the top drive being the 'main D' and the short looped over going to the bottom drive being 'E'.... is that right?

osprey4 · Answer

It looks like this.

Gryz34 · Answer

Cable select?? , and where should i look to see if its on CS or CSEL ?

Gryz34 · Answer

Oops i posted the same thing 2 times sorry,     Ok i found this about CS and CSEL   http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6603_7-5118840-4.html     so the top is slave and the bottom is set to master, just wanted to clarify that.

Gryz34 · Answer

Where should i be looking to see if its setup on CS or CSEL?

osprey4 · Answer

You'll have to pull the drives out to check. Again, they should be CS or CSEL (for cable select).

Gryz34 · Answer

hey so is it setup the way it should... so i need to replace the top drive  , and are the jumpers setup the way they should be i am not sure where the jumpers are supposed to be

osprey4 · Answer

Ok, that's what I thought. So your bottom drive is the master and top is slave. So now you know which drive is not working. Replace that one.

By the way, those little pins are called jumpers. BOTH OF THEM should be set to CS or CSEL.

Gryz34 · Answer

Oh ok, i'm on my uncles computer with the other open and i looked but the jumper slots aren't labeled so i can't really tell if its on cable select , now that i know CS and CSEL are same thing.

osprey4 · Answer

CS and CSEL are the same thing. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

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help with CD drive

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