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Sony DRU500AX keeps ejecting
I've just received my brand new Dim 8300 and tried to replace the CDRW drive with my own Sony DRU500AX DVD burner that I've been using for a while.
It was running fine for a day, and then weird thing happened. As soon as the system is powered on (before even BIOS screen shows up) the drive starts ejecting and closing, and never stops. In fact, it does it even if I don't connect the IDE data cable.
The same drive works just fine in other computers, and the drive that used to be in this place works fine as well. I updated the drive firmware, it didn't help.
After some attempts to connect the drive differently I succeeded to boot up the machine without getting into open-close sequence (drive was on the floor, next to the machine). I thought that's the end of my troubles and placed the drive back in the bay. WHen I turned it on, I saw I was mistaken:)
Finally I made the machine boot up, drive sitting in its bay and not ejecting like crazy. I tried to put in a CD but I couldn't - as soon as I close the tray it ejects back! When I just hold the tray with my hand it gives up after a while and can read/write normally.
The computer seems to be fine with the drives it shipped with, so I cannot blame Dell for this. At the same time I can hardly blame Sony because it works in other computers.
Can anybody offer an insight on what to do?
Thanks in advance,
Vladimir
109
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Posted February 9th, 2004 17:00
I figured it out.
The problem was that DRU500AX has a large tray cover. It is as high and as wide as the drive itself. Dimension box has a decorative rounded insert in each of the CD drives. Apparently that insert was blocking the tray from closing all the way (and in some cases from opening), or it slowed down the tray so it thought it needs to reopen. Well, it didn't literally block it, but the tray was touching that insert as it opened and closed.
As soon as I removed the insert, the problems went away!
This completely explains why the drive behaved well in other machines and outside of the bay, and went nuts once inserted regardless of jumper settings and data cable being connected or not.109
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Posted February 10th, 2004 20:00
Glad to hear you resolved the problem Vladimir !!
Surprising how sometimes it`s something so simple.
Take care and good luck with the drive.
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.
Predator
2 Intern
•
15286 Posts
109
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Posted February 7th, 2004 06:00
Hi Vladimir,
Dell ships their systems using the Cable Select Feature, each drive has their jumper set on CS and location on the cable determines Master / Slave. Make sure both drives are using the same jumper setting, you can use the old Master / Slave setting, one drive on MS and the other on SL. check your settings and post back.
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.