Hi,

This is my first post and I really hope someone can help. I've seen numerous discussions on the web similar to my problem but nothing that matches exactly.

My CD/R and DVD drives have disappeared from My Computer and Device Manager. They're also showing "not installed" in BIOS. I've got a Dell Dimension 4100 running Win XP-SP2. The DVD is a Samsung SD-610/612; the CD/R is a remanufactured Sony I got from Dell circa 2003.

This is the second time this has happened to me. The first time I resolved the problem (probably through sheer luck) by going into BIOS and changing the order of the boot drives. But this time that didn't work.

I don't believe the hardware devices are the problem since they had worked fine until now and since I got them to work the last time this happened (I also replaced the IDE cable at that time). I believe the Samsung is set as the master at the end of the cable; the Sony is set as slave or auto. Sorry, I haven't pulled the drives out of the PC to confirm since the configuration worked fine for a long time.

I tried following the instructions in MS Knowledge Base article 314060 but the registry entries don't exist on my computer (I tried manually and with the Guided Help).

I also tried booting from the floppy setup disks but I really don't know what I'm doing at the command prompt. I can't re-install Win XP since I can't access the CD drives (I do have the installation CD). The Recovery Console seems to work fine when I use the setup floppys.

I'm fairly comfortable making changes to BIOS, registry, DOS if I know what to do. But I don't (that's part of the problem). I'm really at my wit's end with this problem; it's been driving me crazy for a long time.

There doesn't appear to be anything else wrong with my computer. I try to stay current with all my anti-virus/adware/spyware scans (Trend PC-Cillin, Adaware, Spybot, Windows Live Scan, Windows Defender, Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool and, once in a while, the Comcast Spyware scan). Please, please, please help!!!! Thanks!

I would say the cables may have come dislodged. Open the case and reseat the drive cables. If that doesn't fix things then enter the BIOS screens and verify the drives are installed and the IDE controllers ard both enabled.

Try reinstalling the chipset drivers:

http://tinyurl.com/2oz94y

http://support2.jp.dell.com/docs/sy...

A defective drive on a cable will sometimes disable the other drive. If the above suggestions don't work try disconnecting each of the drives to see if the other one starts working.

Make sure that auto detect is enabled in the bios.

Thank you all for your help! I managed to resolve the problem but I'm not quite sure what it was that worked.

I updated the chipset drivers but that didn't seem to fix the problem so I finally pulled both drives out and reseated the cables. At the same time I noticed that the DVD jumper was not set on master; it should have been but instead was in the middle slot. I set the jumper to master and disconnected the CD/R, restarted and there was my d: drive. Reconnected the CD/R and everything seems fine now.

I'm not sure if the jumper setting on the DVD was the problem or just that the cables were loose. To the best of my knowledge, the DVD jumper has been set like that since I got the computer from Dell in 2000.

I did have a bit of a scare when I reconnected the CD/R. I was in a hurry and didn't shut down the computer-BAD MOVE! When I went to connect the power, there was a spark and everything went dead. I opened the PC case and tinkered in there for a while (removed the battery, opened the power cable box, flipped the 115/220 switch); I'm not sure what worked but I'm up and running now(after resetting the date/time in BIOS).

I can't thank you enough for your help! Be well!