DVD Not Recognized, Wireless Hangs

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gary Brown
  • Start date Start date
G

Gary Brown

Hi,

My daughter's Dell 4300 is suffering from multiple problems.
The DVD drive was removed and now is not recognized
when reinstalled. A new drive and cable didn't help.

Also, a newly installed wireless LAN causes the PC to
freeze whenever the internet or another node is accessed.

At this point my only thoughts are reinstall the OS (XP Home)
and if that doesn't work do a clean OS install.

Anyone have some other ideas?

Thanks,
Gary
 
Hi,

My daughter's Dell 4300 is suffering from multiple problems.
The DVD drive was removed and now is not recognized
when reinstalled.
Click to expand...

Was the original problem that this drive didn't work and if
so to what extent was this problem manifested? Where is it
not recognized, in the BIOS drive enumeration or just in
Windows?


A new drive and cable didn't help.
Click to expand...

Is it possible the new drive isn't jumpered correctly?
Have you tried (including changing bios settings to consider
it the primary boot device) booting to the DVD drive
w/bootable disc in it? This would tend to isolate whether
it is a windows(?) problem or drive itself isn't working.

Also, a newly installed wireless LAN causes the PC to
freeze whenever the internet or another node is accessed.
Click to expand...

You might try a newer driver. Did the DVD drive cease to be
recognized prior to adding this wireless card or immediately
afterwards? A bit of history about what happened, when,
might help. Are you certain the system is within range of
the access point or router, close enough that it would be
getting good signal (and if there is a utility that
indicates signal strength, does it indicate fairly strong
signal?)?


At this point my only thoughts are reinstall the OS (XP Home)
and if that doesn't work do a clean OS install.
Click to expand...


If it's like many of the OEM systems that people have
brought to me to check out, it could be riddled with
viri/malware/etc, you might scan it.

I would remove the wireless card and if any other changes
were made, undo those if they are potentially problematic,
trying to get the DVD drive working first. After that is
working if a driver change won't resolve the wireless card
problem you might reinstall windows as a last resort but
first, I'd also wonder if the wireless card and/or driver is
good, workable at all. You might try the card in another
system to see if it'll work then.
 
Gary said:
Hi,

My daughter's Dell 4300 is suffering from multiple problems.
The DVD drive was removed and now is not recognized
when reinstalled. A new drive and cable didn't help.

Also, a newly installed wireless LAN causes the PC to
freeze whenever the internet or another node is accessed.

At this point my only thoughts are reinstall the OS (XP Home)
and if that doesn't work do a clean OS install.

Anyone have some other ideas?

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...
Dell is famous for using proprietary parts. And if you don't use Dell
parts, you are screwed. This may or may not be the problem. But just
to be safe, next time do some homework and buy a computer that uses
generic parts.
 
Was the original problem that this drive didn't work and if
so to what extent was this problem manifested? Where is it
not recognized, in the BIOS drive enumeration or just in
Windows?
Click to expand...

AFAIK the drive was working when it was removed. The BIOS
didn't show it but the message suggested it was looking for a
hard drive (?!). I don't know who removed the drive or why but
it was working before.

This one doesn't normally reside in my house. I brought it
home to work on it.
Is it possible the new drive isn't jumpered correctly?
Click to expand...

I tried all jumper positions.
Have you tried (including changing bios settings to consider
it the primary boot device) booting to the DVD drive
w/bootable disc in it? This would tend to isolate whether
it is a windows(?) problem or drive itself isn't working.
Click to expand...

I tried all (both?, this thing has the simplest BIOS settings of
any I've seen by a mile). And a new out-of-the box drive
didn't work either. I will try the drive in another PC.
You might try a newer driver.
Click to expand...

It is the latest driver just downloaded from D-Link. I was
cabled to the router before. They moved the modem and
router to the basement cable connection to reduce clutter.
Did the DVD drive cease to be
recognized prior to adding this wireless card or immediately
afterwards?
Before.

A bit of history about what happened, when,
might help. Are you certain the system is within range of
the access point or router, close enough that it would be
getting good signal (and if there is a utility that
indicates signal strength, does it indicate fairly strong
signal?)?
Click to expand...

It was able to detect our existing wireless which was working.
But a weak signal will not cause the PC to freeze.

If it isn't the OS the only other common point of failure is the MB.
Unless the two problems are unrelated. That the BIOS doesn't
report a DVD suggests hardware or firmware. The freeze when
accessing the internet suggests software.
If it's like many of the OEM systems that people have
brought to me to check out, it could be riddled with
viri/malware/etc, you might scan it.
Click to expand...

It might have virus protect. Without internet or DVD adding
virus protect would be difficult. Flash drive is the only outside
communication right now.
 
AFAIK the drive was working when it was removed. The BIOS
didn't show it but the message suggested it was looking for a
hard drive (?!). I don't know who removed the drive or why but
it was working before.

This one doesn't normally reside in my house. I brought it
home to work on it.
Click to expand...


You might recheck the BIOS settings, and clear CMOS (pull
battery for a few minutes while AC is disconnected if there
isn't a jumper to do it).


I tried all jumper positions.
Click to expand...

If it was connected to the same cable as another drive, it
might be that the other drive is jumpered as "single"
instead of master w/slave now? Western Digital hard drives
are one example with a separate "single" jumper setting.


I tried all (both?, this thing has the simplest BIOS settings of
any I've seen by a mile). And a new out-of-the box drive
didn't work either. I will try the drive in another PC.
Click to expand...

You might try plugging the drive into the other ATA socket
on the board (assuming it has two), and if the hard drive
has to be temporarily unplugged to make that happen, just
leave it disconnected for a moment and then see if the drive
is detected and if it would boot a bootable disc.


It is the latest driver just downloaded from D-Link. I was
cabled to the router before. They moved the modem and
router to the basement cable connection to reduce clutter.
Click to expand...

Use D-Link's utility to see what the signal strength is, if
it works at least enough to do so.



If it isn't the OS the only other common point of failure is the MB.
Unless the two problems are unrelated. That the BIOS doesn't
report a DVD suggests hardware or firmware. The freeze when
accessing the internet suggests software.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what's odd about these two problems, though they
might be coincidence. Lots of things aren't likely but are
possible like a crack in the board or pulled and/or cold
solder joints among the subcircuits leading from the
southbridge to the ATA connector.

Is the other (hard) drive PATA? If so, see if it is
detected plugged into the other board socket.


It might have virus protect. Without internet or DVD adding
virus protect would be difficult. Flash drive is the only outside
communication right now.
Click to expand...

Flash drive would work so long as it's large enough... many
programs on a CD will install still if copied from the CD to
another media.
 
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