I am not sure if this is a hardware or software problem. I have a PC with
an Intel Pentium II 400 MHz CPU, DFI PA61 MB, 128 MB RAM. There is a CD ROM
drive on the secondary IDE controller.
The PC was running fine until all of a sudden, after booting up, the CD
drive was not there. I checked the cables and made sure everything was
seated. Could not get the drive to come back. Finally, I took out a network
control card and the drive came back. I kept the network card out since it
wasn't really necessary. Then, days later, the drive disappeared again. I
replaced the drive with a new Creative 48x from another PC.(BTW: the old CD
drive works fine in another PC). It still didn't show. I took out an ISA
Soundblaster card and the drive appeared. Put the sound card back and all
was fine. Later, it disappeared again. I replaced the ISA sound card with a
PCI sound card. The CD drive was back. All along I have suspected a problem
with the MB, perhaps with the ISA bridge. Then, the CD drive disappears
and, on a whim, I checked the C: drive and removed 20 MB of files. The
drive appears on reboot.
I am in the process of changing the MB, but still wonder if the problem
could be the hard drive. Anyone have ideas?

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