Greetings Tom and list-- What happens if you set the hard disk and optical disk jumpers to establish master-slave on each IDE channel? Will Windows properly access the drives in that configuration? Paul A. Shippert Library Media Specialist Margaret Brent Middle School ----------------------------------- and I'm hovering like a fly waiting for the windshield on the freeway." Genesis ----------------------------------- -------------- Original message -------------- > I recently installed a new CDRW drive in an XP Home SP2(fully updated) machine. > I now have the 'C' HD as 'master' and a DVD drive as 'slave' on the primary IDE. > And I have a 'D' HD as 'master' and the new CDRW drive as 'slave' on the > secondary IDE. All are set for 'cable selection'. > > The BIOS sees all the drives correctly. Windows XP 'system information' sees the > drives correctly with the DVD as 'E' drive and the CDRW as 'F' drive. The device > manager sees all the drives and indicates proper operation. The ' My Computer' > and 'Windows Explorer' only acknowledges the CDRW drive and inaccurately > indicates it is the 'E' drive rather than the 'F' drive. Therefore, I can not > get to the DVD drive through Windows. I have tried with disks both in and out of > both drives without any difference. > > Through the 'Command Prompt' I can get to both drives and use them. > > If I physically disconnect the CDRW from the system, then 'My Computer' and > 'Windows Explorer' will acknowledge the DVD drive as the 'E' drive. All other > combinations I have tried have resulted in the DVD not being acknowledged. > > I have the same setup (except for the manufacturer of the DVD) in another > machine and have no problems. > > Hardware Details: > > Soyo SY-K7VMP2 MB , Athlon XP 2400, 512 MB PC2100 DDR 266MHz, ATI Radeon 9200, > LiteOn DVD-ROM, Sony CDRW, Acer LCD, 2 - 40GB Western Digital HD > > Since all of the hardware indicators are correct, this appears to be a problem > within Windows XP. From the days of DOS, it almost seems like an 'environment' > setting is limiting the number of drives being acknowledged. Any ideas on what > might be causing this problem and how to solve it? > > Thanks > > Tom Mayer > > Do you want to signoff PCBUILD or just change to > Digest mode - visit our web site: > http://freepctech.com/pcbuild.shtml Do you want to signoff PCBUILD or just change to Digest mode - visit our web site: http://freepctech.com/pcbuild.shtml