Comp won't recognize 2 CD-ROM drives at once.

[Nevik]

I have a 4X and an 8X CD-ROM drive, and they both run fine when I install them alone into my system. But when I install both drives at the same time on my second IDE connection (I have 2 HDs on my first IDE connection), Windows only seems to recognize the drive I set as master and ignores the drive I set as slave. What might the problem be? If anyone needs more info to answer properly, just ask.

Thanks in advance.

[Butchk]

Yes need more info on your system and what version of windows are you running?

[This message has been edited by Butchk (edited 12-01-1999).]

[Underclocked]

Probably a dumb question, but is your secondary slave enabled in the bios?

[Pantion]

Check the jumpers on the CD-ROMs. Remember one CD-ROM most be the master and the other has to be the slave. There can't be 2 masters or 2 slaves on the same IDE channel.

[Nevik]

I'm running Windows 95, version 4.00.950 with an award BIOS version 4.50PG dated 10/19/95. The secondray slave is set to auto in the BIOS (choices are mode 0 - mode 4, and auto), and I have already tried setting each drive as master with the other drive slave (setting the appropriate jumpers).

[medo]

Hello Nevik,

Did you try to setup only one CD like slave and test if it run well with HD like master. I had long time ago problem with two CD. One of them did not want to be slave.
I hope it will help. Good luck.

[Axel]

It might be something as simple as a bad IDE ribbon cable - you might try a new cable to see if that's it.

Also, you'll definitely want to update your BIOS as the one you have is not Y2K which could cause you problems in 3 weeks.

Lastly, you might also make sure that you have the latest CD-ROM device driver for each of the drives. - You could also start fresh - grab the CAB files of the win95 CD-ROM and put them on your hard drive -
Then reboot into safe mode and take out both CD-ROM drives.
Then plug them in with the 8 as the master and the 4 as the slave and see if the system will detect them. If it only sees the master upon reboot, then go ahead and load the driver for it, then go back into control panel and do an add new hardware and see if it will autodetect the slave. - If not - try to force the slave in - if that doesn't work, try a new IDE cable and new drivers off the web.

Another possibility is , if the drives are from the same manufacturer, the device drivers may not allow you to install both drives on the same system. I.E. the driver software may be conflicting.

Best of luck - a few games are definitely worth installing two drives.

[Nevik]

Well, I've made some progress, but not enough yet. Windows now detects the second drive and displays it in the device manager. When I call up properties on the drives, both devices are listed as "this device is working properly". In the "current drive assignment" box it lists "E:" for the master drive and "F:" for the slave drive.

However, I still have no access to the F: drive. When I go to a DOS window and try and access it I get a "device not ready" error. In the "My Computer" window it doesn't show the F: drive at all. I added a lastdrive=f line to config.sys, but that didn't help.

I guess the drivers may be conflicting with each other as suggested, because both drives are from Toshiba. Model numbers are XM-5302B and XM-5602B. I went to the Toshiba web site and looked for new drivers, but they said nothing is needed except for the native windows drivers.

Maybe I should try putting my CD-ROM drives on the primary IDE and the HD's on the secondary IDE? Any other ideas?

[Eli]

How about setting both hard drives as masters, one on each IDE channel, then setting each CD as a slave to a hard drive? Might be worth a shot... Good luck.

[Ygor]

What Eli said, except a bit more juggling of master & slave designations.

The usual configuration that is recommended with a cd-burner and a regular cd-rom is to put one on each ide channel with the other hard drive(s). I know this doesn't involve a burner, but the same idea may apply.

Keep us posted!

[Nevik]

Well, I tried putting each CD as slave to each HD and once again was met with limited success. It recognizes all four devices but one CD always seems to get a device not ready error. Interstingly, it is always the 8X that doesn't seem to like being the slave as follows:

Config 1: HDs are primary and secondary master. 8X is primary slave, 4X is secondary slave. Result: HDs and 4X work. 8X gets a "device not ready".

Config 2: Same as config 1 except 4X is primary slave and 8X is secondary slave. Result: HDs and 4X work. 8X gets same error.

Config 3: HD as primary master. 4X as primary slave. 8X as secondary master. 2nd HD disconnected. Result: Everything works.

Conclusion: It seems the problem is with the 8X CD-ROM. It will only work when it gets an IDE channel all to its own and set as master.

One more thing I haven't mentioned before. I said the model number on the 4X was XM-5302B, and that IS what it says on the label stuck to the outside of the drive. BUT, windows recognizes the drive as an XM-5302TA. Also, there's an extra jumper on the outside of the 4X that isn't on the 8X with 3 possible settings labeled T1, T0, and PRV/ALW. Default was set to PRV/ALW, and I tried the other settings as well. However, I don't know what these settings are for and it may prove useful.

[Eli]

I'm afraid I don't have any other suggestions, but I can tell you that I also have a stubborn CD drive (a quad speed 4 disk changer) that would not work, under any circumstances, in my PII300. It also wouldn't work in my old P75, until I set it up alone on the secondary IDE channel. I guess some CD drives are just really picky... Have you tried different cables by chance? I guess I had another suggestion after all... lol

[Nevik]

Yep, I tried spare cables. Actually, I also experimented and determined all my cables are working properly.