Continuing Optical Drive Saga

This is the place for any magazine-related discussions that don't fit in any of the column discussion boards below.
Post Reply
fine-tune
Posts: 113
Joined: Mon May 04, 2009 4:53 pm
Contact:

Continuing Optical Drive Saga

Post by fine-tune »

I prefer Linux distros like Mint, but if you live in the "real" world maintaining a couple of Windows systems
is a necessity.

Several months ago I posted about a Pioneer CD/DVD burner that suddenly vanished from Windows. There
must be millions of articles, blogs, and posts about this problem. Microsoft has many KB articles about
disappearing optical drives.

The solution (or workaround) was very simple. Fill an unoccupied expansion slot on the motherboard with an
inexpensive SATA controller card. I switched the data cable from a port on the motherboard to the controller
card. The optical drive immediately reappeared in Windows.

Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story. The controller card has apparently caused a new problem.

To avoid confusion, here are the facts listed under Before and After:

Before SATA Controller Card
1. Optical drive not available anywhere in Windows.
2. Optical drive listed normally in the BIOS setup.
3. Listed as Pioneer on the Boot Menu.
4. Select Pioneer on the Boot Menu and all bootable discs spin-up and load.

After Installing SATA Controller Card
1. Optical drive restored everywhere in Windows.
2. Optical drive listed normally in the BIOS setup.
3. Listed as Pioneer on the Boot Menu.
4. Select Pioneer on the Boot Menu and nothing happens! Bootable discs do not spin-up.

The operation was a success, but the patient died. All CD's and DVD's spin-up normally inside the Windows
system. Adding the controller card completely cured the Windows problem. For reasons I cannot explain,
bootable discs no longer spin-up when selected from Boot Menu before Windows starts.

Does anyone know why this is happening?
User avatar
Janitor Tzap
Posts: 1707
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 5:17 pm
Contact:

Re: Continuing Optical Drive Saga

Post by Janitor Tzap »

Fine-tune,

Get in to the BIO's CMO's settings.
Check for Boot Sequence settings.

Example:
First Boot Device: CD\DVD burner
Second: Hard Drive
Third: USB
Forth: Network

Make sure the Pioneer CD/DVD burner is the 1st Boot Device.

If it still won't boot from the CD/DVD burner.
There could be a problem with the BIO's CMO's itself.
Check Gigabyte for a BIO's Upgrade for your Mother Board.
http://www.gigabyte.us/Support/Motherboard


Signed: Janitor Tzap
fine-tune
Posts: 113
Joined: Mon May 04, 2009 4:53 pm
Contact:

Re: Continuing Optical Drive Saga

Post by fine-tune »

I've been tinkering with CMOS settings for several decades. I made a "logical" mistake, but I still feel like
an idiot!

As you know, the Boot Menu provides a "one time only" override of the CMOS boot order. Therefore, it never
crossed my mind to enter the CMOS and change the boot order.

The SATA controller card is a bootable device and my Pioneer optical drive is now slaved to the controller card.
I don't understand how I made such a foolish mistake!

With the controller card installed, the optical drive can no longer spin-up from the Boot Menu.


These CMOS settings boot the Pioneer optical drive:

Advanced BIOS Features > Hard Disk Boot Priority
1st item on the list must be Bootable Add-in Cards

Advanced BIOS Features > First Boot Device
Default is Floppy > Changed to Pioneer



In effect, I installed a bootable expansion card and pretended it didn't exist!

Janitor Tzap, your reply triggered my sleeping brain into reality. Thank you.
User avatar
Janitor Tzap
Posts: 1707
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 5:17 pm
Contact:

Re: Continuing Optical Drive Saga

Post by Janitor Tzap »

I glad that's all that was wrong. :smile:

These newer Mother Boards that have been coming out don't beep the POST Codes any more. :(
And some of the Gamer Mother Boards have a LED Display showing the In House BIO's Codes that they use.
Only, unless you have a case with a window on it to look in.
You have have to open up the case to see the Codes. :x
Then it's out to tech support, and looking up the Codes.
But I'm finding that they don't cover all the codes that are being displayed. :x
Then I have to hunt with Google, the Codes and find what others have found. :mad:


Signed: Janitor Tzap
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot] and 33 guests