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strange NEC CD-RW drive problem



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 31st 04, 11:52 PM
Mike Holder
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Posts: n/a
Default strange NEC CD-RW drive problem

I've started having a problem with my NEC NR-7700A CD-RW drive
on my 2+ year old Gateway machine. If I do a power up (cold
reboot), the activity LED on the drive blinks constantly, the BIOS
(American Megatrends) doesn't recognize the drive properly,
and consequently, Windows XP (or Linux) won't recognize the
drive exists. If I do a restart (warm boot), the BIOS recognizes
the CD-RW drive properly and consequently the drive can be used
from WinXP (or Linux).

I fiddled with the BIOS setup so it displays info on the various
IDE devices (including 2 hard drives). When the failure occurs
(cold reboot), the drive is identified as "2.0 NEC CDROM
DRIVE: IDE". When it works (warm reboot), the drive is identified
as "1.23 _NEC NR-7700A", which apparently makes WinXP (and Linux)
happy. (The 1.23 seems to correspond to the firmware verion on
the drive.)

Anybody seen anything like this before? This appears to be to
be a problem with the CD-RW drive, but could conceivably be something
with the motherboard (or even the IDE cable, I suppose). This
machine is still under warranty, but in talking to the Gateway
tech support folks, they aren't sure whether it's the drive or the
motherboard, so they want me to ship the tower to their service
center in Texas to be diagnosed (and presumably fixed). However,
it'll cost $50+ to ship it and I'll be missing my computer for
3-4 weeks, so I'd rather not do that unless I have to.

Thanks in advance.

Mike Holder

  #2  
Old August 1st 04, 12:30 AM
Grinder
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Posts: n/a
Default

Mike Holder wrote:

I've started having a problem with my NEC NR-7700A CD-RW drive
on my 2+ year old Gateway machine. If I do a power up (cold
reboot), the activity LED on the drive blinks constantly, the BIOS
(American Megatrends) doesn't recognize the drive properly,
and consequently, Windows XP (or Linux) won't recognize the
drive exists. If I do a restart (warm boot), the BIOS recognizes
the CD-RW drive properly and consequently the drive can be used
from WinXP (or Linux).

I fiddled with the BIOS setup so it displays info on the various
IDE devices (including 2 hard drives). When the failure occurs
(cold reboot), the drive is identified as "2.0 NEC CDROM
DRIVE: IDE". When it works (warm reboot), the drive is identified
as "1.23 _NEC NR-7700A", which apparently makes WinXP (and Linux)
happy. (The 1.23 seems to correspond to the firmware verion on
the drive.)

Anybody seen anything like this before? This appears to be to
be a problem with the CD-RW drive, but could conceivably be something
with the motherboard (or even the IDE cable, I suppose). This
machine is still under warranty, but in talking to the Gateway
tech support folks, they aren't sure whether it's the drive or the
motherboard, so they want me to ship the tower to their service
center in Texas to be diagnosed (and presumably fixed). However,
it'll cost $50+ to ship it and I'll be missing my computer for
3-4 weeks, so I'd rather not do that unless I have to.


They're probably counting on that. Be firm with them. Explain that you
computer is vital to you, and that they need to send out a replacement
CD-RW which you will install. This may well fix the problem, but at a
minimum, should diagnose the problem.

For added leverage, you should swap the cable and/or drive yourself
indentify the faulty component. Hopefully you have a friend that has a
CD and cable that you can use for a short period of time. With this
diagnostic down, you can be more specific in what you require from Gateway.


  #3  
Old August 2nd 04, 06:25 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Grinder wrote:

They're probably counting on that. Be firm with them. Explain that you
computer is vital to you, and that they need to send out a replacement
CD-RW which you will install. This may well fix the problem, but at a
minimum, should diagnose the problem.

For added leverage, you should swap the cable and/or drive yourself
indentify the faulty component. Hopefully you have a friend that has a
CD and cable that you can use for a short period of time. With this
diagnostic down, you can be more specific in what you require from Gateway.

Yep, I plan to swap the cable sometime in the next day or so.
I'll try the drive as well (if I can borrow one from somebody),
but that probably won't conclusively isolate the problem to the
drive. (I.e., it could still be a mobo issue with the
particular drive or could be a system power issue that isn't
stressed by the newer (possibly lower power) drive.) I'll post
what happens when I run my next set of experiments.

Mike

  #5  
Old August 1st 04, 12:59 AM
Shepİ
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Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 22:52:19 GMT As another one bit the dust Mike
Holder wrote :

I've started having a problem with my NEC NR-7700A CD-RW drive
on my 2+ year old Gateway machine. If I do a power up (cold
reboot), the activity LED on the drive blinks constantly, the BIOS
(American Megatrends) doesn't recognize the drive properly,
and consequently, Windows XP (or Linux) won't recognize the
drive exists. If I do a restart (warm boot), the BIOS recognizes
the CD-RW drive properly and consequently the drive can be used
from WinXP (or Linux).

I fiddled with the BIOS setup so it displays info on the various
IDE devices (including 2 hard drives). When the failure occurs
(cold reboot), the drive is identified as "2.0 NEC CDROM
DRIVE: IDE". When it works (warm reboot), the drive is identified
as "1.23 _NEC NR-7700A", which apparently makes WinXP (and Linux)
happy. (The 1.23 seems to correspond to the firmware verion on
the drive.)

Anybody seen anything like this before? This appears to be to
be a problem with the CD-RW drive, but could conceivably be something
with the motherboard (or even the IDE cable, I suppose). This
machine is still under warranty, but in talking to the Gateway
tech support folks, they aren't sure whether it's the drive or the
motherboard, so they want me to ship the tower to their service
center in Texas to be diagnosed (and presumably fixed). However,
it'll cost $50+ to ship it and I'll be missing my computer for
3-4 weeks, so I'd rather not do that unless I have to.

Thanks in advance.

Mike Holder



Cdrom drive shagged.Buy a new one.
HTH



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  #6  
Old August 2nd 04, 06:27 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Shepİ wrote:

Cdrom drive shagged.Buy a new one.
HTH


Well, that's my current guess. I was hoping Gateway would
spring for the new one, but haven't managed to convince them
(yet). Still, buying a new one is going to be just as
expensive as sending the computer to Gateway for servicing.
I've got a few more experiments to do, and I'll post the
conclusions.

Mike

  #7  
Old August 1st 04, 01:10 AM
smh
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

.. --------------------------------------
Mike Richter, were you born with
"Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face?
--------------------------------------
(Mike Richter, any Material Connection w/ Roxio?)

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...mindspring.com
(Messages 10, 12 -- 34, 54 -- 69)

( No pipsqueaks have been able to prove ANY of the above is a libel )
( -- despite Mikey claimed to have proof of misquotes !! )
'

Mike Holder wrote:

I've started having a problem with my NEC NR-7700A CD-RW drive
on my 2+ year old Gateway machine. If I do a power up (cold
reboot), the activity LED on the drive blinks constantly, the BIOS
(American Megatrends) doesn't recognize the drive properly,
and consequently, Windows XP (or Linux) won't recognize the
drive exists. If I do a restart (warm boot), the BIOS recognizes
the CD-RW drive properly and consequently the drive can be used
from WinXP (or Linux).

I fiddled with the BIOS setup so it displays info on the various
IDE devices (including 2 hard drives). When the failure occurs
(cold reboot), the drive is identified as "2.0 NEC CDROM
DRIVE: IDE". When it works (warm reboot), the drive is identified
as "1.23 _NEC NR-7700A", which apparently makes WinXP (and Linux)
happy. (The 1.23 seems to correspond to the firmware verion on
the drive.)

Anybody seen anything like this before? This appears to be to
be a problem with the CD-RW drive, but could conceivably be something
with the motherboard (or even the IDE cable, I suppose). This
machine is still under warranty, but in talking to the Gateway
tech support folks, they aren't sure whether it's the drive or the
motherboard, so they want me to ship the tower to their service
center in Texas to be diagnosed (and presumably fixed). However,
it'll cost $50+ to ship it and I'll be missing my computer for
3-4 weeks, so I'd rather not do that unless I have to.


Usually there's a something like configuration(?) rom that can be
refreshed by: power down, change jumper(s) on the motherboard; power up
and then down, and then re-jumper(s). Ask Gateway tech support about
this or they may have the info on their Web site.
  #8  
Old August 2nd 04, 06:39 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

smh wrote:

Usually there's a something like configuration(?) rom that can be
refreshed by: power down, change jumper(s) on the motherboard; power up
and then down, and then re-jumper(s). Ask Gateway tech support about
this or they may have the info on their Web site.


I'm not sure what this configuration ROM is. The only thing
I see on the Gateway web site's info on my motherboard is a
mention of a BIOS Mode Jumper. One setting is Normal
Operations, one setting is for clearing the password, and
the third setting is for "recovering the BIOS configuration".
The (terse) description of this last setting indicates that
the BIOS compares the processor version and the microcode
version stored in the BIOS. It then reports if the two match."
I'm not sure that buys me anything. I'll see if the Gateway
Tech Support peope can tell me more about this next time I
talk to them.

Mike

  #9  
Old August 1st 04, 03:18 AM
Ed
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In fact I have seen this problem, and it is idicitive of a Drive
failure.
You will need to replace the drive shortly.

Stear clear of gateway service, just replace the drive yourself, new
drives even good ones can be bought for $40-50. Save the shipping fees
and do the work yourself.

As you have been told the warranty work is not exactly free.

Live and learn.

Ed



Mike Holder wrote in message ...
I've started having a problem with my NEC NR-7700A CD-RW drive
on my 2+ year old Gateway machine. If I do a power up (cold
reboot), the activity LED on the drive blinks constantly, the BIOS
(American Megatrends) doesn't recognize the drive properly,
and consequently, Windows XP (or Linux) won't recognize the
drive exists. If I do a restart (warm boot), the BIOS recognizes
the CD-RW drive properly and consequently the drive can be used
from WinXP (or Linux).

I fiddled with the BIOS setup so it displays info on the various
IDE devices (including 2 hard drives). When the failure occurs
(cold reboot), the drive is identified as "2.0 NEC CDROM
DRIVE: IDE". When it works (warm reboot), the drive is identified
as "1.23 _NEC NR-7700A", which apparently makes WinXP (and Linux)
happy. (The 1.23 seems to correspond to the firmware verion on
the drive.)

Anybody seen anything like this before? This appears to be to
be a problem with the CD-RW drive, but could conceivably be something
with the motherboard (or even the IDE cable, I suppose). This
machine is still under warranty, but in talking to the Gateway
tech support folks, they aren't sure whether it's the drive or the
motherboard, so they want me to ship the tower to their service
center in Texas to be diagnosed (and presumably fixed). However,
it'll cost $50+ to ship it and I'll be missing my computer for
3-4 weeks, so I'd rather not do that unless I have to.

Thanks in advance.

Mike Holder

  #10  
Old August 1st 04, 06:27 AM
Grinder
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Ed wrote:
In fact I have seen this problem, and it is idicitive of a Drive
failure.
You will need to replace the drive shortly.

Stear clear of gateway service, just replace the drive yourself, new
drives even good ones can be bought for $40-50. Save the shipping fees
and do the work yourself.


Even cheaper. I bought one of these a few weeks ago. I've been very
happy, and it even came with Nero.

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=333209
 




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