CDROM drives won't power up

[fdv]

Ok, I have never seen anything like this in the 10 years that I have been working on PCs.

I ordered a new case and Power Supply Unit for an old motherboard. I transferred everything into the new case. I went to power up, and the BIOS saw the hard drives, but not the CDROM. It didn't light up.

Bummer, I thought, the drive died. So I plugged in a different drive. On bootup, STILL no CDROM drive (it didn't power up). It was a working pull, so I thought that there must be a problem with the PSU.

So I pulled out my multitester and checked voltages -- both 5 and 12 are present on the DC adapter plugs coming from the PSU. So, no problems there, apparently.

Ok, probably a coincidence. So I tried a THIRD unit, a brand new CDROM. Nothing. It didn't even light up.

I'd list other things, but I don't think they're relevant. For example, I checked to be sure that the IDE cable was correct -- it is. The power cables are plugged in correctly (as keyed) and not forced wrong.

Any ideas? Have I somehow been killing every CDROM drive I am trying in some way I don't realize?

Here's the twist that confuses me even more. I went to my brother-in-law's place and his PC did the same thing, but the CDROM drive was working. I added a drive, then it stopped working. FWIW, he had the IDE cable in wrong on the drive and right on the mobo, so I fixed that. When I powered up, no CDROM drive. Now, both machines have a PSU with a wattage rating far in excess of what I am drawing. I am using one HDD and one CDROM, and the PSUs in these machines are 300 and 250 watts, respectively.

Any ideas?

[jroc]

Ok, I have never seen anything like this in the 10 years that I have been working on PCs.

I ordered a new case and Power Supply Unit for an old motherboard. I transferred everything into the new case. I went to power up, and the BIOS saw the hard drives, but not the CDROM. It didn't light up.

Bummer, I thought, the drive died. So I plugged in a different drive. On bootup, STILL no CDROM drive (it didn't power up). It was a working pull, so I thought that there must be a problem with the PSU.

So I pulled out my multitester and checked voltages -- both 5 and 12 are present on the DC adapter plugs coming from the PSU. So, no problems there, apparently.

Ok, probably a coincidence. So I tried a THIRD unit, a brand new CDROM. Nothing. It didn't even light up.

I'd list other things, but I don't think they're relevant. For example, I checked to be sure that the IDE cable was correct -- it is. The power cables are plugged in correctly (as keyed) and not forced wrong.

Any ideas? Have I somehow been killing every CDROM drive I am trying in some way I don't realize?

Here's the twist that confuses me even more. I went to my brother-in-law's place and his PC did the same thing, but the CDROM drive was working. I added a drive, then it stopped working. FWIW, he had the IDE cable in wrong on the drive and right on the mobo, so I fixed that. When I powered up, no CDROM drive. Now, both machines have a PSU with a wattage rating far in excess of what I am drawing. I am using one HDD and one CDROM, and the PSUs in these machines are 300 and 250 watts, respectively.

Any ideas?

I would say the IDE Channel...how are you set up on that...both CDROMS on Secondary?..or what...might also verify in the BIOs that both IDE's are enabled.

Edited July 27, 2006 by jroc

[fdv]

I checked on that... I enabled both. On powerup, the BIOS seems to seek, and on the next bootup, the IDE controller for the CDROM is (automatically) then switched off. Like it looks and decides nope, bothing there. Both CDROMs on both compy's are on the secondary channel.

Thanks for having a look at this odd Q. I still suspect some sort of power supply issue I guess.

[Shindo_Hikaru]

I have found in older and in some limited cases new systems the power supply does not like power up componets.

My findings are as followed, but not limited to:

Under rated powersupply

Some device(s) drawing more from the same line

My fixes include but not limited to:

Providied a dedicated line to the device

Contect only one device (drive) per line with a lesser device.

[prx984]

i would say, pop in another power supply and see if that does it. maybe the power supply cant handle a load.

a cd rom drive should power up and open and close the drive door with just power to it. i powered one off of a wall adapter when i was smaller and didnt understand too much and it worked. well, i could open and close the drive is all.

[tarquel]

I checked on that... I enabled both. On powerup, the BIOS seems to seek, and on the next bootup, the IDE controller for the CDROM is (automatically) then switched off. Like it looks and decides nope, bothing there. Both CDROMs on both compy's are on the secondary channel.

Thanks for having a look at this odd Q. I still suspect some sort of power supply issue I guess.

Based on that, i reckon that it could well be the motherboard (as I assume by "old computer" from your first post, that the motherboard is old) and this is causing the shorting out of the CD-ROM drives through the IDE cable somehow. I've seen it happen before - even if it seems a strange thing to happen - so I think thats what your looking at if the PSU isn't a cheap one [cheap ones of course being notorious for causing all manner of problems and being underpowered].

Another scenario would be a similar thing to what I said above, except that when you plugged in the new psu to the motherboard and initially gave it power - either soft off or properly on - the "faulty" motherboard somehow damaged the new PSU and in turn is now killing each new CD-ROM drive you put into the setup.

I wish you luck - i hate these oddities.

Hope this helps

Nath.

[Shindo_Hikaru]

Based on that, i reckon that it could well be the motherboard (as I assume by "old computer" from your first post, that the motherboard is old) and this is causing the shorting out of the CD-ROM drives through the IDE cable somehow.

Darn, you beat me to the punch.

That is usually my last diagnoses on a weird acting motherboard and/or componet.

[tarquel]

Darn, you beat me to the punch.

hehe

I've seen very strange ones - like where we changed every component in the system [and i do mean *every*] and it still had the same problem. Now that was a very very weird day lol

Regards

Nath