Jason Spatafore wrote: > If you're attaching the CD-ROM's with the same cable or on the same > IDE channel, I would suspect the cable or channel on the motherboard. > > Does the problem go away if you use a different cable? > Does it go away if you connect to a different bus? > Changing the cable didn't fix it. Yep, I'm in the habit of setting the jumpers, as a lot of my hardware is old. :-) I suspect you're right about the bus. Vaughn > Have you tried connecting the CD-ROM to the same cable as the hard drive? > Did you make sure you set master/slave instead of relying on cable > select settings? (Which don't work in such old hardware.) > > Anyway, may things could be the root cause. I hope these suggestions > help. > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Lisa Kachold > *To:* Main PLUG discussion list > > *Sent:* Monday, October 13, 2008 10:55 AM > *Subject:* RE: OT: hardware question > > A 300 MHz is going to be a tad slow. The current requirements for > FreeGeek recycled equipment are 500Mhz and the older equipment > works great for most users. After all what are we doing but > browsing? > > The best tool in my bag is a Big TACK or twisty wire with the > plastic bitten off at that base, to insert into the tiny CDROM > hole and release the drive bay door. > > It's the "Hal 9000 drive bay door problem"...."I am sorry Dave, I > can't do that..." Arthur C. Clark > > http://wapedia.mobi/en/Obnosis || > http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/obnosis | Obnosis.com (503)754-4452 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:42:03 -0700 > > From: vltreude@deru.com > > To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > Subject: Re: OT: hardware question > > > > > > Vaughn Treude wrote: > > > Hello, everyone. Here's an OT question that is at least > > > computer-related. :-) > > > > > > I'm trying to resurrect an old 300 MHz PC I was using to run > an ISA > > > scope card, and to run an old test suite that only works on - > get ready > > > for this - Windows 95. (It worked fine for that.) I was having > trouble > > > with the CD-ROM drive. I replaced it with four others from my > "old > > > hardware" supplies in my closet, and none appeared to work. > The drives > > > would power up and the BIOS would recognize them but none > wanted to > > > eject the tray. (Actually, one one of them, the tray would > work a couple > > > times and then be stuck closed until I cycled power.) Could > all these > > > drives be bad, or could it be that the old generic 300W power > supply was > > > flakey? > > > > > > I happened to have a relatively new Antec supply; I'd swapped > it out on > > > a newer machine on which I'd suspected supply problems. Well, the > > > problem wasn't the supply, but I was too lazy to return the > new supply > > > to Fry's, so I kept this one as a spare. So I thought, good > opportunity > > > to test my theory. > > > > > > Turns out that is is an old PC Chips M565 motherboard, sort of > an AT/ATX > > > hybrid. It has both types of power connectors, so was able to > hook up > > > the Antec. Then I discovered that the little switch connector > on the > > > corner has NO remote power switch pins. It has suspend, reset, > turbo > > > LED, etc. But no pins marked power or PS or RPS. I even > downloaded the > > > manual, which was no help. > > > > > > > > Never mind, I re-read the manual. Supposedly the suspend switch > input > > can work as a power switch, if you hold it down for several > seconds. > > That didn't work, of course. I like to think I'm being frugal by > > reclaiming old PC's, as I did with this one a few years back. But - > > there's a reason computer hardware is cheap. :-) > > Vaughn > > > > > So this is weird. They _have_ an ATX power connector, but no > switch > > > pins. The Antec has a rocker switch on the back, but switching > that does > > > nothing, as I expected. Do I now have to swap the old supply > back in and > > > hope the problem was something else? (Like four bad drives? > Perhaps the > > > IDE2 port is malfunctioning and somehow confusing the drive? > Maybe, > > > though I was actually able to access the CD during the brief > time the > > > tray worked on one of them.) > > > > > > Or is there some sneaky way to make the Antec power up? > > > Thanks for any help I can get from the hardware hackers among us. > > > > > > Vaughn > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > See how Windows connects the people, information, and fun that are > part of your life. See Now > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.173 / Virus Database: 270.8.0/1723 - Release Date: > 10/13/2008 6:42 PM > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss