[jsullivan33403]

I have a computer with a PCChips M810D board what most of the time does not recognize the two optical drives,

[1] TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H65LL by Toshiba-Samsung

[2] JLMS DVD-ROM LTD-166S

Most of the time it will only recognize the second optical drive. I have tried switching which is the master and which is the slave and even went to cable select with the same results.

Sometimes Belarc Advisor shows both drives, but most of the time it does not. Unit is running under XP Sp3

Any ideas?

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Are both drives connected to the same IDE on the motherboard and before we look at anything else have you eliminated a fault on the ribbon cable to the toshiba.
Disconnect the JLMS. Enter bios setup normally F2 or delete, check that the Toshiba is shown in BIOS setup and that BIOS has detected it correctly for the IDE and its setting. Then load Windows and see if that is shown.
Now use the same position of the ribbon and do the same with the JLMS.
Then report back please.

As long as the cable isn't broken any cable should work with the drive.
Just make sure the right colors are in the right places.
Blue: The blue connector attaches to the host (motherboard or controller). 
Gray: The gray connector is in the middle of the cable, and goes to any slave (device 1) drive if present on the channel. 
Black: The black connector is at the opposite end from the host connector and goes to the master drive (device 0), or a single drive if only one is used.  
Ultra DMA (80-Conductor) IDE/ATA Cables

Edited by Macboatmaster, 29 May 2010 - 01:47 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

Are both drives connected to the same IDE on the motherboard and before we look at anything else have you eliminated a fault on the ribbon cable to the toshiba.
Disconnect the JLMS. Enter bios setup normally F2 or delete, check that the Toshiba is shown in BIOS setup and that BIOS has detected it correctly for the IDE and its setting. Then load Windows and see if that is shown.
Now use the same position of the ribbon and do the same with the JLMS.
Then report back please.

As long as the cable isn't broken any cable should work with the drive.
Just make sure the right colors are in the right places.
Blue: The blue connector attaches to the host (motherboard or controller). 
Gray: The gray connector is in the middle of the cable, and goes to any slave (device 1) drive if present on the channel. 
Black: The black connector is at the opposite end from the host connector and goes to the master drive (device 0), or a single drive if only one is used.  
Ultra DMA (80-Conductor) IDE/ATA Cables

Edited by Macboatmaster, 29 May 2010 - 01:47 PM.

[Broni]

Windows XP sometimes has problems with two optical drives.
Why do you need two drives?

[jsullivan33403]

Hi Everyone

First, My problem cured itself. When I went back on the unit to work on it further, it worked perfectly. Why? Who knows.

Second, one poster asked why I need two optical drives. Simple to copy business data disks without using a time consuming image copy.

Third, Unit uses 'delete' to reach bios on startup.

Fourth, Thanks for your assistance.

[Macboatmaster]

I am pleased it is now working, however, what you should try and establish is why it DID not work on that occasion.
I did say F2 or delete in my post.

[Broni]

Good news

[jsullivan33403]

I am pleased it is now working, however, what you should try and establish is why it DID not work on that occasion.
I did say F2 or delete in my post.

\
First, you did say F2 or delete, and on this particular unit it was 'delete.'

Second, I would very much like to establish why it did not work, but have so far been unable to do so. I do not like unknowns.