[Jim45]

I have an older Dell computer, with XP. Can't afford a new one right now but anyway....neither of my CD?DVD drives will automatically play a CD/DVD. It's not the autoplay settings, they show up in device manager, and that they are working, and they actually work if I go to my computer and do it manually, I've tried just about every fix under the sun. I've even removed the ribbon cables and power cables, rebooted, turned the computer off, hooked the cables back up, turned the computer back on.....still no luck. Tried that "fix" that removes the upper/lower filters in the registry. I also tried setting the BIOS to default settings too, no luck.
When looking in the BIOS, they both show as disabled, and I think that is the problem. Further "googling" has led me to believe that it may be the CMOS needs to be cleared/reset, and my thought is just to do that by replacing the battery on the motherboard, as I read that a dying battery can show as this and other strange behavior. Plus, the computer is coming up on about 9 years old, and I've never replaced the battery. I hear they are good for about 10 years or so.

Anyway, does anyone agree/disagree? Any other suggestions? Is cutting to the chase and replacing the battery the easiest way, in my case especially? Also, if I do that, is it "business as usual?", or do I have to do anything to the BIOS afterwards? I thought I read that it has to be reconfigured, but I'm not sure. If so, what would that entail? I'm by no means a computer whiz, but I'm not intimidated going and doing quite a bit as long as it's fairly straightforward instructions.

So, id I do it,can anyone please tell me what I'd need to do after changing the CMOS battery? I thought I read somewhere you have to configure the BIOS, or something like that. I thought it simply resets the memory when the battery is changed, but this new to me. All I've ever changed in the BIOS is the AGP aperture. Or just tell me if I'm opening up a can of worms I shouldn't open. If things pick up with work soon, this computer will be retired, but right now, I have to keep it running, as outdated as it is.
Any and all feedback greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Advertisements]

If your CMOS battery is dead then the RTC time and date will be incorrect, can you check please.

Follow the directions below to either set the PC to boot from the CD drive first or simply enable the optical drives.

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS;
Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL or F2 button
on some Dell PCs.
This will enter you into the BIOS/CMOS
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CD drive
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.

While you are in the BIOS you may also need to reset the time and date and again save the new settings (F10) and then Y to accept the changes.

Post back with an update and if need be I will provide guidance for changing the CMOS battery.

[phillpower2]

If your CMOS battery is dead then the RTC time and date will be incorrect, can you check please.

Follow the directions below to either set the PC to boot from the CD drive first or simply enable the optical drives.

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS;
Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL or F2 button
on some Dell PCs.
This will enter you into the BIOS/CMOS
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CD drive
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.

While you are in the BIOS you may also need to reset the time and date and again save the new settings (F10) and then Y to accept the changes.

Post back with an update and if need be I will provide guidance for changing the CMOS battery.

[Jim45]

If your CMOS battery is dead then the RTC time and date will be incorrect, can you check please.

Follow the directions below to either set the PC to boot from the CD drive first or simply enable the optical drives.

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS;
Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL or F2 button
on some Dell PCs.
This will enter you into the BIOS/CMOS
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CD drive
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.

While you are in the BIOS you may also need to reset the time and date and again save the new settings (F10) and then Y to accept the changes.

Post back with an update and if need be I will provide guidance for changing the CMOS battery.

Thanks for the reply!

First off, my clock isn't off on the computer.......I was reading that weird behavior like what I'm experiencing can be a sign of a dying battery.....don't know how accurate that is.

Second.......when this problem started, my computer was set to boot from the cd drive, as a while back I was running memtest, and it has to boot from the cd, so that's not it. Back when it wasn't set to boot from the cd drive, it was working fine, and I set it back to default settings, and it still doesn't work. The drives work, I just have to do everything manually. I even had a software cd I tried, and it's like it doesn't detect it, or something. It makes a sound like it's going to spin up, and then it stops, and the light goes out on the drive. And I don't see anywhere to simply enable the optical drives either.....not in the BIOS. It says enabled in control panel, so that's not it either. Can you think of anything else I can try?

[Jim45]

Oh, just to add.......if I plug in a USB drive, I don't get the prompt asking me what action to take anymore either. I checked the autoplay settings too,and it's set to prompt me, just like my CD/DVD drives are. I have to go to the USB drive through my computer and select what I want manually. Seems like all this started at the same time. Don't know if that tells you anything more.

Edited by Jim45, 21 January 2012 - 11:42 AM.

[phillpower2]

First off, my clock isn't off on the computer.......I was reading that weird behavior like what I'm experiencing can be a sign of a dying battery.....don't know how accurate that is.

Unless your computer is permanently connected to the power your RTC will be inaccurate every time as the BIOS chip relies on the CR2032 battery to store the details, it is not selective so if you loose one setting you lose the lot.

Please Run the PCPitstop.com OverDrive Full Tests

Here's how:

You must use your Internet Explorer for this procedure. (doesn't work so well in Firefox or others). If your machine is running Vista or Windows 7, you must Select IE to “Run as Administrator”. After completing PCPitstop OverDrive you can close your IE browser and re-open it Normally so that you are no longer running as administrator.

Go to: http://www.pcpitstop...pit/default.asp
Click on "Free Computer Check-up" listed below PC Pitstop OverDrive
In the User Login - Click on "Sign up FREE!"
You'll need to submit a valid email address and create your own password, then click - Create Account(button)

Now enter your email address and password to Log in, Select - Scan this system Now!(button)
You will then be asked to download an ActiveX component and allow it to install.
It is safe and does not compromise your privacy.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install the ActiveX and to allow the Full Tests to be run on your machine.

The Full Tests take about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes on most machines.
When complete, a Results - Summary - Recommended Fixes will be displayed.

Please post the URL internet address, from your Results, back here into this Topic Thread so that we can review the configuration and present performance levels of your machine.

Note: During the graphics 2D and graphics 3D testing, your screen will display some rapidly moving objects.
If you are sensitive to visual flashing, it may cause dizziness. Therefore, look away from the screen during that portion of the testing.

After reviewing the results we will be more informed and may be able to provide better recommendations for you to work towards improving your machine's performance.

While PCPitstop does offer a variety of Paid Products, the PCPitstop OverDrive testing is FREE. Please ignore the references to Paid Products. We prefer to provide manual solution instructions that you can apply directly to your machine.

Thanks to rshaffer61 for the PCPitstop instructions

[Jim45]

Here ya go. http://www.pcpitstop...?conid=24758998

Just to be clear....my main concern is why a CD/DVD doesn't automatically play when put in either drive. Still curious why it says disabled in the BIOS. Thanks!

[phillpower2]

This is odd as both the CD and DVD drives are on your hardware list.
Have you checked for malware?
I notice that you use utorrents, this is an area where cyber criminals are active so you are at risk from makware infection and/or identity theft.

[Jim45]

This is odd as both the CD and DVD drives are on your hardware list.
Have you checked for malware?
I notice that you use utorrents, this is an area where cyber criminals are active so you are at risk from makware infection and/or identity theft.

There is no malware on my computer. I use NOD32 and MBAM. I rarely use utorrent, and use a private torrent site.

[phillpower2]

Still curious why it says disabled in the BIOS.

Have you tried enabling them?
You installed a lot of CD and DVD software on 12/04/11, was this in an attempt to resolve this issue?

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling Windows media player http://www.microsoft...ls.aspx?id=8163

[Jim45]

Still curious why it says disabled in the BIOS.

Have you tried enabling them?
You installed a lot of CD and DVD software on 12/04/11, was this in an attempt to resolve this issue?

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling Windows media player http://www.microsoft...ls.aspx?id=8163

Well, I can't see anywhere in the BIOS to enable the drives. If it's there, I missed it, I'd fnd that hard to believe, because it seems it would be quite obvious. If you know of a way I can enable them, I'm all ears! They're not disabled when I look in device manager, that's what's weird.

I can't remember which software I installed on 12/4/2011, but I know it wasn't in an attempt to resolve this. I think the last thing I installed was DVDFab.

No, I haven't tried uninstalling WMP, and I don't think I will, as it will try to install the latest version, and it has a conflict with my Creative Zen mp3 player, that is a known conflict, and I don't want to deal with it. I might try it.....if nothing else works. You think the software I installed on 12/4 did something?

The weird part is that when I put a USB drive in the port, I don't get the prompt asking me which action I want to take, as if it's not being detected either.....same as my CD/DVD drives. Like there is a common denominator there.

Edited by Jim45, 21 January 2012 - 02:49 PM.

[Jim45]

I see what you mean about all that software in 12/4/2011........I know for a fact that is inaccurate. Just one of many example is Windows XP Service Pack 3, or Nero.......just about everything that has that install date has been on this computer for a long time. I know that for a fact, so I don't know why all that stuff has that install date. Isn't that a little strange, or is there a logical explanation as to how all that stuff can have the same install date?

Edited by Jim45, 21 January 2012 - 03:01 PM.

[phillpower2]

Did the issue appear on or around 12/04/2011?

Do this please

1.Click Start, and then click Run.
2.Type regedit, and then click OK.
3.Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CDRom

4.Double-click Autorun and see whether a zero or a one is displayed in the Value data box.◦If the value for Autorun is 1, go to step 5.
◦If the value for Autorun is 0, right-click Autorun, and then click Modify. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.

5.Locate and then click the following subkey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

6.Double-click NoDriveTypeAutoRun to see its value. If the value is 0xb5, the AutoRun feature for CD-ROMs is turned off. To turn on the AutoRun feature, follow these steps:•Right-click NoDriveTypeAutoRun.
•Click Modify.
•In the Value data box, type 91.
•Select Hexadecimal, and then click OK.

7.Exit Registry Editor.

Let us know how this goes.

[Jim45]

Everything you referred to was already set correctly in the registry. And, I'm not exactly sure when all this started. I put a DVD in a few weeks ago that I had purchased, and it didn't spin up, so that's the first I noticed it.

[phillpower2]

I have a feeling that this is software and not hardware related;

1.Click Start, and then click Run.
2.In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3.Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

4.In the navigation pane, under Data, if the value for allocatecdroms is 0, go to step 5.
5.In the navigation pane, under Data, if the value for allocatecdroms is 1, right-click allocatecdroms, and then click Modify.
6.In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
7.Exit Registry Editor.
8.Test to determine whether the issue is resolved.

[Jim45]

It was already set the way it should be.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by Jim45, 21 January 2012 - 04:04 PM.