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Gateway PC Can't Find The DVD Drives


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#1
moondog830

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I have a Gateway PC that had Windows Vista on it ... It has 2 DVD Drives on it. I bought a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack|3 x PCs and installed it. Not sure if this is why, but NOW the PC doesn't 'SEE' the DVD Drives. The drives open up and allow you to insert a DVD, but it does not 'SEE' the DVD's nor does it autorun ...

Can someone help me fix this issue. Please!

Thanks in advance

dog
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#2
smith.R.jhon

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i think you should check the connection of the drives with the motherboard. if its ok then i think your drive is gone. there is no other way.
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#3
moondog830

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so Both drives died at once? that doesn't seem possible ... you're sure there is no other explanation? the connections to both seem to be good ...

dog
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#4
rshaffer61

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Are the drives seen in My Computer and are they identified in the bios?

I bought a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack|3 x PCs and installed it.

Obviously they worked because you installed Win7 using one of them I'm sure. :whistling:
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#5
moondog830

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for some reason (old age maybe) I can't remember how to get to the BIOS ... they do not show up in My Computer

dog
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#6
rshaffer61

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Turn on the computer and immediately press either the F1 key or the F2 key at one-second intervals to enter the BIOS setup utility.
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#7
rshaffer61

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If they show up in bios then the issue is in Windows.



One of these may help:
1. Uninstall the drive through Device Manager.
Restart computer. The drive will be automatically reinstalled.
or...
2. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060
Restart computer.
or...
3. Download, and run Restore Missing CD Drive patch
Double click on cdgone.zip to unzip it.
Right click on cdgone.reg, click Merge.
Accept registry merge.
Restart computer.
or...
4. Go to Device Manager, click a "+" sign next to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
You'll see two items:
- ATA Channel0 (or Primary Channel)
- ATA Channel1 (or Secondary Channel)
Right click on each of them, and click Uninstall. Confirm.
Restart Windows. They'll be automatically reinstalled.
5. Go to Microsoft's site http://support.micro..._drive_problems and follow the steps.
6. Try the guide at this link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982116

Thank's to Broni for the instructions
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#8
moondog830

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If they show up in bios then the issue is in Windows.

They DO show up in the BIOS

One of these may help:
1. Uninstall the drive through Device Manager.
Restart computer. The drive will be automatically reinstalled.
or...
2. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060
Restart computer.
or...
3. Download, and run Restore Missing CD Drive patch
Double click on cdgone.zip to unzip it.
Right click on cdgone.reg, click Merge.
Accept registry merge.
Restart computer.
or...
4. Go to Device Manager, click a "+" sign next to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
You'll see two items:
- ATA Channel0 (or Primary Channel)
- ATA Channel1 (or Secondary Channel)
Right click on each of them, and click Uninstall. Confirm.
Restart Windows. They'll be automatically reinstalled.
5. Go to Microsoft's site http://support.micro..._drive_problems and follow the steps.
6. Try the guide at this link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982116

Thank's to Broni for the instructions


I tried all of the above and none of them got me where I need to be. I will try a new IDE cable, most likely on Sunday ... don't have one handy and have to wait until my brother-in-law brings a couple to our family reunion. I will keep you posted after I try those.
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#9
rshaffer61

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OK thank you for the update and we will wait for your update this weekend. Enjoy the reunion :thumbsup:
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#10
moondog830

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Tried a number of different IDE Cables and that didn't fix the problem ...

My Brother-in-law said he thinks it is an issue with the BIOS ... he said I might need to update the BIOS and when he had the PC in his possession he tried finding an updated BIOS for it at Gateway and couldn't find it ... he couldn't even find a copy of the existing BIOS (in case there might be something wrong with what is on mine now).

Any ideas?

dog
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#11
rshaffer61

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Are both optical drives IDE? Are they both connected via the same ribbon? If so are they set for Master and the other set for slave?
Do you have access to a known working drive to test the connection?
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#12
moondog830

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Are both optical drives IDE? Are they both connected via the same ribbon? If so are they set for Master and the other set for slave?
Do you have access to a known working drive to test the connection?


Yes, they are both IDE.

Yes both connected via the same ribbon. (I think there is only the one slot for a ribbon on the motherboard)

Since they have not been changed since we got the machine, I am assuming that they are set Master and Slave (as they always DID work before)

My brother-in-law swapped out a DVD READER with the DVD Read/Write to test that as well as a CD Reader and that didn't help.

dog
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#13
rshaffer61

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OK if a known working one still will not work, you have tried multiple ribbons with no success then I am suspecting the controller itself as being the issue. Just to make sure double check the connection to the motherboard and then boot into bios to see if it identifies either of the optical drives.
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#14
moondog830

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OK if a known working one still will not work, you have tried multiple ribbons with no success then I am suspecting the controller itself as being the issue. Just to make sure double check the connection to the motherboard and then boot into bios to see if it identifies either of the optical drives.



the connection to the motherboard is good and when I boot into bios it does identify the drives ... :(
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#15
rshaffer61

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OK now then this isn't making sense to me at all.

My brother-in-law swapped out a DVD READER with the DVD Read/Write to test that as well as a CD Reader and that didn't help.

Are you saying with a known working drive it still would not work?
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