Missing CD drive on XPS210 on boot - Comes back after a while

Hi,

I have an XPS 210 running Vista which has been giving me the following
problem since new, although I've only recently tried to get to the bottom of
it.

Basically, when I first boot the PC, the CD drive is missing from Explorer.
Looking in the event log I can see that the cdrom driver failed to load.

However, if I leave the machine for a while (sorry to be so vague, but I
don't really know how long... more than 1 hour, less then 1 day!), the CD
drive comes back, and I can then access it from explorer.

It's not a huge problem as I usually leave my PC in S3, but even so it is
slightly annoying. Does anyone have any ideas? I kinda assume that it's
got something to do with the CD drive being SATA?

Thanks.

Hi!

> Basically, when I first boot the PC, the CD drive is missing
> from Explorer. Looking in the event log I can see that the
> cdrom driver failed to load.

I think you've got a faulty drive. Before giving up on it,
though...check the power and data cabling. You mentioned that the
drive is a SATA type, and to tell you the truth, I don't think the
SATA power and data connectors hold onto their connectors all that
firmly.

After that, get the model and manufacturer off the drive and head to
either Dell's web site or that of the drive maker. Either Dell or the
drive maker may have a drive firmware update that will address the
problem you're having. (Warning: Flashing the firmware of any drive
can be risky. Make sure you have the right firmware and follow the
provided directions exactly.)

If after all of this the drive still fails, it is probably time to get
a replacement.

William

> I think you've got a faulty drive. Before giving up on it,
> though...check the power and data cabling. You mentioned that the
> drive is a SATA type, and to tell you the truth, I don't think the
> SATA power and data connectors hold onto their connectors all that
> firmly.

Hi William,

Thanks for the ideas, but it really doesn't "feel" like a hardware problem
is you see what I mean! Once the drive has been found by Vista, it'll work
perfectly - No problems at all. As I mentioned, my PC is usually in S3
mode, rather than off, and in that case, I get no problems with it for weeks
and weeks. As soon as I reboot the machine, it disappears for a few hours
before coming back. My BIOS is set to boot from CD if there is one in the
drive, and the CD light always flashes on as the PC boots (as it's looking
for a CD to boot from).

Also, when the drive is not accessible from Vista, if I put a CD in the
drive, the CD lights come on again. It's simply that I have no "E" drive
(or whatever) from explorer, and I have that error in my event log.

I know what you're saying, and you may well be right, but like I say, it
just doesn't feel like a hardware problem!

Regards,
Adam.

"Adam" <adds21@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:NRW3j.143990$7_4.103306@fe3.news.blueyonder.c o.uk...
>> I think you've got a faulty drive. Before giving up on it,
>> though...check the power and data cabling. You mentioned that the
>> drive is a SATA type, and to tell you the truth, I don't think the
>> SATA power and data connectors hold onto their connectors all that
>> firmly.
>
> Hi William,
>
> Thanks for the ideas, but it really doesn't "feel" like a hardware problem
> is you see what I mean! Once the drive has been found by Vista, it'll
> work perfectly - No problems at all. As I mentioned, my PC is usually in
> S3 mode, rather than off, and in that case, I get no problems with it for
> weeks and weeks. As soon as I reboot the machine, it disappears for a few
> hours before coming back. My BIOS is set to boot from CD if there is one
> in the drive, and the CD light always flashes on as the PC boots (as it's
> looking for a CD to boot from).
>
> Also, when the drive is not accessible from Vista, if I put a CD in the
> drive, the CD lights come on again. It's simply that I have no "E" drive
> (or whatever) from explorer, and I have that error in my event log.
>
> I know what you're saying, and you may well be right, but like I say, it
> just doesn't feel like a hardware problem!
>
> Regards,
> Adam.
>
>

Could be a drive firmware issue or even a BIOS version issue........

I would check the cabling, however. I would also likely throw an e-mail to
Dell tech support (or chat) and just see if they're aware of any issues with
that specific drive in the XPS 210 with Vista. Can't hurt a thing to ask.

It may also be a Vista issue (Dell related).