I need to disable a CD tray button in Windows 98.

[bupkus]

I'm puting a dvd drive in one of three computers in a kids environment. I'm going to be using Windows 98 and a software package called Childproof that keeps the kids from operating outside of selected software titles. However, that doesn't stop a kid from pressing the buttons on the front panel of the drive.
I was thinking of installing a switch that would cut out the power to the drive and placing that switch somewhere in back of the pc box, which will be on a shelf above the monitor.
1. If I leave the data cable installed, how many of the 3 wires do I need to open with a switch. Is there an off-the-shelf solution for this?

Thanks.

Update 7/20/04
I already have software to lock out access to the OS 'eject', but not the hardware button on the front panel of the drive.

I tried a couple of software solutions, CDDVD LOCK and some other (I forget).
CDDVD LOCK locks OS access to the disk files, but does not lock the tray. The other was for MS DOS.

If anyone knows of one I would appreciate it. I have a few different brands here so I'll contact their tech support and keep the OP updated.

 

[Lonyo]

Can you not buy a case with a door that has a lokc on it? (This would be quite simple, as there are quite a few cases with doors, not sure about locks though), but would require you to move all the bits into the new case, which may not be an option, and the solutions would also cost money.

 

[jadinolf]

Just break the red power wire on the back of your drive and wire the switch to either end.

 

[DeeKnow]

epoxy? LOL

 

[50]

I would second the idea for a case with a door. Would it mess up the boot sequence if he unplugged the drive then plugged it back in when the computer had already loaded? I would assume if you wanted to use the drive you would have to turn on the comp with it powered and remember to unpower it after you shut it off or some major problems might start. BTW do not get one of those antec/chieftec cases with the doors on them as it is very easy to break off the door (esp by a little kid).

 

[mobobuff]

I dunno about the splicing and switching method, I've seen many power supplies drop their 12v rails when a new device was hot-swapped on a 12v molex, that can really screw up your hard drives and not to mention the computer would stop responding. So you could only use the switch when the power was off, which I suppose is still quite a bit more convenient than opening the case up and unplugging a stubborn molex.

But also, I've seen many Chieftec cases that had locks on their front-panel doors. That'd be pretty efficient. If you use the switching method, don't forget about those tiny holes that almost every optical drive has that you can stab a paper clip in and open it up manually with no power. That might save you the trouble of restarts when forgetting a CD in the drive.

 

[bupkus]

Changing the case would be out of the question as the case was selected by the owner of the site. I like an option suggested where I can disable the drawer button from the drive and then move it to the back of the case. I don't know just offhand how to do that but I think it's feasible.

 

[0roo0roo]

take the drive bezel off and just err wedge or glue something back there that keeps the button from moving. thats about all yuo can do..

 

[bupkus]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
take the drive bezel off and just err wedge or glue something back there that keeps the button from moving. thats about all yuo can do..

That's not a bad idea. Then the only way to open the drawer is either with a paper clip or via the eject option in My Computer, which cannot be accessed by anyone locked out by Childproof.
Sweet. Now to figure the best way to disable that button.

 

[0roo0roo]

bezels are taken off all the time by modders. look up guides on the net. they paint em and stuff. the button is on a hinge sorta.. one side has bendy plastic holding it. so u just gotta glue a wedge or whatever under the other side so it has no where to pivot. the paperclip hole can just be blocked... glue something in its way. u can't just leave the bezel off or button off..the button is soldered on the cdrom circuitboard and would be easeily accessed.

 

[robisc]

check this out, looks like it may work well.


Drive locks

 

[corkyg]

You can put a switch on the red wire at the molex connector at the back of the DVD drive as described above. However, that is an IDE device and cannot be hot plugged. The switch, therefore, incurs risk. Why not open the case, pull the DVD power Molex and button it back up? The drive is then "dead" to the system. Data cable can stay connected.

Or . . . mount the DVD drive in an external USB or Firewire case and disconnected it when not needed.

 

[bupkus]

Originally posted by: corky-g
You can put a switch on the red wire at the molex connector at the back of the DVD drive as described above. However, that is an IDE device and cannot be hot plugged. The switch, therefore, incurs risk. Why not open the case, pull the DVD power Molex and button it back up? The drive is then "dead" to the system. Data cable can stay connected.

Or . . . mount the DVD drive in an external USB or Firewire case and disconnected it when not needed.

Exactly what I had planned, but I've run into driver compatibility problems with the USB and the motherboard.

 

[dullard]

I've never owned a DVD drive, so sorry if I'm wrong. But all of my CD drives have had software locks to prevent opening of the drive with the button on the drive. Don't any DVD drives have this feature? I would have just assumed they had them...

 

[bupkus]

Originally posted by: dullard
I've never owned a DVD drive, so sorry if I'm wrong. But all of my CD drives have had software locks to prevent opening of the drive with the button on the drive. Don't any DVD drives have this feature? I would have just assumed they had them...

Can you tell me where to find this? Is this available for computers running windows 98 SE?

 

[CraigRT]

slot load DVD drive?

 

[dullard]

Most CD drives that I have come with driver CDs/disks which have that utility included. But if you don't have that, a file CDUTL10E.zip from this website (middle of the page) will have a CDlock and CDUnlock for any drive using the default Microsoft driver MSCDEX.EXE version 2.10 or higher. An internet search should give you dozens more similar utilities (even ones made specifically for your drive manufacturer). However, I don't know if DVD drives have similar software locking features.

 

[Dravic]

Originally posted by: dullard
Most CD drives that I have come with driver CDs/disks which have that utility included. But if you don't have that, a file CDUTL10E.zip from this website (middle of the page) will have a CDlock and CDUnlock for any drive using the default Microsoft driver MSCDEX.EXE version 2.10 or higher. An internet search should give you dozens more similar utilities (even ones made specifically for your drive manufacturer). However, I don't know if DVD drives have similar software locking features.

They do as clonecd and nero 6 lock my dvd-rw drive regarless of burning a cd or dvd.

 

[phray]

if you have the hard drive space available, you could just make an image of the dvd and mount it using daemon tools/alcohol120/whatever. then you'd be safe until they firgure out how the program works. maybe you could find a program like this that has password restrictions, i dunno.

 

[bupkus]

Originally posted by: phray
if you have the hard drive space available, you could just make an image of the dvd and mount it using daemon tools/alcohol120/whatever. then you'd be safe until they firgure out how the program works. maybe you could find a program like this that has password restrictions, i dunno.

I'm into what you're suggesting, but since my USB is not working with Windows98, I can't use my external enclosure for hdd or cdrom. I will need to transfer files in for upgrades via internal cdrom or dvd.

 

[phray]

Originally posted by: bupkus

Originally posted by: phray
if you have the hard drive space available, you could just make an image of the dvd and mount it using daemon tools/alcohol120/whatever. then you'd be safe until they firgure out how the program works. maybe you could find a program like this that has password restrictions, i dunno.

I'm into what you're suggesting, but since my USB is not working with Windows98, I can't use my external enclosure for hdd or cdrom. I will need to transfer files in for upgrades via internal cdrom or dvd.

oh, i automatically assumed these pcs were on a network and you could make the images on another pc and just transfer them over the network!

you don't have any other way to get the images onto these pcs? i think if i were in this situation and the pcs aren't networked, i'd just use a laptop and a crossover cable, but you may not have those tools available to you...

 

[cremator]

What about a power switch concept, have one of those molex splitters, find out if you need any resistors or anything, then it'd be wired like this:

PowerSupply Molex ---> Switch ---> Drive

I'd make sure you knew what if any electronics you'd need, but it'd be a simple toggle switch that would kill the power when its disabled.

Edit: Would any O/S complain or crash due to the drive power being off then turned back on?

 

[cremator]

This might be very useful, it is a guide from ZapWizard on relocating the eject button on a pioneer dvd drive, same concept should work.

http://www.zapwizard.com/MediaPC/DVD_Eject_Led/Index.html

First the Eject switch.

Using a continuity meter I found that when pressed the switch shorts it's pin to ground.

If the Switch Pin is shorted to ground, the DVD ejects. So we only need to solder one wire from the Switch Pin to our Jumper, as it is very easy to find a ground on another part of the board.

 

[dmw16]

I saw a guy who made a custom case and his DVD rom was on the back side of the case. He didnt want people stealing his discs @ lanparties and stuff so he disabled the button somehow. I thought it was thru windows, but maybe not. Honestly, the simplest thing to do is just 'break' the eject button and lock them outta 'My Computer' and when you wanna swap discs just use the rightclick eject feature in 'My Computer'. Having a switch is a pretty terrible idea, god knows what could happen hardware or software wise when you flip that thing on when the computer is running. Just keep it simple
-doug

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: bupkus
I'm puting a dvd drive in one of three computers in a kids environment. I'm going to be using Windows 98 and a software package called Childproof that keeps the kids from operating outside of selected software titles. However, that doesn't stop a kid from pressing the buttons on the front panel of the drive.
I was thinking of installing a switch that would cut out the power to the drive and placing that switch somewhere in back of the pc box, which will be on a shelf above the monitor.
1. If I leave the data cable installed, how many of the 3 wires do I need to open with a switch. Is there an off-the-shelf solution for this?

Thanks.

There should be two simple solutions to this - disable the eject button via a software command sent to the drive ("lock"/"unlock"), there are various utils to do this, and the second - many CD-ROM drives used to have a jumper setting in the back, that would basically disable the tray/eject button from functioning, for using in a jukebox/kiosk-type application. At least several of the drives that I've purchased in the past supported this feature, I would be honestly surprised to find out that most modern drives lacked it, although it's possible that they took it out for cost-cutting reasons. You might want to investigate this second approach. Be aware, that you most likely would need to take the case apart, or take the drive out, to change the jumper, in order to change the disc... or you could go the potentially-destructive route, and use the hardware manual-eject pinhole, to eject the tray (while the system is off!), to change discs, and then push the tray back in (while the system is powered on!) with the new disc in the tray.

If that second approach doesn't seem possible, and the first doesn't seem usable, then and only then would I go forward with the third approach mentioned in this thread - actually physically disabling the front-panel eject button, possibly by cutting or shorting a wire.