IDE Problem with Win98se PLEASE HELP!!!

[PreDatoR]

I've got an IDE problem with windows 98 se. In the control panel under system its showing the primary and secondary ide and not working properly. Bios is picking up the hard drive and cd rom just fine but windows ain't showing the CD-ROM at all. When i checked the system performance it shows the master boot record being modified and saying it is running in DOS compatability mode. It did this right off of a fresh reload with only the video card installed. The install went smooth with no problems and i have never seen this before on a fresh install. The hard drive was FDISKed and formatted with fat 32 The system is a Cel 366 on a MSI 6905, ABIT BH6 board 4 gig WD hard drive sony 32x cd-rom and 64 megs of PC100. Its hard to load a computer when the damn cd-rom don't work. If i boot off of a windows start up disk the cd-rom works. I always copy the cab files onto the hard drive and install from there instead from the CD. If anyone has any idea what the hell is going on let me know ASAP! I've racked my brain out for the last 2 hours and am about ready to reload but i have a feeling that won't solve anything.

 

[Roguetech]

I doubt this has any bearing, but the only reference in which I've heard of DOS compatibility mode is when MSCDEX is running. Windows ALWAYS REM's it out of the config.sys and autoexec.bat, but check to see it is.

 

[alocurto]

remove the channels in your System devices and let windows re-detect them. That may work. Also you may want to d/l the IDE drivers from the motherboard manufacturers site.

-alocurto

 

[billandopus]

I second alocurto on the IDE driver suggestion. I had the same problem with my ASUS P5a and my Plex that no one could figure out. The IDE channel was "blowing up" consistently and I racked my brain for months trying to get it fixed. Reloading Windows would only solve the problem for short periods before the conflict arose again.

Someone else let me know that new IDE drivers for my mobo from ASUS had just be released and voila! After installing them and rebooting all was good. Hell, I was able to enable DMA finally as my system would refuse to previously. My mobo also correctly detected my HDD for the first time showing it as a Quantum and not as a generic IDE device.

Check that out first. Good luck.

 

[nexialist]

I had the same problem with my MSI K7T pro2-a board until I loaded the via drivers. They were not on the Win98SE disk.

Make sure you have latest bios drivers from web site.

 

[Tominator]

Search the registry for .... NOIDE..... delete the entry, reboot and Windows will/might install the correct drivers. Unless the NOIDE entry is removed, you will never get it solved!

Common problem btw.

 

[DaddyG]

This problem has three known causes. 1). Wrong IDE drivers installed. 2). the NOIDE entry in the registry 3). a bad Master Boot Record.

The Master Boot Record may not be really bad but if Win doesn't like it then your stuck in DOS Mode and no CD-rom support. Try to do a quick FDISK /MBR from a good Boot Floppy.

 

[PreDatoR]

Thanks guys, I've already tried the NOIDE thing and it don't find nothing. I'm gonna make a new boot disk, reload and see if that helps any. I think its something with windows and the master boot record myself.

 

[PreDatoR]

Hey Daddy G thanks a lot the FDisk /mbr did the trick. Everything is working great now. Its much appreciated.

PreD...

 

[billandopus]

Hmmnnn i'm gonna have to remember the fdisk/mbr trick for this problem.

 

[DaddyG]

Its good that re-writing the mbr did the trick. The first time that I had this problem was after un-installing (using the correct procedure) McAffee Anti Virus. I'm pretty sure that the AV software modifies the MBR and then intercepts any reads of the mbr and passes a copy of the original mbr. When the AV software is removed your left with an mbr that Win thinks is bogus.