Can't boot machine!

[hop-frog]

Over the past week, my CD-ROM drive started to have trouble reading CDs.

It was when I was installing Conectiva 10 that I first noticed the problem, and after that I couldn't install any distro on the machine without running into many errors, causing all installation attempts to fail. I also tried to install Slackware and Mandrake. The computer was also having a difficult time booting the installation disks.

I tried using a CD-ROM cleaning disk, but because I did not have an OS installed, I could not get the CD-ROM to read the disk as a music CD.

I took appart the CD-ROM drive, and cleaned out whatever dust I could find. After putting everything back together, I can't boot from CD at all!

- I can boot floppy disks.
- I have an extra CD-RW, but this stopped working about 6 months ago.

Now, I am left with no OS on a computer that I will need for my studies in 4 weeks.

[gehidore]

the only quick fix i know.

find a crowbar and go to the local school in your area and 'borrow' a cdrom.


JK;)

you really just need to buy a new drive or two. check pricewatch or newegg.

[je_fro]

you could just use floppies.
In this case, I usually install openbsd or debian woody. If woody, don't install anything but the base system, then change your apt sources.list to unstable and get new packages.
http://mirror.tucdemonic.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-i386/3.0.23-2002-05-21/images-1.44/bf2.4/

[hop-frog]

I am considering buying a new drive, but seeing how I have had two broken within a period of 6 months, I am worried that something else is wrong with my machine that is causing this. If I bought a new drive, that too might break. Is this logical?

[JohnT]

I had a recent HD loss...used one of my back-up WD's so re-install....no cdrom player..it wouldn't do data auto-starts, so I downloaded ZipSlack and have got my system back to its former self. Quite an enjoyable learning experience.

[hop-frog]

I am going to install SUSE FTP via floppy disks to test the rest of the system out.

I recently rewired everything so that the HD was the Primary Master. Perhaps I placed did something wrong?

hda: HD
hdb: CD-ROM

- Where does the jumper belong on the HD?
- What other products could I buy that would clean the lens?

[JohnT]

Originally posted by hop-frog
I am going to install SUSE FTP via floppy disks to test the rest of the system out.

I recently rewired everything so that the HD was the Primary Master. Perhaps I placed did something wrong?

hda: HD
hdb: CD-ROM

- Where does the jumper belong on the HD?
- What other products could I buy that would clean the lens?
Where does the jumper belong on the HD?On those two little pins at the back that are designated Master.:D

I just cleaned mine with a cotton swab and alcohol, be very, very gentle with the lens as to not knock it out of alignment.

[psi42]

Originally posted by hop-frog
I am going to install SUSE FTP via floppy disks to test the rest of the system out.

I recently rewired everything so that the HD was the Primary Master. Perhaps I placed did something wrong?

hda: HD
hdb: CD-ROM

- Where does the jumper belong on the HD?
- What other products could I buy that would clean the lens?

I've heard it's a bad idea to put a hd and cdrom on the same ide cable. Something about the cdrom limiting hd performance.

I'd make the cdrom hdc.......

[hop-frog]

Okay, I will place it:

hda: HD
hdc: CD-ROM


Where does the jumper belong on the HD?On those two little pins at the back that are designated Master.
I still do not know which pin the jumper goes on for the HD. There are four sets of pins and the pins are not labeled.

[ribbon cable] . . . . [power]
[ribbon cable] . . . . [power]

[JohnT]

Name and serial number of HD?...Quick...as I have to leave.

[hop-frog]

FUJITSU MPD3043AT

[JohnT]

Originally posted by hop-frog
FUJITSU MPD3043AT Download Specs (http://www.geocities.com/jtarin47/linux/mpd3xxxat-jumpers.pdf)

[gehidore]

Originally posted by psi42
I've heard it's a bad idea to put a hd and cdrom on the same ide cable. Something about the cdrom limiting hd performance.

I'd make the cdrom hdc.......

psi is right, in theory the hd would be slowed down to ata33 versus the 66 100 or even 133 it may have had before.

bottom line dont put cdroms and hd's on the same chain.

[hop-frog]

The jumper on the HD was here:[ribbon cable] X . . . [power]
[ribbon cable] X . . . [power]...and I've moved it to here:[ribbon cable] . . . X [power]
[ribbon cable] . . . X [power]

If I had rearrange the cables in the backs, so the HD was moved from /dev/hdc to /dev/hda would this pin position even change? If I had these pins in the wrong place would this account for the CD-ROM not booting?

[gehidore]

hopfrog you need to set the jumpers to CS and put them on seperate chains