CD-ROM,Problems, computer CD-ROM Problems

----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc

----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and theresource box below is included.----------------------------------------------------------CD-ROM ProblemsBy Stephen BucaroToday there are many forms of CD (compact disc) media.CD-RW allows you to over-write previous data. CD-R isone-time recordable. This article focuses on problems withstandard CD-ROMs (read only media), but some of theinformation also applies to the recordable forms.A CD-ROM is written by etching "pits" into the surface ofthe disc. To read a CD, a laser beam is directed at thedisc as it spins inside the drive. The areas between thepits, called "lands", reflect more light than the pits.A sensor in the drive reads the data by measuring theamount of reflected light.Most problems with CD-ROMs are caused by mishandling.Fingerprints and scratches on the surface of the CD causeelectrical noise when read in the drive. Never touch therecorded surface of a CD-ROM, always hold it by the edges.Never put a label on a CD-ROM, this can cause it to vibratebecause of an imbalance.Use the following troubleshooting guide.Can't Read CD-ROMFirst check the obvious. Try another CD-ROM in the drive.If you have another computer, try the first CD-ROM in theother computer.Recordable CDs are made differently than regular CD-ROMS.Instead of etching pits into the surface of the disc, heatis used to burn spots on the surface of the disc. Somehigh-speed CD-ROM drives cannot read some recordable CDs.Also, the file structure on a recordable CD may not becompatible with the operating system.No CD SoundIf the CD drive starts, but no sound comes from thespeakers, try plugging a headset into the jack on the frontof the drive. If the headset works, the problem is in yourspeaker system or sound card.If the CD drive does not start, enable autoplay on yourcomputer. Select Start | Settings | Control Panel | System.In the System dialog box select the Device Manager tab.Click on the + sign next to CDROM to open that branch. Thenclick on the name of the CD-ROM to highlight it. Click onthe Properties button. In the properties dialog box, selectthe Settings tab. Check the box next to "Auto insertnotification". Click on the OK button. Then remove andreplace the CD.Can't See the CD Drive in ExplorerModern CD-ROM drives use the same ATA (Advanced TechnologyAttachment) interface that a hard drive uses. (Sometimescalled IDE for integrated drive electronics). A motherboardusually has two ATA channels, primary and secondary. Eachchannel can control two drives, master and slave.In Device Manager, click on the + next to Hard diskcontrollers to open that branch. Make sure the Primary andSecondary IDE controllers are listed and they don't have ayellow exclamation (!) mark next to them. If one is notvisible, the controller may be disabled in the BIOS setup.If there is an exclamation mark, the CD-ROM drive may bedefective.Eject Button Does Not WorkIf a CD gets stuck in the drive, turn off the power to thePC. Then insert a straightened paper clip into the tinyemergency eject hole on the front of the drive.Unusual ProblemsInside the computer's case, make sure the power cable onthe back of the CD-ROM drive is not loose. Make sure thedata cable is not loose on the connector on the back of theCD-ROM drive and on the motherboard. A loose cable may haveworked until dust drawn in by the cooling fan accumulatedinside the case.The ATA channel master or slave assignment is configuredautomatically by the data cable or is configured by ajumper on the back of the CD-ROM drive. If a new drive hasbeen added, check this configuration.Some software records the letter of the CD-ROM drive fromwhich it was installed. If you later remove or install astorage device, Windows will reassign the drive letters.The software may not be able to find the CD-ROM drive. Ifyou can't reconfigure that software, you can go into theCD-ROM drive's Properties dialog box, select the Settingstab, and set a letter to be used by the drive.Some CD-ROM drives require a driver. Follow the drivemanufacturers instructions to install the driver. It canusually be done through the CD-ROM drive's Propertiesdialog box, Driver tab.----------------------------------------------------------Resource Box:Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintainyour computer and use it more effectively to design a Website and make money on the Web visithttp://bucarotechelp.comTo subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blankemail to bucarotechelp-subscribe@topica.com---------------------------------------------------------- Article Tags: Cd-rom Drives, Make Sure, Cd-rom Drive