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I love PCs. Not.


dogbert

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*Sigh*.

 

Got a new 160GB HD today, which I'm trying to install as the primary drive on my PC. I should mention that I've been having on-going "issues" with getting my PC to recognise two CDROMs at once (and in particular my Acer CD Writer).

 

So, I'm taking this new HD as a chance to do a fresh install of (properly licenced) WinXP etc, wipe it clean & start from scratch.

 

Really don't make these things easy. I go through the process once, and it doesn't see my network card, sound stuff etc.

 

So now I'm going through it again to see if it's any "better".

 

I *love* PCs. Don't get this hassle with a Dreamcast ;)

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That on your Dell Brian? I know I had some issues withe power supply in mine (ie not enough power) My 3.06 gig had a 250 watt power supply I had to replace immediately because of the 9700 pro.

 

Couldn't believe they installed a 250. 2 CD Roms Drives, the vid card, sound card, 4 usb peripherals sucking power. Could of killed them :D

 

Yes they are a pain but when they work they are bliss :wink:

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Sigh, just remembered there's a second "drivers" CD that came with the computer... Hmmmm...

 

Yep, Dell's come with a CD for software installs as well as the system CD (or driver CD) that has your motherboard drivers+ more on them (both I believe have blue covers. (might they wanted to have distinguished those? :wink: )

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It's an Acer CD-RW drive, about 20 months old. According to the Acer webpage, all their CDRW drives should be "automatically recognised" by WinXP through the standard ATAPI drivers.

 

The problem is that it doesn't get that far - the BIOS throws a fit if I hook it up. It works a little /sometimes/ - like for one boot, then it throws another fit.

 

It's really getting bloody annoying.

 

CDROM + DVDROM will work, but no combination involving my CDRW will boot reliably.

 

After tonight's steps, I think I'll be calling Dell & getting an engineer out. I've followed the steps their online support suggested - change cables, swap drives etc, with no reliable joy.

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I've double checked all of the slave/master settings numerous times... Right now, the Dell provided Lite-on is master, CDRW is slave, both on the cable & jumpers. I've tried ti the other way around, numerous times :)

 

I guess it could be the power supply... I really don't have much hooked up though - just two harddrives, and hopefully two CD drives. No super powerful vidcards, zero usb (at this time).

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Thats the reason I did not by a Dell, you can't have a top of the line computer with a 250w power supply, it just won't cut it anymore.

 

I bought my computer from http://www.IBuyPower.com and it has been doing great, a much smaller company then Dell, I found there prices to be better and you have a lot more options in terms or top-of-the-line components.

 

Heres what I got:

 

430w Enermax Power Supply

P4 2.8

512mb 1066 RDRAM (Just upraded it to 1024mb 1066 RDRAM)

ATI 9700 PRO

80 GB 7200 RPM HD

Sound Blaster Audigy 2

DVD Drive

CD R drive

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well, I added the extra 512 and the Audigy 2 after i got it.

 

it was about 2k without monitor, , I added a bunch of stuff in the months after i got it, i think the final cost if I add in everything is like 3k, i used my old klipsch 4.1 promedias for speakers, I want to get the z680's at some point.

 

here is my complete set up.

 

19" Viewsonic p95f+b monitor

The case is based off of the old Alienware case. with window.

430w Power Supply

Gigabyte 8IHXP Motherboard

P4 2.8 processor

1024mb 1066 Rdram

Panasonic DVD drive

Plextor 40or 48x cd r drive

Maxtor 80 gb HD 7200 rpm

Audigy 2

Ati Radeon 9700 Pro

8 Usb ports rear

3 firewire ports rear

case light

4 case fans

temp panel in front

klipsch 4.1 pro media

dazzle hollywood

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Know the expression one step forward, two steps back?

 

It is NOT the power supply. Fact. I hooked up the drives to my old mobo/power supply, but linked to the new computer's IDE channels. Everything was peachy keen, except for the CDRW.

 

So I knock everything down to just the CDRW on old PSU, computer on its own. No go.

 

So I hook up DVD + CDROM, peachy.

DVD + CDRW, no go.

CDROM + CDRW, no go.

Repeat, reversing the master/slave order, same results.

 

Soooo, I try the CDRW in my wife's computer, replacing her CDROM. It recognises it, but on booting, it hangs, pretty much like my current PC. She runs Win98, just like my old PC.

 

It seems to me that the drive's gotten damaged somehow in all the transfers/moving about. :-/

 

I'm going to take it into work tomorrow and see if some kind soul will offer to try it out on their PC. Sigh.

 

I don't have a lot of luck with CD writers, I really don't.

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I don't have a lot of luck with CD writers, I really don't.

 

Well they say bad luck is contagious and you've given it to me Brian. Almost to the day that you posted this issue my CDRW in my current Dell just died. So don't feel too bad Brian.

 

Wont read CD's, wont burn anything (get load of errors). Put a CD in and it just spins in place with a clicking sound. DVD-Rom works great. Talked to Dell tech and they have a replacement on the way. Should be here on Tuesday. Just coincidental is all.

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