Mobo suddenly not recognizing DVD drive, Is my PC's voltage too high/low?

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lechevarria89

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My motherboard suddenly isn't recognizing my DVD drive anymore. It was working fine before. I don't know what caused this problem to occur. I'm 100% sure it isn't the IDE cable or the optical drive (which is set to master). Could it be that my computer's voltage is too high or too low? Just a wild guess. Also, how can I find out my computer's voltage?
 
The problem has NOTHING to do with power supplied voltages... There are just a large number of failures in optical drives. Exchange drives for a test with one known working...
The motherboard can be a problem, and sometimes the BIOS...
We sometimes fine that removing the CMOS battery to reset the system will somehow cause the optical drive to work without further issues.
 
I tried using the CD-ROM that originally came with the computer which is in working condition and I still got the same results. I pretty sure it's not the optical drive. you can go to the the link above your last post for a much more detailed verson of what I've tried. I'm pretty sure it has to do with something on the motherboard I just don't know what.

I haven't tried removing the CMOS battery though, is it safe to take the battery out? If I do, am I risking any chances of damaging my PC?
 
Next step might be to change the cables... those ribbon cables and connectors tend to become brittle and even shrink after a long period of use... if the wrong wire pulls out or becomes loose, then nothing is going to work.. and they can become defective just from the dry air in the case.
New cables should run about $3.50 in most stores...but some will charge you $7.50 or $12... On eBay they can be as low as $1.50 plus shipping.
Remove and reseat cables, or exchange for new or from another known good working computer.
Exchange cables
It is safe to remove the CMOS batter if the computer is unplugged. Deplug the computer once more after a half hour or less, and replace the CMOS battery... or you can just buy a new one if you are in commuting distance of a Walmart or Best Buy or a tech store.... at Wal-Mart where I live, they are $3.50... Down the road a piece, another Walmart charges $4.50... Some will charge you $17... Our Radio Shack charges $15, needlessly. so you may want to shop around.
The batteries last for years... 7 years on average... but you just want the battery out so as to turn off the system BIOS.
When you put in the battery, you will have to reset the time and date and a few other things.
 
Yeah, I tried replacing the IDE cable as well, that didn't work... I even purchased a PCI card port adapter with an IDE connector, I was able to install the driver in windows; however, I couldn't boot from the optical drive. I also tried using an IDE to USB port adapter but still couldn't get it to boot from the optical drive.

but anyway, about the CMOS battery.. you said that when I put the battery back in, I'll have to reset the time and date and a few other things.

What other things??
 
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