cd-rom to be replaced?

Hi All!

I have a cd-rom drive (36X) since 1998 and lately, it has been acting up.

It would not only malfunction;it also makes my PC hang whether or not I am online.

Should I replace it if it is really the one giving my HDD the hanging?


Toast

 

Hi toastmaster,

If it is a problem, your choice is to repair or buy a new unit. I don't believe a repair price is much less than the purchase of a new one and possibly more.

 

Hi, Ken!

I reckon you see it as a hardware problem.

Well, this is where I'm having some confusion:determining if it's a software or hardware issue. How do I rule out that it is not a software problem then?

Toast

 

Hehehe ...............
Thanks for the humor.

No, if its really causing the problem, you should keep it. Huh?

 

Your CD-ROM drive may be or not be toast!

Are you making the assumption because of the drive's age there may be a problem? If not, what leads you to believe it is the drive?

There are many reasons for the system to hang. The most common fault is a software conflict with apps. Have you recently installed new software? I isolated a problem once to my mouse driver as a conflict for an interrupt. There may be a hardware conflict. Clicking into properties of 'My Computer' may give you some visibility regarding interrupts. Also, devices will be designated as working properly or not.

There is no easy method to isolate an intermittent problem unless you can determine the parameters of the problem it is a process of elimination. Personally I don't believe it is your CD-ROM drive. Try to develop some consistency to the problem and post back.

 

An easy way to find out if it the CDROM or not.

Just unplug it from the system and see what the results are.

Also is it possible that some program is trying to run from the CDROM ?

BillyBob

 

Ken,

Perhaps you gave me a goiod idea about the software problem. I am therefore taking the unit for closer check-up and give you all a feedback accordingly.

Thanks to all your posts!

Toast

 

BB,

The possibility of a prog trying to run from the CDROM has merit, but a problem from that source, it seems to me would be readily known.
I have Grandmaster Chess game designed for W95. It would occassionally hang up with the ME os, but with XP the backward compatibilty feature provides a 'trouble free' operation. However, viewing Admin Service's log indicates occasional problems but a recovery procedure makes immediate corrections (so it is not really trouble free just an illusion).

With Windows, there are many programs running in the background that may conflict. As you know because you told me, some programs run well with DOS but have a conflict with Windows. I believe that may be the circumstance with Toastmaster. Something running in the background that conflicts.

 

Ken,

Thanks for the follow up! I am set for the shop today.
I wish my PC problem is what you are thinking because then it would be simpler for me; but it isn't.

Any CD for that matter hangs even before it is read, as if the drive hangs automatically upon detecting that there is a CD loaded in it.

I'll keep you guys posted on what the techies tell me later. Cheers!

Toast