First post, by NevilClavain
- Rank
- Newbie
Hi,
I am setting up my dream machine, A 486dx2 66mhz, but I'm running into problems. I have read similar posts, and tried everything I could think of but I'm pretty new to PC hardware so I'm sure there's something I've missed. So I'm asking here hoping that this is obvious to everyone but me.
I'm using:
FIC 486-GVT-2 motherboard
24mb ram
3.5 floppy drive and 5.25 floppy drive (A and B populated)
TK8237 UMC VLB IDE FDD controller
OPTi 82C929A sound card (with IDE header)
Diamond Speedstar x24 ISA
I have several CD-ROM drives but I was hoping to use a Mitsumi 6x that was sitting in my 386. I also have a NOS BenQ with driver floppy for DOS. None of the drives are detected.
The controller cards have two IDE channels, and I currently have a HDD and a CF connected to the first. They are picked up in BIOS as C and D and work fine. Only C and D are visible in BIOS, so I suspect that the MB only accepts one IDE channel. I have tried connecting the CD-ROM to both channels (as master on channel two, and as slave replacing the CF on channel one), but it is not detected. Even the BenQ with it's supplied drivers are not detected. I've tried using the WIn98 boot floppy. It has never failed to detect a drive before, but It does not detect any here.. 🙁
I then went to the OPTi 82C929A. It installs its drivers and puts some CD-ROM related software in config.sys. On boot it's "cd-rom system" is successfully started, but it also fails to detect any of the drives. I am sure I'm missing something completely basic, but I feel I have exhausted my options. Both of these drives are confirmed to be working, by the way.
I still have the option to go with SCSI though, but the SCSI drives I have are all flaky, and none of them reads CDr's, for some reason.
Any ideas about what I might try? All suggestions are appreciated!