01tibby

got a tough one thats been bugging me for a while.

i accidently downloaded an incorrect driver/firmware update package for my plextor dvd-rw SATA drive. it ended up being for a digital video converter. after i did it, the plextor dvd-rw drive would not show up anywhere. it was missing from device manager, my computer, and even the bios. my other dvd-rom drive still shows up however.

i tried doing system restore, and it kinda worked. the computer restarted and i saw the drive in the bios, also in windows. i could restart as many times as i wanted, and it would still be there. the second i shut down though and booted back up, it was gone. i could also get it back by installing the same incorrect driver and uninstalling it. it would show up after the restart, and then go away the next complete shut down.

any thoughts? im kinda pissed that ive been without my 120 dollar drive. i emailed plextor, and they didnt tell me crap.

a_gut

If it wasn't showing up in the BIOS, I'd say something is wrong with your plextor DVD drive. Nothing you install in windows should affect whether it shows up in the bios.

The quick and dirty way - reformat and reinstall windows wink1.gif

Otherwise, you have to dig around and completely remove every file relating to the bad driver you installed. If un-installing in device manager doesn't work, dig around in the registry and in the /windows directory. Also, have you tried to simply install the correct drivers over the bad drivers?

01tibby

correct drivers arent available. i have thought about reinstalling windows, but thats going to be a pain in the ass.

i did think about the drive being bad, but it happened at the EXACT time i installed that driver, and it will still show up sometimes. im thinking because i messed with firmware maybe. that could have an effect on the bios, right?

i checked the registry, but i really have no clue what im doing in there.

Mad_john

did you check your batt on the motherboard? i had a simmilare problem and come to find out it was that. just a ideal :unsure:

tb1198

What got installed? The drivers and the firmware or just the driver? If the firmware got even partially installed, you may be out of luck. You can always email Plextor, they are good people over there who might have an easy fix for you.

01tibby

i downloaded a driver/firmware update packaged together, but the program i installed said nothing about firmware. it was just a driver installation program.

peter_2150

mmm should like a bad install of software. I did you try uninstaling the software.

U you could do is uninstall everthing with that dvd-rw and upen up your PC take the Dvd out start up windows run for a min or so. Then shutdown reinstall dvd-rw and see if windows will see new hardwear.


Or just Fdisk the b**** =)

a_gut

Do you have another computer, or a friend's computer you can stick the drive in? That way, you can see if its the drive or windows...

01tibby

i might be able to do that.

also, i have already tried taking the drive out for a while and putting it back in. it does nothing.

supercow

couple things

#1 if you flashed it with the wrong firmware (the software thats actually on a chip in the drive) it might be totally screwed, but you might be able to just reflash with the right stuff. try that first.

#2 right click on my computer and go to manage>> choose device manager>> then under view check show hidden devices. look for that drive or the other convertor thing and uninstall it. You might have to do that in safe mode.

let me know what happens laugh.gif