Utterly screwed up Driver problem.

[Worm]

Looks like we posted at the same time, so check mine immediately above yours re: Event Viewer etc.

[Rexarra]

Okay, have been to the Event Viewer.

 

There were one or two errors/warnings that related to Network/Infrared stuff. Then there were sections of nothing but Errors or Warnings.

 

All the errors (I think, there were so many) were this:

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

The device, DeviceCdRom3, has a bad block.

 

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

All the Warnings (ditto) were like this:

 

----------------------------------------------------

An error was detected on device DeviceCdRom1 during a paging operation.

 

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

------------------------------------------------------

 

Okay, now that's some progress, even though I have no clue what to do next. But why on Earth would this affect stuff already on the HDD?

[SageI]

By the numbers here.

 

Lets get the system up to snuff first.

 

Also go to ATI web site and download and install your ATI drivers.

 

After installing Nvdia drivers first.

 

AND before you do either of the above IF you are running WinXP have you gone to Windows update sight and loaded all critical updates including directX and SP2.

 

Bottom line here in any build is by the numbers.

 

1. configure and install hardware

2. Load OS

3. Download updates for OS.

4. install drivers mobo (from web site if need be running them off of your HD)

5. install graphics drivers (same as above)

6. format and assign drive letters to any extra partitions you have.

7. then start testing

 

These are very broad steps and contain alot of little step with in each.

 

I know that some people question my sequence of events.

 

Each step is layed out to minimize down load time and setup time if that step does not work.

 

I tried to steer you right, thats all I can do, see ya

[Worm]

Well, there's your answer. Your CD/DVD drive is defective (has a bad block) and needs replacing.

[Rexarra]

By the numbers here.

 

Lets get the system up to snuff first.

 

Also go to ATI web site and download and install your ATI drivers.

 

After installing Nvdia drivers first.

 

AND before you do either of the above IF you are running WinXP have you gone to Windows update sight and loaded all critical updates including directX and SP2.

 

Bottom line here in any build is by the numbers.

 

1. configure and install hardware

2. Load OS

3. Download updates for OS.

4. install drivers mobo (from web site if need be running them off of your HD)

5. install graphics drivers (same as above)

6. format and assign drive letters to any extra partitions you have.

7. then start testing

 

These are very broad steps and contain alot of little step with in each.

 

I know that some people question my sequence of events.

 

Each step is layed out to minimize down load time and setup time if that step does not work.

 

I tried to steer you right, thats all I can do, see ya

 

I certainly don't question it, that is almost exactly the order in which I did everything. Except for the XP update, I did not have the CD needed for my DSL modem at that point, I only found it recently and it (for some reason) worked fine.

I am updating XP right now.

 

Yes you are steering me right, and I appreciate this a lot.

 

Well, there's your answer. Your CD/DVD drive is defective (has a bad block) and needs replacing.

 

I take it you are referring to the 'Error' ones? Bad block....of memory? That mean the cache on it?

 

What about all the 'Warnings', the one identifying a paging error? I assume the two are related.

 

Okay, how do I know which drive it is? 'cdrom3' does not help much. How do I figure out whether it is the DVD-RW or the DVD-ROM?

 

And, why would a faulty optical drive affect the functionality of those drivers on the HDD?

 

EDIT: Although it don't matter now, yes the IDE cable is in properly, and neither drive has a /! on it in the device manager.

[Rexarra]

Sorry for the double post, but it seems to be solved.

 

I'm not sure if this explains the errors in the optical drives, but here is what happened.

 

Windows Update installed and I went to try the nVidia drivers again. It went through the usual things (before the stage the error kicked in) and I hit 'Install'. It didn't come up with the same error this time, it instead said there was not enough space on the HDD.

 

I went to check the HDD and of course there was plenty of space. Then I spotted that Windows had designated the HDD as 'I'.

I smelt a rat and returned to nVidia setup. Sure enough, it was trying to install it to 'C', which of course didn't exist.

 

I altered the installer to go to 'I'. It successfully started to install, only to stop again because it wanted DirectX 9. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

And, if this was the cause of all the problems, I feel stupid for wasting everyones time.

[Worm]

As far as the CDROM drive is concerned, I would imagine it's the laser which is defective since you've already said that you've tried it in another PC with similar results.

 

To identify the faulty component, go to Start --> Run, type msinfo32 and click OK. In the left hand menu, go to Components --> Problem Devices.

[ExtraPickles]

I'm not sure if this explains the errors in the optical drives

If your BenQ optical drive is a 1620 or 1640 you may want to flash it to the latest firmware as there are some weird incompatabilities that can crop up when combined with these DFI motherboards.

 

-pickles

[Rexarra]

I think you misunderstood me, I meant I had tried the DFI CD in another computer and it had also rejected it.

 

The optical drives do not appear in the 'Problem Devices' section. However, something must be up, all those cdrom errors can't be explained away due to the HDD having an unusual letter.

 

Reason for that was Windows assigned 'C' to one of the card reader slots. So the HDD got 'I'.

[ExtraPickles]

Understood... just a heads up that problems do exist with these drives and older versions of their firmware.

 

-pickles

[Worm]

I've just reread your first post again and it looks to me like you haven't got the chipset drivers installed.

I don't quite understand why you feel the need to burn the drivers onto a DVD/CD?? Just run the nForce_6.53_WinXP2K_International.exe file that you can download from nVidia.com The installation menu that appears gives you the option to install each of the components which include the chipset SMS Bus, IDE, Audio drivers etc.

 

Perhaps it might be easier to understand if you could provide the link to the original thread you posted?

[Rexarra]

I've just reread your first post again and it looks to me like you haven't got the chipset drivers installed.

I don't quite understand why you feel the need to burn the drivers onto a DVD/CD?? Just run the nForce_6.53_WinXP2K_International.exe file that you can download from nVidia.com The installation menu that appears gives you the option to install each of the components which include the chipset SMS Bus, IDE, Audio drivers etc.

 

Perhaps it might be easier to understand if you could provide the link to the original thread you posted?

 

The whole problem was that both optical drives werent allowing me to install the drivers. I had initially tried using the supplied DFI CD. When that refused to work in either computer I burnt the nVidia supplied ones onto a CD using the other computer because I didn't know how quick I could get the internet up and running on the new one. While the burnt CD was able to be read, the nVidia file didn't want to shift to the HDD.

 

Now, I realise that XP had assigned the HDD the letter 'I'. The traditional 'C' was assigned to one of the card reader slots. So, I assume that the optical drives were trying to write to 'C' which was an empty card reader. That also explains why, when I tried to install stuff that actually was on the HDD, it asked that I insert a disk. The exe file was default trying to install on C, which was of course the empty card reader.

 

Once I realised this, I made sure the .exe file was installing on 'I'.

 

The original thread is in a forum that requires registration to view. But, everything that happened in that thread is in my first post. And they did not help as much as people here did.

 

I dunno if there actually is a problem with one of the optical drives, I shall investigate further. But, at least I got a few good updates with all this.

 

I don't suppose there is a quick and easy way I can reassign 'C' to the hard drive and some other letter to the card reader slot? Just so I can avoid this complication in the future?