200arc: BIOS does not detect CD/DVD drive

Hi all, I installed a replacement Samsung CD/DVD drive for my Gateway 200arc a few days ago, and am having tremendous difficulty getting my system to detect it. It won't show up in the BIOS, though the drive does spin and the tray does open. Needless to say, drive is not detected in XP either.

I have tried:
-- reconnecting the cables
-- asking the BIOS to 'auto' detect the secondary master
-- manually changing 'secondary master' to CD/DVD drive (though, I wasn't sure what settings to put in...)
-- restoring factory default in the BIOS

Three pieces of background:
-- replacement drive was bought used
-- about a month ago, I updated my old CD/DVD drive with incorrect firmware.
-- left some pieces floating around in the case for a couple days. Possible that this damaged the motherboard -- my modem is not consistently detected now; see http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=72794

So, I'm trying to figure out if the problem is:
-- drive? Got it used off eBay, so it's possible it's a bad drive.
-- motherboard? Could it be that firmware update damaged the motherboard? (Or that those loose pieces damaged it?)
-- BIOS? Should I try updating the BIOS? I know there is that update available...
-- neither? Is there just some setting I have to change?

If you have any advice on what I might try or look for, I'd greatly appreciate it. Just want to isolate the source of these problems so I can know how to procede.

It's a really good idea, but I don't have another laptop. So, I'd have to borrow somebody else's and convince him or her that I could take it apart... Unless one of you want to test the drive for me!

Looking ahead: do you think it would be a bad idea to try updating the BIOS? My reasoning is that maybe the firmware update I attempted on the old drive somehow altered the system BIOS as well? Is it risky to try updating the BIOS? My system came with the 'WinPhlash' program, which will let you update the BIOS from within windows. Have any of you tried this program? I don't want to update the BIOS it if it's too risky, or if it's unlikely to help the problem with the CD/DVD drive.

Not sure what to do with the modem either... Am not sure if it's the modem itself that is damaged or something else on the motherboard. Not sure how I could troubleshoot that (besides trying a new modem). But, I'm guessing it _is_ a physical problem that came about as a result of the loose pieces. Any thoughts on that matter?

Compman, check your private message. Thanks

Rest of world: if you have any advice on the drive / modem please let me know!

Compman, just want to thank you publicly for all your help.

I tried the drive today, well -- still no luck. Same symptoms as before: drive powers up and spins, and tray will open. But, BIOS and XP don't detect it and system will not boot from the drive.

Anybody have any advice? I'm leaning towards upgrading the BIOS (I suspect it may have been damaged when I applied that incorrect firmware update), but am open to suggestions.

I've looked at this before, and it looks fine.

I have a partitioned hard drive. Might this contribute to the system's sturboness in finding my drive? hmm. Probably later I will try a BIOS update, unless anybody thinks that is a bad idea.

Well, I'll probably wait at least a couple of months until I try the bios update... Looks like that is a little risky, and I don't want to risk being without a functional computer right now, as I'm working on some important projects.

Will take one more look at that motherboard connection though, probably this weekend. You think the cable is ok though, compman?

Maybe those loose pieces in my computer damaged something that is causing the problem with the drive. The modem is not working (see above), and I'm pretty sure that problem came about as a result of the loose pieces... So, maybe the bios IS damaged. Or something else... (??)

Here's something that I've noticed: I DON'T have a 'Secondary IDE Channel' in 'Device Manager'. I'm not sure if one is supposed to show up there (can't remember what used to show up there), but I wonder if that might be indicative of something. I just have the 'Primary IDE Channel.' Anybody have any thoughts on that?

Anyway, I'll keep y'all posted. I have a bad feeling I'll ultimately just need a new motherboard, in which case I'll have to revisit y'all to get advice on how to safely remove the motherboard... But, I'll be patient and continue to try other solutions.

I'd be glad to do that. I'll also take some screenshots of my Device Manager. Will post back here later this weekend with links to those images. Thanks for your help!

BTW -- if any of you have the 200ARC, can you take a look at your Device Manager and tell me what's listed under the IDE controllers?

ok here are the main screens for the bios. (you can click on 'all sizes' for full-sized views; i've also added descriptions at the bottom of each photo.) notice that for 'secondary master,' in the main screen, it reads 'none.'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101060190/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101061246/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101061247/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101061248/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101061249/

here are shots of the options available to me when i try to edit the secondary master. the first image shows what the system is 'stuck' at ('none'), the remaining images show all the other options. of course, anything in black in brackets can be modified.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101062158/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101062160/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101062161/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101062162/

finally, here are the shots of the device manager. notice that there is no 'secondary ide controller' and certainly no cd drive. also no modem, but i guess we can ignore that problem for the time being. (note that i haven't 'unhiden' the hidden devices. i guess i could do that if you think that might be informative. only interesting thing i find there is that there is an error under 'parallel port drive' -- but i don't think my system ever had any...)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101061250/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101061251/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19432479@N00/101062157/

that's all. let me know if there's anything else you want to see (hard drive configurations? ... ). thanks again.

Hmm. I feared it might've been the motherboard... If that is the problem, I guess it was those loose pieces that did it. Sigh. But hey -- at least now I (think I) know what the problem is. And, if I get a new motherboard that'll take care of the modem problem too.

Unless I figure something else out, I'll probably buy just end up buying a new motherboard. Will probably wait a while though; see if the prices go down. Not sure exactly how to replace the board, but I'll probably take some pictures and come back here for advice. In general, is it hard to replace the motherboards on these systems? Any thing I might have to do besides hook things back up?

Anyway, if anybody else has any advice on what else might be causing the problem with the drive, I'd be glad to hear it. Thanks for all your help Compman, I really appreciate it. Yay for the ineternet!

I know this sounds dumb, but is there anything I will have to do besides removing the old motherboard and puting the new one in, as far as 'setup' or antying? Also: aside from the organizational recommendations you provide, what sort of precautions should I take? (Really I know that sounds dumb but I've never done this and I don't want to damage anything else.)

I know this seems a little premature (since I haven't actually bought the replacement yet), but basically I just want to make sure that replacement is something that I should be capable of (properly) doing.

Sorry for not getting back earlier. I did in fact resolve the problem. Just recently, in fact.

I ended up buying a used 200ARC on eBay, and then switching out some of the parts with my system. I would have simply bought just the motherboard, which is all I think I needed, but that would've cost nearly as much as I paid for the laptop. So I figured, I could buy the laptop and just switch the parts I wanted to keep and then sell the unwanted parts on eBay.

What's the story behind your system? I can try to help!