Missing CD Rom

Have you booted in safe mode to verify that it isn't in there multiple times?  F8 when starting and ALT-Dbl-Click My Computer.  Check the System tab and drop down the CD and other groups.  Delete all that have dupes.  When you restart the system will redetect and maybe it will work then.

If you are installing for the first time you might be better just to fdisk and start again as there was probably a minor glitch in the setup...

I hate if anything goes wrong in the first setup as usually things descend into chaos pretty soon after...

There's nothing worse than a system that goes wrong from day one ...

from dos mode install the "dos cd-rom driver" from cd-rom install disk and windows will see your CD, after that you can remove dos cd-rom driver from config.sys and CDROM will keep fine working.

i have encounter this myself when i install Windows ME myself. The installation is trying to look for the file before the system was able to detect your cd-rom. So what i did is to copy the installation file into the hard dsik and perform the installation from there. THis will solve your problem and installatino will be more faster.

You may obtain the latest bios update to soft you ide woes. Till then happy solving

Regards

in  oyur stardard cmos setup set all your primary slave as well as secondary master and slave type to auto. So during bootup let your bios detect it automatically.

There is no CD Rom(s) showing in the device manager.

I have re-installed/fdisked several times.

Where can the Dos CD Rom driver be located?

Which file(s) need to be copied to the Hard Drive?

The BIOS supports booting from the CD Rom if the Win 98 SE CD is in the drive it asks whether I want to boot from the HDD or the CD drive.

If you can see the CD to boot from it then it is set up properly in the BIOS.  If it then proceeds to boot, DOS is seeing it.  You can hit F8 while it is booting and then log to the CD and create a c:\CABS directory.  Then copy all files from the \win98\cabs to that directory.  Run setup from there.

See if Compaq posted the drivers for your model here:

http://www.compaq.com/support/files/desktops/us/

CDROM Missing in Windows 95

http://www.compaq.com/athome/support/paqtip/20010.html 

Solution 1#: Check for a Problem in the Registry:

Note: It is critical to be careful when editing the Windows 95 Registry, any mistakes made can severely impact the performance of your computer. If you are uncomfortable with the Windows 95 interface and making complex changes to your system using Win95 configuration utilities, proceed with Solution 3.

1.Click on Start, Run, and type in the word regedit in the open box and press the enter key. This will bring up the Registry Editor Window. 2.Click on Edit, Find, and type noide into the Find what box (window), then click on the Find Next button. If the computer displays an item in the registry that says noide, then remove that item. 3.To remove it: highlight NOIDE by clicking on it once, then click on Edit, and Delete (in the top right corner of the Registry Editor Window). Check to ensure that the item has been deleted by repeating Step #2. 4.To Close the Registry Editor: Click on Registry (in the top left corner of the Window) and Exit, and restart the computer. 5.Double-Click on the My Computer icon and check that the drive has been restored.

If there is no reference to noide found in the registry after searching, proceed to Solution #3.

Solution 2#: Scan for A Virus

Solution 3#: Verify Hardware Configured Correctly

Note: If you do not feel comfortable with this step, please contact your local Compaq Authorized Service Provider.

Power the system down and open the case. Verify the cables to the CD-ROM are not loose or disconnected from the drive. Another step that can be taken here, is as follows:

- Disconnect the CD-ROM

- Loosen the screws on the side holding the drive and remove it

- Change the Jumper configuration of the drive from Cable Select to Master if the drive is the only drive on the secondary controller, or to Slave if the drive is slaved to another device on the secondary controller.

- Put back the cables and test Windows 95 again.

Solution 4#: Verify Correct IDE Drivers Installed

See further information in Windows 95 FAQs about IDE Controller configurations on Commercial Desktop Systems

Solution 5#: Try The Real Mode Drivers To Test The Hardware

This will allow you to determine if the problem is hardware or with the operating system.

Download this file from this URL link address on the Compaq website.

IDE CD-ROM Support
Compaq IDE CD-ROM Drivers

Place the file SP4282.EXE in a temporary directory on your hard disk. From a DOS prompt, type SP4282.EXE.

It will create a sub-directory called DISK1 in the current directory that SP4282.EXE is located in. Change over to that directory ( CD DISK1 )

Type the following command:

Copy *.* c:\windows\command

From Windows95, select Start, select RUN and Enter SYSEDIT and hit OK.

Edit Config.Sys and add this line:

device=c:\windows\command\cpqidecd.sys /d:CPQCD01

CPQCD01 is just a name I gave the CD-ROM, you can use your first name, your dog's name, whatever you want as long as you are consistent with the name in Autoexec.bat explained below.

Then edit a:\autoexec.bat
c:\windows\command\mscdex.exe /d:CPQCD01 /v

Then exit and save changes and then restart Windows 95

Compaq uses Cable select usually.

actually to copy the driver just copy the cab files. To manually instal your cd-rom in your windows go toadd and remove device and add a new cd-rom form there

That will work only if the cdrom drivers are included with Windows 98. I have such a machine. Just lucky I guess. You have to track down the drivers.

Great advise above and the only thing I could add is you really shouldn't add the lines too the autoexec.bat or config.sys too run the cd-rom, you will want too check those two files too make sure it isn't trying to load your cd-rom as this will raise havoc with windows trying too load them. I think you will find multiple ones in device manager as advised above and delete them all and reboot. Also make sure your secondary IDE controller is working properly and it is turned on in BIOS. Dave

Dave,

Compaq bios

Joy

good advice above. this is a common problem & all you need to do is skip files you can't find until it finds the hard drive controllers. then it should see your CDrom drive OK.

Are you using a Windows CD or the Compaq provided CD that has Windows on it?  Perhaps you would do better to use a real Windows disk as if you have formatted the drive you may have wiped some necessary files out.  These systems ship with a second partition that stores some of your backup data.  If you have formatted that partition as well you may have cleaned up some of your systems vital files.  The restore CD relies on the files being there.  You can regain them but you will need to start from scratch with an OS installed on your computer.  When these systems are built they simply clone hundreds of Harddrives and put them into systems as they come down the line.

i had this same problem installing win98se on my computer. i took my startup disk and copied the oaksys.sys file into the config.sys and also the mscdex.exe to the autoexec.bat file. the oaksys.sys file will find just about any cd-rom drive. reboot your computer and windows98 will see the cdrom.

I have a compaq computer.....older one but however i have had recently a LOT of fun getting the cdrom to work after installing another hdd.....anyway you need to either clik F10 at boot up....so that you will get into the bios or......you need to goto compaq.com and download the 'softpaq' which will enable you to get into the bios setup.......you then need to enable the secondary ide in bios....
Once you are in the compaq bios setup you'll need to clik on the 'storage' icon.....then use tab to get to 'advanced' and in there you can enable the sec ide
The way I have my system set currently :

Boot Drive "C" ide 1/master
cdrom          ide 1/slave
Second Hard Drive.. ide 2/master

gidds99:  Please remain active in your open questions, provide feedback on recommendations made and then choose the best comment as the accepted answer to then grade and close.

This item is open today and awaiting your next action.  

Thank you,
Moondancer
Community Support Moderator @ Experts Exchange

I have neglected to check this question for sometime.  This is basically what I did to resolve the problem so I thought it fair to accept this as the answer.

Thanks to all who contributed.