Hey folks.

I am habing some problems with an old laptop that I have that I am wanting to get going again to use as a simple file server/downloader.

It's a Sony Vaio PCG-F409 with a 750mhz pentium 3 and 256mb ram so it's nothing special!

Basically the DVD drive seems to have more or less stopped reading disks properly it's a toshiba SD-C2202 and I have a SD-R2212 laying around that I have tried to fit (physically fits with everything in the right place and connector mates up properly.

The problem comes when I try to boot from the CD (as no operating system installed at the moment) and it just doesn't recognise the disk and also doesn't show up in the BIOS (although with the original drive in this also doesn't show up even though it will boot from the disk fine).

Could it be the BIOS that isn't compatible with the newer DVD drive?

Thanks

Phil

--8<--- snip

The problem comes when I try to boot from the CD (as no operating system installed at the moment) and it just doesn't recognise the disk and also doesn't show up in the BIOS (although with the original drive in this also doesn't show up even though it will boot from the disk fine).

Could it be the BIOS that isn't compatible with the newer DVD drive?

Thanks

Phil

Hmm. Maybe the newer BIOS would detect the drive? I'm not sure if that DVD drive is ATAPI based, I think it is. So the BIOS should recognise it.

Vaio : Support : Updates

Or could it be the boot order in the BIOS and since changing the unit, the BIOS has reverted to factory defaults or something and has disabled booting from the CD drive?

Thanks for the link. Will give that a go. Had a real headache yesterday with trying to find that as the sony site kept recognising the laptop that I was on (Vaio TR1MP) and in order the change that I needed the serial number which was totally different to the format needed!

Anyway. I have checked the boot order with the new drive in and it still has the DVD drive at the top.

Will update the BIOS and go from there.. will need to grab a floppy from work though as I havn't used them for years!!

Put the old drive in and work out if the bios sees it as a slave or a master device.

Then see what the new drive is.

I had to buy a DVD drive for a toshiba laptop and so had to look for one that you could set master/slave/cable select using software and set it to the appropriate version.

DVD-RW was under £40 mind so not too bad anyway.