Re: CDROM problems

["Paul J. Keenan" <paul.keenan@motorola.com>]

Big Gaute wrote:
> 
> I have recently installed a 8X IDE CDROM drive from Samsung in my old 486.
> However, when I mount or sccess it, everything will typically work fine
> for a few minutes, and then the CDROM craps out, making loud and
> mysterious noises, starting and stopping the engine every few seconds etc.
> Sometimes, system performance goes down so much that I cannot reboot my
> machine cleanly.  Occasionally, this porblem will even survive a warm
> reboot.  I have experienced this problem on both 2.2.10 and 2.2.13
> kernels.
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas on what to try?  I've done some dejanews
> searches etc and have not come up with anything, although the name Samsung
> seems to crop up a lot in connection with CDROM problems.

I'm not an expert, but I'd put this down to a problem on the
hardware side.  To zoom in on the source of the problem, you could :

 try cleaning the connectors with an electroic degreaser and reseat them.
 try a range of CDs (is the problem occuring only with certain discs ?)
 try the drive in a friends computer, either Linux or Windows.
if you're very careful (and can get to it !), try cleaning the lens on
     the laser pickup.

HTH.

-- 
Regards,
Paul