Your PC's socket A is damaged. Need assistance?
Your PC's socket A is damaged. Need assistance?
I received a new DVD drive for my Socket A PC since the ASUS 16x model (the top one) stopped working. I discovered the 52x model from 2001 (the other is from 2002). It’s the same drive but older, black, slightly shorter, and a Quietrack type. When connecting it, I used the Molex cable from the old drive, then attached IDE and Molex to the working one (the black one). After powering it on and pressing the button, fans started spinning and it emitted a post beep, but no display appeared. The keyboard only briefly lit up instead of staying in its usual RGB mode. It doesn’t produce unusual sounds like a typical beep sequence; it just makes the standard beep when functioning properly. I removed the single Molex from the top drive as suggested on Reddit, but the issue persisted. Please assist. I’m hoping to get this working again. The LEDs on both drives briefly flash before stopping. System specs: AMD Duron @800MHz, MSI MS 6340 rev1, Socket A motherboard, 348MB DDR1 RAM @133MHz (128MB + 256MB), Maxtor 200GB IDE HDD from 2004, 230W 20-pin PSU, stock cooler. I also have an ASUS 16x DVD ROM drive (broken), an ASUS 52x Quietrack model (working), an ATI RAGE PRO Turbo AGP sound card, an Ethernet card, and a secondary Lenovo 24-inch 75Hz 1080p LED monitor connected via VGA without adapters. Some images attached.
Set up one storage device on MASTER and another via IDE cable on SLAVE using several jumper connections between the cable and power port. Usually, the two closest pins to the IDE cable are designated as MASTER; place a jumper there if you want that device to act as master, with the slave being the next pin or none at all. When both drives are connected to CS or Cable Select (typically the second or third set of pins), they will automatically determine their roles based on which port is active—middle pin indicates slave, the farthest pin indicates master. Check the drive’s label on the circuit board or optical case for guidance. In some cases, the drive without a jumper close to the IDE connector may not follow the standard, and you might see the middle pin pointing to the slave, the far pin to the master. For an IDE optical drive, the design usually assigns the middle ribbon connector to the slave and the farthest to the master. However, it seems better to switch the roles—make the middle pin master and the other slave, as this is more common practice. Also, ensure your connector isn’t partially inserted into the hard drive; verify the video card and RAM connections are secure. If you hear beeps, it could mean a missing or disconnected component, possibly due to misalignment when swapping cables.
Thanks for the updates. 1. The IDE cable wasn't visible until it was functioning properly, I have no idea how long it had been there. 2. The floppy cable on the sound card was present when I powered it up; thank you for bringing that to my attention—I moved it from its old spot. 3. I plan to reinsert both RAM and GPU. 4. I discovered a blue jumper on the old beige drive, which I intend to use for the black drive (hope it doesn't cause issues). 5. I'll follow your instructions for the IDE cables. 6. Should I set the HDD as primary master and the DVD ROM as primary slave? Any other steps needed? Also, just a note—my name is Romanian, and I see you're a bit too casual.
The primary storage device you rely on most—typically the hard drive—must be the master unit. Position it at the end of the connection and set it as Master. If issues arise, nothing serious would occur if it's set as Slave. The system needs sufficient age to automatically recognize hard drives and optical units; otherwise, revisit BIOS to re-enable detection. Should the BIOS mistakenly mark a drive as Master while you switch it to Slave, the setup might freeze post-initialization. Press DEL or F2, then return to BIOS to re-scan for IDE devices. It would be simpler to use a second IDE cable and assign the optical drive to the secondary slot (usually white on the motherboard) as a backup Master. You can purchase IDE cables from eMag for around 10 RON... uncertain if it's worthwhile: https://www.emag.ro/cablu-de-conectare-a...DL42JQBBM/ For reference, they sell it for 10 RON but acquire it for just 3 RON from a Chinese supplier or here (shipping 3–10–15 RON): https://www.tme.eu/ro/details/ak-ca-06/a...ssd/akyga/
I've followed all your instructions, but the display still doesn't appear. It seems the RGB remains active in the BIOS. You might want to check the jumpers for any adjustments.
Ensure the video card is placed correctly in the slot and the VGA cable is fully inserted. If you hear a different sound than a single beep, the pattern of beeps indicates what the BIOS believes is wrong. You can search online for beep codes specific to your BIOS model (award, ami, etc.). If issues persist, revert any changes, disconnect the optical drive from the IDE cable, and run the system with only the hard drive connected. With just one device on the IDE cable—whether master, slave, or cable select—it will function, helping identify whether the problem lies with the IDE cable or the optical drive.
I checked the VGA cable/monitor by connecting my mom's laptop, and it worked. I’ll reinsert the card. The computer makes a beep after a short delay; if you don’t press the beep button, it will reboot and make another beep. This setup uses an older BIOS from around 2000. If it doesn’t function properly, I’ll undo the changes and just leave the HDD connected as you suggested. Do I need to unplug the cable each time I remove it, or can I simply turn it off? (The power supply has no visible switch.)