System gets sluggish after using CD-Rom

[jjhcatzj]

Hi. I have an IBM 166 MHZ computer at home that lately gets extremely sluggish after using the CD-Rom. When I do use the CD-Rom to install software, It usually doesn't complete the installation and I have to reboot.
I have a Delta 50x cd-rom in the machine. I've tried installing a clone Delta 50x CD-rom but this didn't help. I'm running Win 98 with 96MB Ram. P.S. I did just recently rebuild this PC. Thanks for any info.:(

[jtdoom]

hi
I think your machine is suffering from heat.
is there a clean properly working fan fitted on that CPU heatsink?

I dunno wether you looked at it, but is there thermal paste between heatsink and CPU?

I have seen a few of these older clunkers, and the compound that was there was not evenly spread, plus that there was no fan on the heatsink. (hard to believe, but true)

and, you must realise that setting up programs (windows for example) is quite CPU intensive

[jjhcatzj]

Hi JT. Thanks for the reply.
This unit doesn't have a heat-sink fan. Just a regular housing fan. What's funny too that I didn't mention before, is that I have 2 identical IBM 166 MHZ units and after the first one gave me trouble, I loaded all the hardware to the second unit and it's doing the exact same thing, dying whenever I use the CD-Rom. I may try installing a different CD-rom and see what happens.

[jtdoom]

hello again
q1; do you still have original CDROM drives for any of these machines?
(if you have one, you might look at its settings, how it is connected, how it is jumpered, etc... and try it in the machine that gets sluggish..)
you could mimic the way it was originally built, because these IBM bioses are a bear to change settings in...


q2; has jumpering been looked at?
Is the new unit on a ribbon of its own? (they oft come jumpered as slave, and when alone, they ought to be master)
if you have a second ribbon, and it is not used now, I would connect it to the second one

q3; do you have a more recent machine to test the CDROM drive in?

[jjhcatzj]

Hi again. You have some good replies. These units were pretty well stripped when I got them. No CDRoms.

You may be right with the jumpers. I thought I compared the jumpers to another unit I have that works. I will check this tonight. I'm never sure how to set them, tho.

Thanks again.:cool:

[jmatt]

Control Panel > System > Performance & in the Performance status , make sure Compatability mode is not mentioned .

[jjhcatzj]

Hi JMATT. Thanks for your help. I'll give this a try tonight.