My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
Am about to get a second HDD.
Using XP Home.

Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.

Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the CD/DVD
on IDE1

Which is best? 2nd HDD is 7200 rpm 120 GB (primary C: is 7200 40GB, and I
will NOT be swapping the drives/OS over).

Len.

My recommendation is to install both harddrives on EIDE 1 with the CDRW as
primary on cable two and the DVD as slave on cable 2.

Sometimes DVD and CDRW drives doesn't seem to like each other in which case
you can change the configuration

--
Jon Hildrum
DTS MVP
(E-Mail Removed)
www.hildrum.com
"yabbadoo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
> Am about to get a second HDD.
> Using XP Home.
>
> Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
> as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
>
> Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the
CD/DVD
> on IDE1
>
> Which is best? 2nd HDD is 7200 rpm 120 GB (primary C: is 7200 40GB, and I
> will NOT be swapping the drives/OS over).
>
> Len.
>
>

The reason for setting IDE0 with System Files HDD and one Optical then IDE1
with Data / Applications HDD and second optical is purely performance related.

One has the system SWAP file causing constant read / write activity on the C
Drive and thus if your Data is on D Drive then you have a second IDE path to
access.

Same goes for CD / DVDs. Data can be written to cache [or temp] file on C
Drive before being written to the burner on IDE1. It can read from IDE0 and
write to IDE1 reducing conflicts and or waiting.

Now this presupposes that your IDE cable allows that you can physically
connect the drives in such a manner. Some IDE cable are too short to
accomodate this in mini or full tower cases.

"Jon_Hildrum" wrote:

> My recommendation is to install both harddrives on EIDE 1 with the CDRW as
> primary on cable two and the DVD as slave on cable 2.
>
> Sometimes DVD and CDRW drives doesn't seem to like each other in which case
> you can change the configuration
>
> --
> Jon Hildrum
> DTS MVP
> (E-Mail Removed)
> www.hildrum.com
> "yabbadoo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
> > Am about to get a second HDD.
> > Using XP Home.
> >
> > Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
> > as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
> >
> > Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the
> CD/DVD
> > on IDE1
> >
> > Which is best? 2nd HDD is 7200 rpm 120 GB (primary C: is 7200 40GB, and I
> > will NOT be swapping the drives/OS over).
> >
> > Len.
> >
> >
>
>
>

Jon, BAR - thank you.
Len.

"yabbadoo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
> Am about to get a second HDD.
> Using XP Home.
>
> Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
> as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
>
> Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the
> CD/DVD on IDE1
>
> Which is best? 2nd HDD is 7200 rpm 120 GB (primary C: is 7200 40GB, and I
> will NOT be swapping the drives/OS over).
>
> Len.
>

"yabbadoo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
> Am about to get a second HDD.
> Using XP Home.
>
> Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
> as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
>
> Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the
> CD/DVD on IDE1
>
> Which is best? 2nd HDD is 7200 rpm 120 GB (primary C: is 7200 40GB, and I
> will NOT be swapping the drives/OS over).
>
> Len.

Len:
As you've already discovered, you can make book on the fact that you'll get
responses to your query that will cover the gamut on where to connect your
four IDE devices. And guess what? They'll all be correct. Friends and I have
made detailed experiments re connecting IDE/ATAPI devices to this or that
IDE channel and varying their Master/Slave relationships in every
conceivable configuration. In our tests, in nearly every case, we discerned
no perceptible differences in data transfer rates or speed enhancements of
any kind, regardless of how the devices were configured and/or connected. I
say "nearly in every case" because we did come across some motherboards that
would allow a HD to be booted *only* from a Primary Master position.

But don't take my word, or anyone else's word for it. Experiment for
yourself. It's relatively simple to connect your IDE/ATAPI devices in
various configurations and perform speed tests to determine if there's any
appreciable differences resulting from one configuration over another. In
each instance, measure the speed of the day-to-day tasks you ordinarily
carry out, e.g., accessing programs, copying/moving files, photo/graphics
editing, burning CDs, and the like. It's conceivable that you may have some
special function(s) that favor this or that configuration.
Art

It depends on how old your motherboard and the CD/DVD drives are. Anything
from the last couple of years it won't matter how you hook them up. Older
than that you may have to experiment to determine the best configuration.
With older hardware it is usually best to hook up the hard drives on the
same cable. Some older CD-RW drives don't burn well when set up as a slave.
Likewise some older DVD-ROM drives don't like being set as a slave.
Hopefully your system is new enough that you can just hook up the new drive
anywhere.

Kerry Brown
KDB Systems

"yabbadoo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
> Am about to get a second HDD.
> Using XP Home.
>
> Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
> as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
>
> Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the
> CD/DVD on IDE1
>
> Which is best? 2nd HDD is 7200 rpm 120 GB (primary C: is 7200 40GB, and I
> will NOT be swapping the drives/OS over).
>
> Len.
>

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 12:14:59 -0000, "yabbadoo"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
>Am about to get a second HDD.
>Using XP Home.
>
>Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
>as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
>
>Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the CD/DVD
>on IDE1
>
>Which is best? 2nd HDD is 7200 rpm 120 GB (primary C: is 7200 40GB, and I
>will NOT be swapping the drives/OS over).
>
>Len.

It depends on your work habits. But, in general, you should have the
drive going FROM and the drive going TO on separate controllers.

So...

If yer gonna do a lot of burning from the DVD to the cdrw, put them on
opposing controllers.

If yer gonna constantly be moving files from one hard drive to the
other, then THESE should be on opposing controllers.


Have a nice one...

Trent

Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!

Anna, Terry, Trent - thanks. At present a theoretical question, I don't get
the new drive till end of this week, butr it's good to know that it needs no
special set-up. I'd hoped to have the 2 HDD's on different IDE's, so all I
now need to know is - on IDE 1 (second HDD) should it be set to "master" or
"slave" on that ribbon cable?

My m/b is a 3 year-old ASUS A7V266E manufactured 23/1/2002 (per Everest
report), Athlon1800+ chip (1.533Ghz).

Thanks again, Len
"yabbadoo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Jon, BAR - thank you.
> Len.
>
> "yabbadoo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
>> Am about to get a second HDD.
>> Using XP Home.
>>
>> Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with
>> CD-RW as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
>>
>> Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the
>> CD/DVD on IDE1
>>
>> Which is best? 2nd HDD is 7200 rpm 120 GB (primary C: is 7200 40GB, and I
>> will NOT be swapping the drives/OS over).
>>
>> Len.
>>
>
>

yabbadoo wrote:

>My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
>Am about to get a second HDD.
>Using XP Home.
>
>Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
>as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
>
>Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the CD/DVD
>on IDE1

I would have the HDDs separate as the masters. That means that copying
files from one to the other is faster because transfers can go on on
both at once

Put the burner on the cable with the HDD you are less likely to burn
from


--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. (E-Mail Removed) (remove the D8 bit)

> yabbadoo wrote:
>
>>My pc currently has 1 HDD, a CD-RW and DVD drive.
>>Am about to get a second HDD.
>>Using XP Home.
>>
>>Configuration suggested to me is to have the C: drive on IDE 0, with CD-RW
>>as slave, and 2nd HDD on IDE 1 cable, with DVD drive as slave.
>>
>>Alternative is to have 2nd HDD as "slave" to C:, on IDE 0, with the
>>CD/DVD
>>on IDE1


"Alex Nichol" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I would have the HDDs separate as the masters. That means that copying
> files from one to the other is faster because transfers can go on on
> both at once
>
> Put the burner on the cable with the HDD you are less likely to burn
> from
> --
> Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
> Bournemouth, U.K. (E-Mail Removed) (remove the D8 bit)

yabbaddoo...
As I responded in a prior post...
As you've already discovered, you can make book on the fact that you'll get
responses to your query that will cover the gamut on where to connect your
four IDE devices. And guess what? They'll all be correct. Friends and I have
made detailed experiments re connecting IDE/ATAPI devices to this or that
IDE channel and varying their Master/Slave relationships in every
conceivable configuration. Using "modern" devices, i.e., those manufactured
within the past four years, our tests revealed that in nearly every case, we
could discern *no* perceptible differences in data transfer rates or speed
enhancements of any kind, regardless of how the devices were configured
and/or connected. I say "nearly in every case" because we did come across
some motherboards that would allow a HD to be booted *only* from a Primary
Master position. But aside from that one anomaly, it simply made no
difference in performance as to how the devices were connected/configured.

But don't take my word, or anyone else's word for it. Experiment for
yourself. It's relatively simple to connect your IDE/ATAPI devices in
various configurations and perform speed tests to determine if there's any
appreciable differences resulting from one configuration over another. In
each instance, measure the speed of the day-to-day tasks you ordinarily
carry out, e.g., accessing programs, copying/moving files, photo/graphics
editing, burning CDs, and the like. It's conceivable that you may have some
special function(s) that favor this or that configuration.
Anna