Best IDE config for hard drives/cd/cdrw?

[Peter Green]

I have a problem with my CDRW and DVDRW since fitting a new hard drive The
problem is copying files from CDs to either of the 2 HDDs. It starts OK
then the transfer rate slows right down (from either optical drive)and I get
a read error and then the process stops. Sometimes the CD slows down
spinning, may start again but then that is when the prob starts. Happens
with several CDs which I know are OK. The config I have is :

Primary Master ST 80021A (boot disc)
Primary slave AO6 DVDRW
Secondary Master ST38011A (new HDD)
Secondary slave CDRW

The prob has only appeared since fitting the new HDD but I got the
recommended config from an exprt usergroup website. Have written to the
CDRW and DVDRW OK - a CDRW (4x) takes about 20 mins which is what it did
before. Does it matter what drives are on the end or beginning of the
ribbon cables or not ?

 

[noone]

1) make sure the drives have their jumpers set properly for Master/Slave.
Do it explicitly rather than leaving jumper on CS (cable select). End
connector is Master, middle connector is Slave.

2) Make sure you have 80-wire cables. These have a blue end connector
for the end that connects to the motherboard. If all ends are black then
it's a 40-wire cable, and you MAY have problems w/ faster DMA transfer
rates.

3) Try pairing the two HD's together, and the two opticals together.
Make your primary HD the master (the one you boot from, which also
presumably has windows on it), the other the slave. Put your most used
optical as master, the other as slave.

4) go into device manager and make sure all the IDE's have the "Use DMA
if possible" choice set.

 

[Peter Green]

Many thanks for the comprehensive reply.

1. Master/slave jumpers set correctly but may have at least one Master on
middle connector (cables not long enough any other way but I will change if
necessary).

2. Primary IDE has 80-wire (blue connector one end) cable. 2° IDE has all
ends black and I have reversed the cable to enable connections to be made
without using a new one.

3. I have read elsewhere that it is better to separate 2 HDDs on different
IDE channels to "avoid competing for bandwidth". The explanation seemed
logical so I re-connected them from separate IDEs to current config.

4. All IDEs have "DMA used if possible" indicated.

So priority changes might be ( ?) :

1. Change 2° IDE cable to 80-wire.

2. Re-connect master drives to end-of-cable connections.

3. Mount both HDDs on to same IDE.