No Windows XP boot with CD slaves connected

[JKevorkian]

I can't get my machine to boot into Windows XP with my CD burner attached as a
slave.
Here's the scenario:
I replaced my Soyo P41S motherboard, which had 4 IDE channels, with an ASUS
P4V800-X, which contains only 2 IDE and 2 SATA connections.
My original setup contained 5 IDE devices - WD160 GB HDD on the primary channel,
a Sony CD-ROM and Lite-on CDRW on the secondary, a Lite-on DVD+RW on the third,
and a 100MB Zip Drive on the 4th channel. This layout was the result of much
experimentation to get all the devices to work.
Now, the ASUS board only has 2 IDE channels to work with, and I decided that
since I didn't use the ZIP drive all that much, I didn't install it in this
configuration. After doing a Repair install of XP and installing the MB and
chipset drivers, the machine won't boot up into Windows with the Sony CD reader
and CDRW connected to the secondary channel. It will boot up fine with just the
CD reader alone installed, but I get nada when the 2 devices are connected (as
master and slave, of course)on the secondary. I gave up installing the DVD
drive as slave on the primary channel at this time. I intend to replace the
EIDE HDD with a SATA to free up one of the channels. BIOS shows all devices as
installed but no Windows start joy.
My next plan of attack is to install an IDE controller card, use a SATA HDD as
my boot drive. install the original HDD on the primary MB IDE channel as
additional storage, place the CD reader on the second MB IDE channel, and attach
the burners to separate channels on the add-on card - all devices as masters on
their respective connections.
Will this work? And why didn't it work in the original configuration?

Tom Stearman

Don't take life seriously. No one gets out alive anyway.

 

[Mike T.]

I can't get my machine to boot into Windows XP with my CD burner attached
as a
slave.
Here's the scenario:
I replaced my Soyo P41S motherboard, which had 4 IDE channels, with an
ASUS
P4V800-X, which contains only 2 IDE and 2 SATA connections.
My original setup contained 5 IDE devices - WD160 GB HDD on the primary
channel,
a Sony CD-ROM and Lite-on CDRW on the secondary, a Lite-on DVD+RW on the
third,
and a 100MB Zip Drive on the 4th channel. This layout was the result of
much
experimentation to get all the devices to work.
Now, the ASUS board only has 2 IDE channels to work with, and I decided
that
since I didn't use the ZIP drive all that much, I didn't install it in
this
configuration. After doing a Repair install of XP and installing the MB
and
chipset drivers, the machine won't boot up into Windows with the Sony CD
reader
and CDRW connected to the secondary channel. It will boot up fine with
just the
CD reader alone installed, but I get nada when the 2 devices are connected
(as
master and slave, of course)on the secondary. I gave up installing the
DVD
drive as slave on the primary channel at this time. I intend to replace
the
EIDE HDD with a SATA to free up one of the channels. BIOS shows all
devices as
installed but no Windows start joy.
My next plan of attack is to install an IDE controller card, use a SATA
HDD as
my boot drive. install the original HDD on the primary MB IDE channel as
additional storage, place the CD reader on the second MB IDE channel, and
attach
the burners to separate channels on the add-on card - all devices as
masters on
their respective connections.
Will this work? And why didn't it work in the original configuration?

Tom Stearman

Don't take life seriously. No one gets out alive anyway.

Unfortunately, running two IDE devices on one channel is not always as
simple as setting one to master and the other to slave. First, the drive
jumpered as master should be on the end of the cable, with the slave in the
"middle" of the cable, although this will usually work OK if you get that
cable position reversed. Second, not all IDE devices are compatible with
each other, when populating the same cable.

Since you plan to buy a SATA drive anyway (that should be your new boot
drive, obviously), you have nothing to lose by swapping IDE components
around to see what works with what. If I had your setup, I'd probably
simplify it by making the DVD burner master on it's OWN IDE cable and the
IDE hard drive master on it's OWN IDE cable.

But if you want to fit in those older optical drives for some odd reason,
try this:
IDE 1: Hard drive on far end of cable, jumpered as master. CDR/W on
middle, jumpered as slave
IDE2: DVD burner on far end of cable, jumpered as master. CD reader on
middle, jumpered as slave.

I'd be somewhat surprised (but not shocked) if that doesn't work. You
already found your two CD drives can't be on the same cable, that's why I
suggested putting them on different cables. -Dave

 

[JKevorkian]

Unfortunately, running two IDE devices on one channel is not always as
simple as setting one to master and the other to slave. First, the drive
jumpered as master should be on the end of the cable, with the slave in the
"middle" of the cable, although this will usually work OK if you get that
cable position reversed. Second, not all IDE devices are compatible with
each other, when populating the same cable.

Since you plan to buy a SATA drive anyway (that should be your new boot
drive, obviously), you have nothing to lose by swapping IDE components
around to see what works with what. If I had your setup, I'd probably
simplify it by making the DVD burner master on it's OWN IDE cable and the
IDE hard drive master on it's OWN IDE cable.

But if you want to fit in those older optical drives for some odd reason,
try this:
IDE 1: Hard drive on far end of cable, jumpered as master. CDR/W on
middle, jumpered as slave
IDE2: DVD burner on far end of cable, jumpered as master. CD reader on
middle, jumpered as slave.

I'd be somewhat surprised (but not shocked) if that doesn't work. You
already found your two CD drives can't be on the same cable, that's why I
suggested putting them on different cables. -Dave

Thanks for your reply, Dave.
Tinkering around with it this morning, I discovered that by setting the CD
reader and CDRW drives to Cable Select and using an 80-pin IDE cable, I was able
to get the machine to boot into Windows. No such luck with the DVD burner
coupled with the IDE HDD on CS though. As Dave said above, some drives
apparently don't play well with others. I'm pretty sure of success with the
addition of another IDE controller card.

 

[JKevorkian]

Unfortunately, running two IDE devices on one channel is not always as
simple as setting one to master and the other to slave. First, the drive
jumpered as master should be on the end of the cable, with the slave in the
"middle" of the cable, although this will usually work OK if you get that
cable position reversed. Second, not all IDE devices are compatible with
each other, when populating the same cable.

Since you plan to buy a SATA drive anyway (that should be your new boot
drive, obviously), you have nothing to lose by swapping IDE components
around to see what works with what. If I had your setup, I'd probably
simplify it by making the DVD burner master on it's OWN IDE cable and the
IDE hard drive master on it's OWN IDE cable.

But if you want to fit in those older optical drives for some odd reason,
try this:
IDE 1: Hard drive on far end of cable, jumpered as master. CDR/W on
middle, jumpered as slave
IDE2: DVD burner on far end of cable, jumpered as master. CD reader on
middle, jumpered as slave.

I'd be somewhat surprised (but not shocked) if that doesn't work. You
already found your two CD drives can't be on the same cable, that's why I
suggested putting them on different cables. -Dave

Thanks for your reply, Dave.
Tinkering around with it this morning, I discovered that by setting the CD
reader and CDRW drives to Cable Select and using an 80-pin IDE cable, I was able
to get the machine to boot into Windows. No such luck with the DVD burner
coupled with the IDE HDD on CS though. As Dave said above, some drives
apparently don't play well with others. I'm pretty sure of success with the
addition of another IDE controller card.

 

[Rod Speed]

That implys that there is some fundamental problem with at least
one of the drives, that it wasnt completely routine to set it up.

What exactly happens in this config when it fails to boot XP ?

Thats usually because that particular pair of drives
dont like sharing a ribbon cable or a bad ribbon cable.

Doesnt make a lot of sense to have a CD drive anymore unless you cant rip with the CDRW.

Again, you dont say exactly what happens.

Sounds like kludging around a fundamental problem with one of the drives.

Yes.

Most likely at least one bad ribbon cable, maybe also a particular
pair of drives that dont like coexisting on the same ribbon cable.

Unfortunately, running two IDE devices on one channel is not always as simple as setting one to
master and the other to slave. First, the drive jumpered as master should be on the end of the
cable, with the slave in the "middle" of the cable,

Wrong with two drives on the cable. The only time it matters is if there is
just one drive on the cable, THEN it should be on the end so there is no stub.

although this will usually work OK if you get that cable position reversed.

It will always work as long as its a good cable and the pair will
coexist on the one ribbon cable. If they wont, the physical connector
used wont make any difference with master slave jumpering.

Second, not all IDE devices are compatible with each other, when populating the same cable.

Since you plan to buy a SATA drive anyway (that should be your new
boot drive, obviously), you have nothing to lose by swapping IDE
components around to see what works with what. If I had your setup,
I'd probably simplify it by making the DVD burner master on it's OWN
IDE cable and the IDE hard drive master on it's OWN IDE cable.

He doesnt have enough IDE ports for that.