Unable to Disable Write Caching?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

I recently put a VanTec EZ Swap drive rack in one of my systems. VanTec
claims that this drive bay is "hot-swappable", but when I turn off or remove
the drive, explorer still "sees" it, and will even try to copy a file that I
drop on the "ghost" drive letter, locking windows up in the process.

This morning, when I brought the system out of hibernation (and having
removed the drive before hibernation), a ballon message appeared over the
systray that windows was not able to write $MFT to "Y:OFF_LINE" and
mentioned something about write caching. I was unable to write down the
message at the time, so I'm paraphrasing.

Anyway, I checked the drive properties in Device Manager and found that the
"enable write caching" option under the Policies tab was missing, and that
the information regarding write caching (under headings "Optimize for quick
removal" & Optimize for performance") was there, but greyed out.

The drive in question is on a mainboard supplied ITE IT8212 ATA RAID
controller on a Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard that can be designated as ATA
IDE or RAID.. The controller is listed in DM under "SCSI & RAID
Controllers". Given that all drives on that controller are treated in the
same manner (i.e., write caching option unavailable), as well as drives on
add-in controllers on other machines, this seems to be the standard for
these additional controllers.

The question is, how can I disable write caching on this drive (and
therefore designate as removable) so as to avoid the type of issues
described in the first two paragraphs?

Thanks,
Hark

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

"Harkhof" <hak@earthlink.net> wrote in message
newsmoOd.62$DG5.13@lakeread07...
> I recently put a VanTec EZ Swap drive rack in one of my systems. VanTec
> claims that this drive bay is "hot-swappable", but when I turn off or remove
> the drive, explorer still "sees" it, and will even try to copy a file that I
> drop on the "ghost" drive letter, locking windows up in the process.


Hot swap IDE cannot be done with hardware alone, it also need software support.
Most drivers do not, so you have to disable the drive in Device Mangler.
>
> This morning, when I brought the system out of hibernation (and having
> removed the drive before hibernation), a ballon message appeared over the
> systray that windows was not able to write $MFT to "Y:OFF_LINE" and
> mentioned something about write caching. I was unable to write down the
> message at the time, so I'm paraphrasing.
>
> Anyway, I checked the drive properties in Device Manager and found that the
> "enable write caching" option under the Policies tab was missing, and that
> the information regarding write caching (under headings "Optimize for quick
> removal" & Optimize for performance") was there, but greyed out.
>
> The drive in question is on a mainboard supplied ITE IT8212 ATA RAID
> controller on a Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard that can be designated as ATA
> IDE or RAID.. The controller is listed in DM under "SCSI & RAID
> Controllers". Given that all drives on that controller are treated in the
> same manner (i.e., write caching option unavailable), as well as drives on
> add-in controllers on other machines, this seems to be the standard for
> these additional controllers.
>
Broken drivers.

> The question is, how can I disable write caching on this drive (and
> therefore designate as removable) so as to avoid the type of issues
> described in the first two paragraphs?
>
Find out who makes the chip for the IDE RAID (promise/highpoint/SiI) and check
their support page. If you disable the RAID feature, you might be able to use
the Microsoft IDE driver.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

"Eric Gisin" <ericgisin@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cudivd02ndi@enews1.newsguy.com...
> "Harkhof" <hak@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> newsmoOd.62$DG5.13@lakeread07...
>> I recently put a VanTec EZ Swap drive rack in one of my systems. VanTec
>> claims that this drive bay is "hot-swappable", but when I turn off or
>> remove
>> the drive, explorer still "sees" it, and will even try to copy a file
>> that I
>> drop on the "ghost" drive letter, locking windows up in the process.
>
>
> Hot swap IDE cannot be done with hardware alone, it also need software
> support.
> Most drivers do not, so you have to disable the drive in Device Mangler.

Thanks for the Response, Eric. Disabling it does seem to be the only option
(& one I hadn't considered...), and I think I can live with that.

Thanks again,
Hark


>>
>> This morning, when I brought the system out of hibernation (and having
>> removed the drive before hibernation), a ballon message appeared over the
>> systray that windows was not able to write $MFT to "Y:OFF_LINE" and
>> mentioned something about write caching. I was unable to write down the
>> message at the time, so I'm paraphrasing.
>>
>> Anyway, I checked the drive properties in Device Manager and found that
>> the
>> "enable write caching" option under the Policies tab was missing, and
>> that
>> the information regarding write caching (under headings "Optimize for
>> quick
>> removal" & Optimize for performance") was there, but greyed out.
>>
>> The drive in question is on a mainboard supplied ITE IT8212 ATA RAID
>> controller on a Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard that can be designated as
>> ATA
>> IDE or RAID.. The controller is listed in DM under "SCSI & RAID
>> Controllers". Given that all drives on that controller are treated in the
>> same manner (i.e., write caching option unavailable), as well as drives
>> on
>> add-in controllers on other machines, this seems to be the standard for
>> these additional controllers.
>>
> Broken drivers.
>
>> The question is, how can I disable write caching on this drive (and
>> therefore designate as removable) so as to avoid the type of issues
>> described in the first two paragraphs?
>>
> Find out who makes the chip for the IDE RAID (promise/highpoint/SiI) and
> check
> their support page. If you disable the RAID feature, you might be able to
> use
> the Microsoft IDE driver.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

"Harkhof" <hak@earthlink.net> wrote in message newsmoOd.62$DG5.13@lakeread07
> I recently put a VanTec EZ Swap drive rack in one of my systems.
> VanTec claims that this drive bay is "hot-swappable", but when I turn off
> or remove the drive, explorer still "sees" it, and will even try to copy a file
> that I drop on the "ghost" drive letter, locking windows up in the process.
>
> This morning, when I brought the system out of hibernation (and having
> removed the drive before hibernation), a ballon message appeared over the
> systray that windows was not able to write $MFT to "Y:OFF_LINE" and
> mentioned something about write caching. I was unable to write down the
> message at the time, so I'm paraphrasing.
>
> Anyway, I checked the drive properties in Device Manager and found that
> the "enable write caching" option under the Policies tab was missing, and
> that the information regarding write caching (under headings "Optimize for
> quick removal" & Optimize for performance") was there, but greyed out.
>
> The drive in question is on a mainboard supplied ITE IT8212 ATA RAID
> controller on a Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard that can be designated as
> ATA IDE or RAID.. The controller is listed in DM under "SCSI & RAID
> Controllers". Given that all drives on that controller are treated in the
> same manner (i.e., write caching option unavailable), as well as drives on
> add-in controllers on other machines, this seems to be the standard for
> these additional controllers.
>
> The question is, how can I disable write caching on this drive

> (and therefore designate as removable)

Are you saying that this unavailabe option is also setting
the removable tickbox (option, whatever) as unavailable?

> so as to avoid the type of issues described in the first two paragraphs?
>
> Thanks,
> Hark

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

"Folkert Rienstra" <see_reply-to@myweb.nl> wrote in message
news:37br0oF57hikkU1@individual.net...
> "Harkhof" <hak@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> newsmoOd.62$DG5.13@lakeread07
>> I recently put a VanTec EZ Swap drive rack in one of my systems.
>> VanTec claims that this drive bay is "hot-swappable", but when I turn off
>> or remove the drive, explorer still "sees" it, and will even try to copy
>> a file
>> that I drop on the "ghost" drive letter, locking windows up in the
>> process.
>>
>> This morning, when I brought the system out of hibernation (and having
>> removed the drive before hibernation), a ballon message appeared over the
>> systray that windows was not able to write $MFT to "Y:OFF_LINE" and
>> mentioned something about write caching. I was unable to write down the
>> message at the time, so I'm paraphrasing.
>>
>> Anyway, I checked the drive properties in Device Manager and found that
>> the "enable write caching" option under the Policies tab was missing, and
>> that the information regarding write caching (under headings "Optimize
>> for
>> quick removal" & Optimize for performance") was there, but greyed out.
>>
>> The drive in question is on a mainboard supplied ITE IT8212 ATA RAID
>> controller on a Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard that can be designated as
>> ATA IDE or RAID.. The controller is listed in DM under "SCSI & RAID
>> Controllers". Given that all drives on that controller are treated in the
>> same manner (i.e., write caching option unavailable), as well as drives
>> on
>> add-in controllers on other machines, this seems to be the standard for
>> these additional controllers.
>>
>> The question is, how can I disable write caching on this drive
>
>> (and therefore designate as removable)
>
> Are you saying that this unavailabe option is also setting
> the removable tickbox (option, whatever) as unavailable?

Yes, it is an unavailable option (greyed out).



>> so as to avoid the type of issues described in the first two paragraphs?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Hark
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

You should fix your quote-fix.

"Harkhof" <hak@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:a5AQd.89061$Tf5.35598@lakeread03
> "Folkert Rienstra" <see_reply-to@myweb.nl> wrote in message news:37br0oF57hikkU1@individual.net...
> > "Harkhof" <hak@earthlink.net> wrote in message newsmoOd.62$DG5.13@lakeread07
> > > I recently put a VanTec EZ Swap drive rack in one of my systems.
> > > VanTec claims that this drive bay is "hot-swappable", but when I turn off
> > > or remove the drive, explorer still "sees" it, and will even try to copy a file
> > > that I drop on the "ghost" drive letter, locking windows up in the process.
> > >
> > > This morning, when I brought the system out of hibernation (and having
> > > removed the drive before hibernation), a ballon message appeared over the
> > > systray that windows was not able to write $MFT to "Y:OFF_LINE" and
> > > mentioned something about write caching. I was unable to write down the
> > > message at the time, so I'm paraphrasing.
> > >
> > > Anyway, I checked the drive properties in Device Manager and found that
> > > the "enable write caching" option under the Policies tab was missing, and
> > > that the information regarding write caching (under headings "Optimize for
> > > quick removal" & Optimize for performance") was there, but greyed out.
> > >
> > > The drive in question is on a mainboard supplied ITE IT8212 ATA RAID
> > > controller on a Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard that can be designated as
> > > ATA IDE or RAID.. The controller is listed in DM under "SCSI & RAID
> > > Controllers". Given that all drives on that controller are treated in the
> > > same manner (i.e., write caching option unavailable), as well as drives on
> > > add-in controllers on other machines, this seems to be the standard for
> > > these additional controllers.
> > >
> > > The question is, how can I disable write caching on this drive
> >
> > > (and therefore designate as removable)
> >
> > Are you saying that this unavailabe option is also setting
> > the removable tickbox (option, whatever) as unavailable?
>
> Yes, it is an unavailable option (greyed out).

What makes you think that write-caching is causing that?

>
> > > so as to avoid the type of issues described in the first two paragraphs?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Hark