Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (
More info?)
>>>>>>"Jeff" <no_em@ilplea.se> wrote in message
>>>>>>news:y6GdnZ2AXM_pjwvfRVnytw@eclipse.net.uk...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I currently have 2 HDDs set as primary master and slave, and a cd
>>>>>>>writer as secondary master. I've just bought an IDE dvd writer, and
>>>>>>>have heard that it's not good to have the 2 cd/dvd drives on the same
>>>>>>>IDE bus. I thought i would just set the dvd and cd writers up on the
>>>>>>>same cable as master and slave. Is this a bad idea? What's the best
>>>>>>>way to set up all four
>>>>>>>devices please?
> "Yves Leclerc" <yleclercNOSPAM@maysys.com> wrote in message
> news:uXTlA2sYFHA.1040@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> The only general rule is to not have any optical cd on the same IDE cable
>> as the primary boot hard drive. Usually, the hard drive will be using
>> the Ultra DMA settings to access the date. However, the access speed
>> will slow down to match the slowest speed for the optical drive.
>>
>> If you still want to separate your optical drivers, you can always buy an
>> additional PCI IDE/ATA controller and use this card for your optical
>> drives.
>>
>>
>> "George K" <gakingjr@charter.net> wrote in message
>> news:ugONcrjYFHA.3164@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>>> After several bad experiences trying to reinstall XP when either the
>>> boot HDD or the CD-ROM was located on an IDE2 or IDE3 connector, I have
>>> connected the CD-ROM as the Primary in position 0 and the boot HDD as
>>> Secondary in position 1 (redundant) on the IDE1 connector.
>>> The second HDD (which also has the XP OS, without any updates) and the
>>> CD-R/RW are both set to cable select and are connected to IDE2 and a DVD
>>> R/RW is set to cable select and is connected to IDE3.
>>> On a reinstall from a bootable copy of XP the system will see both CD
>>> and HDD and will not require any raid controllers to be installed first.
>>> If the operating system works, basically any configuration will work
>>> although performance can be improved or reduced depending on the
>>> configuration, and if required the boot drive can be changed to the
>>> second HDD and that system can be used to salvage data files from the
>>> primary boot drive after a catastrophic failure.
>>> "Bob I" <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>> news:OfqhXYiYFHA.1040@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>>I think it's more a case of burning CD's or DVD's that you try to AVIOD
>>>>having the source AND target on the SAME cable/channel.
>>>>> "Ted Zieglar" <teddyz@notmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:%23TQ9HJiYFHA.2128@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>>>>>
>>>>>>It's fine to have two optical drives on the same IDE cable. Just be
>>>>>>sure to carefully follow the installation instructions and you'll be
>>>>>>all set.
> I'm glad this discussion came up. I also have heard conflicting advice on
> how devices should be connected.
>
> The only "rule" seems to be that the booting hard disk is the primary
> device
> on the first IDE channel. It used to be that you weren't supposed to put a
> hard drive and an optical drive on the same IDE cable. Apparently, that is
> no longer correct, at least not since 80-wire IDE cables replaced 40-wire
> cables. But I have also read that 80-wire cables make no difference; and
> hard drives and optical drives should still be on separate cables.
>
> All of this may be academic, since SATA drives are becoming ubiquitous.
> But
> I would like someone to straighten me out on this, if only for my own
> interest.
>>>>>>Ted Zieglar
"Bill Ridgeway" <info@1001solutions.co.uk> wrote in message
news:d7847b$lmh$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Pardon my ignorance but what is an optical CD?
>
> My computer is set up -
> PM - HD
> PS - CDR
> SM - HD
> SS - DVD
> and it all seems to work OK. If however you are suggesting that it would
> beneficial for the two HDs to be set as PM & PS I will change.
>
> Bill Ridgeway
> Computer Solutions
Bill:
Your setup if fine. In general it's the configuration I prefer since, should
the need arise, you can boot to the HD Secondary Master following, of
course, disconnecting the Primary Master.
In case you didn't see my postings re this subject, here are my thoughts...
(To the OP)...
As far as connecting your IDE/ATAPI devices, i.e., your hard drives and
optical drives; other than connecting your booting HD as Primary Master (in
nearly all cases), it will usually make little difference performance-wise
how the remainder of your devices are connected to the motherboard's IDE
connectors. There is no "general rule"
stating you should not connect your CD/DVD-ROM or burner on the same IDE
cable as your booting HD. I know you will hear & read (as you already have)
that this or that drive should be connected to this or that IDE
connector for better performance but in tests carried out by the computer
facility I was associated with, we found that in virtually every case (there
*were* some very rare exceptions) it simply didn't matter. And it's easy
enough to conduct your own tests on the particular machine you're using to
verify this. Do so. Connect your devices in every conceivable configuration
and while performing your day-to-day computer operations, e.g., CD disk
copying, moving/copying large amounts of data between drives, photo/video
editing processes, etc., determine if you experience any performance issues
depending upon the devices' connections. And if so, connect your devices
accordingly.
(And to Ted)...
Ted:
Even the "rule" you mention isn't a "rule". Most (but not all) motherboards
will have no problem booting from a bootable PATA HD that's connected on
*any* IDE channel. Of course, in all cases that I'm familiar with, the
system will first look to the Primary Master position and should it find a
bootable drive there, it will boot to it. But you can connect a bootable HD
as Secondary Master and the system will (usually) boot to it without any
problem. (I say "usually* because in a few cases we have encountered
motherboards that would *only* boot to a drive connected as PM). We
frequently have occasion to set up desktop computers with one internal HD
and one removable HD. We connect the internal drive (in this case the backup
drive) as Secondary Master and the removable HD (the day-to-day working
drive) as Primary Master. Using this configuration we can easily boot to
either drive as the situation warrants.
The 80-wire IDE cable was developed primarily to support the Cable Select
configuration. It also has the capability of significantly reducing
"crosstalk" between hard drives which can result in data corruption. We use
*only* 80-wire cables to connect *all* our IDE/ATAPI devices.
And you're right about the SATA drives making (eventually) all of this
moot...
Anna
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