Maxtor Fireball 541DX

[Guest]

I have encountered a problem with the MAxtor Fireball 541DX line of harddrives.

Situation : perfect working hardware based on a socket A board with a KT133A chipset, with internal ZIP drive installed. When I attach this 20gig Maxtor fireball 541DX drive, install windows 2K with SP2, and install the VIA IDE 3.11 or 3.12 drivers (needed to be able to write on the ZIP drive) the system gets corrupted. Registry gets f*cked up. When I use another identical harddrive, same problem. When I use another Maxtor drive, AND another type (30gb 7200rpm for example) the system works great. No data corruption or any other problems.

Is this a known problem ?

I have tested the same Fireball drives on other mainbaords, with or without internal ZIP drives attached, with the same result. Clean windows 2000 install, VIA IDE driver patch applied, several shutdown/reboots -> windows crashed due to an unreadable registry and/or other system files. Doing the exact same procedure using any other harddrive gives no problem.

Anybody any solution for me ? Or is this line of harddrives bad ?

thx

 

[Lars_Coleman]

I haven't heard of any known problems with these drives. It would be hard to say that it's the drive if it happens with multiple drives.

I would check and make sure that you are using the 80wire 40pin ultra cable that most likely came with the drive. Also for starters, get all the updates (ie. BIOS updates, latest VIA 4in1's, ect.).

Another thing. If you are overclocking .... don't and see if that takes care of your problems. Just seeing that you can use a faster drive and everything is fine makes me think that's what's happening.

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

It happens only with the same type of drives. Attaching another brand or model tot the same pc system solves the problem also. I have been hunting down this problem for over 3 days, and I finaly narrowed it to that specific type of drive, a Maxtor Fireball 451DX in combination with Windows 2000 and the VIA IDE 3.11 busmaster patch to solve the ZIP drive issue.

None of the systems I tested on was overclocked and or modified in any way. Like I said, if I do exact the same procedure with another brand/type harddrive, there is no problem.

Feel free to try it yourself, it is reproducable. Attach a Fireball 20gig 541DX to any VIA based system, install Windows 2000, install the IDE dirver patch version 3.11 or 3.12. Shutdown this system several times, and reboot. After that, add some data to the drive so it has to 'write', copying a large file over the network can cause enough damage. After that, reboot again several times... the Windows 2000 loader will hang or crash. Either way, it's screwed... :-(

Women never lie... so they say...

 

[Lars_Coleman]

Does it happen if you don't apply the patch?

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

No, it only happens after applying the IDE driver patch. But this patch is necessary to be able to write on ZIP disks. WIthout it, Windows 2000 detects the drive, reports a removeable media, is able to read from it, but hangs when you try writing on it. This is a 686B issue if I'm correct. Anyway, it requires the patch... :-(

I have the system up and running now without the patch. So everything works, except that I'm unable to save data on a ZIP disk...

Women never lie... so they say...

 

[Lars_Coleman]

And what about a BIOS update and the VIA 4in1's? BIOS updates fix so many things it's not funny! I would make sure that you have the latest and greatest!

Where are you getting that patch? From Iomega? Have you checked with them to see why this is happening?

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

Patch comes directly from Via. I have updated the BIOS, without result (as I expected). It's simple not a matter of drivers, it's a 'fault' in the Fireball 541DX series. They don't work reliable when the VIA IDE drivers are installed. When I don't install them, everything runs great, but I *NEED* those drivers to get the ZIP drive working !! Installing the same harddrive on *ANY* other socket A Via based motherboard results in the same problem, so it is definitly the drive... I tried 4 different boards now. I even tried something else : another system running on a MSI K7T turbo board, with a Maxtor 30gig 7200rpm drive. There is also a ZIP installed in that system. Windows 2000 is patched with the VIA IDE 3.11 driver patch. System runs fine for over 5 months now. Now, I have mirrored that drive onto the 20gig Fireball drive, replaced the original 30gig drive with the Fireball, booted the system (identical windows config on the original hardware), rebooted 2 times... *CRASH* loader hangs, registry screwed up, data missing, etc etc.... Replace the Fireball again with the original 30gig, boot, runs like hell without a glitch..



Women never lie... so they say...

 

[Lars_Coleman]

Well I will get one of those drives and see if it does it on my MSI K7T-turbo. I think I have one at work ... so we will see ....

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

If you son't mind testing this... I'm very curious what you will get... Are you sure it's one of those very thin drives ? 1 platter disk.

Anyway, hook it up, install win2k, install the IDE drivers 3.11 or 3.12n shutdown several times, reboot, install office 2k or something else large which alters the registry, shutdown after the install and reboot. Try this 2 or 3 times...

I'm almost sure you will experience the exact same problems... :-(

Women never lie... so they say...

 

[Lars_Coleman]

Ok, I will try. I have to see if I can get it from work first. It is one of those thin drives. I think they have a code name 'Nike'. So we call them the Nike drive. I will make sure ... if I can test it I will give you my results. If not ... I will post and let you know ...

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

Found a solution... well... solution...

Users with systems with data corruption probs due to the VIA IDE busmaster drivers should try this : it works for me...

- disable ACPI in the bios options
- reinstall Windows 2000
- when setup states to press F6 for SCSI controllers, press F7, this will install Windows 2000 with the STANDARD PC kernel
- finish the windows install
- install the VIA IDE busdrivers

... and this way it works, although you have to push the power button to power the system off...


Women never lie... so they say...

 

[Lars_Coleman]

Why are you running the Patch if it's for Windows 98 and you are running Windows 2000? "ATAPI2 IOMEGA ZIP-100 Driver will become very slow (look like hung-up) when format or copy big files under Windows 98."

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

Because it is a 686B hardware problem, as well under 98, 2000 and XP. This IDE controller has a timing problem. Those busmaster patch fixes it. Windows 2000 detects the drive as removable media, you can read from the disc, but can't write. This is a very know problem.

http://forums.viaarena.com/categories.cfm?catid=20

You can read it yourself if you son't believe me...



Women never lie... so they say...

 

[Lars_Coleman]

I don't care! Not a big deal. Just curious.

I was reading from the horse's mouth so I was just wondering. I don't use a Zip 100 so it doesn't apply to me!

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>