Dim XPS-R 450

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

The channel may be dead. Unplug the ribbon/data cable from the channel and
re-enter BIOS. F9 default the settings, and locate "reset configuration
data" and set it to "yes".

Once this is done, re-enter BIOS and see if the channel re-appears. If not,
then it's almost surely a goner.

The point here is that the drive itself could cause the channel to flake
out. Unplugging everything from it will tell you for certain.


Stew



<ahall@no-spam-panix.com> wrote in message
news:kpgirxblnyb.fsf@panix3.panix.com...
>
> As I mentioned some time ago, the
> tape drive and DVD drive died at about
> the same time.
>
> Given advice here I unplugged the tape
> drive from the IDE cable and power cable,
> but that did not restore the DVD drive.
>
> Today I went into the BIOS to see if the
> secondary IDE channel was set to cable select,
> and the BIOS claimed that there was no secondary
> ide channel.
>
> Does that mean the channel is dead, and that
> my devices are probably OK?
>
> Under win-98 is there a way to fix or replace
> that channel?
>
> My kids use the machine as a file server, and
> also have a lot of old games on it, so if I can
> fix it cheaply, I will do it.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>
> --
> Andrew Hall
> (Now reading Usenet in alt.sys.pc-clone.dell...)

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>>>>> Ben Myers writes:

Ben> Also, the BIOS setup screens know nothing about cable select vs. master-slave
Ben> IDE jumpers. All the BIOS sees are master and slave drives, which initialized
Ben> themselves that way as a result of either jumper settings or cable type.

Ahh, thank you. I thought it was a bios setting.

I believe you replied when I had the original question.


Ben> ... Ben Myers

Ben> On Thu, 8 Sep 2005 09:39:23 -0500, "S.Lewis" <stew1960@mail.com> wrote:

>> The channel may be dead. Unplug the ribbon/data cable from the channel and
>> re-enter BIOS. F9 default the settings, and locate "reset configuration
>> data" and set it to "yes".
>>
>> Once this is done, re-enter BIOS and see if the channel re-appears. If not,
>> then it's almost surely a goner.
>>
>> The point here is that the drive itself could cause the channel to flake
>> out. Unplugging everything from it will tell you for certain.
>>
>>
>> Stew
>>
>>
>>
>>> ahall@no-spam-panix.com> wrote in message
news> kpgirxblnyb.fsf@panix3.panix.com...
>>>
>>> As I mentioned some time ago, the
>>> tape drive and DVD drive died at about
>>> the same time.
>>>
>>> Given advice here I unplugged the tape
>>> drive from the IDE cable and power cable,
>>> but that did not restore the DVD drive.
>>>
>>> Today I went into the BIOS to see if the
>>> secondary IDE channel was set to cable select,
>>> and the BIOS claimed that there was no secondary
>>> ide channel.
>>>
>>> Does that mean the channel is dead, and that
>>> my devices are probably OK?
>>>
>>> Under win-98 is there a way to fix or replace
>>> that channel?
>>>
>>> My kids use the machine as a file server, and
>>> also have a lot of old games on it, so if I can
>>> fix it cheaply, I will do it.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance,
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Andrew Hall
>>> (Now reading Usenet in alt.sys.pc-clone.dell...)
>>
>>



--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in alt.sys.pc-clone.dell...)

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

<ahall@no-spam-panix.com> wrote in message
news:kpgacinlggl.fsf@panix3.panix.com...
>>>>>> S Lewis writes:
>
> S> The channel may be dead. Unplug the ribbon/data cable from the
> channel and
> S> re-enter BIOS. F9 default the settings, and locate "reset
> configuration
> S> data" and set it to "yes".
>
> S> Once this is done, re-enter BIOS and see if the channel re-appears.
> If not,
> S> then it's almost surely a goner.
>
> S> The point here is that the drive itself could cause the channel to
> flake
> S> out. Unplugging everything from it will tell you for certain.
>
>
> I will perform your test. I doubt both the tape drive
> and DVD went at the same time, so it probably is the channel,
> unless one failure caused the other.
>
> Could I put a pci based ide controller in this old box with
> the old os (win-98, not 2nd Ed.)


Yep to the controller question.

And you missed my point; ONE bad drive can make BOTH drives disappear or
even screw the entire channel and its appearance in BIOS.

I've even seen a bad drive corrupt both IDE channels when connected.


Stew