Dim XPS-R 450

[ahall]

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

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...)

 

[Guest]

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...)

 

[ahall]

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

>>>>> 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.)


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

 

[Guest]

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

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

.... Ben Myers

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...)
>
>

 

[ahall]

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...)

 

[Guest]

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