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Resolved Question

Can I use my IDE CD/DVD drive with a MB that only has SATA?

by Apr 3, 2014 2:35PM PDT

My current motherboard has an IDE connector, but the motherboard I'm upgrading to does not. I have two new IDE-to-SATA cables and I get the same negative results with both: The BIOS states that the SATA slot for the CD/DVD drive is empty. When I connect a hard drive to the same slot, the BIOS has no problem identifying it. Just to be absolutely sure, I tried both the CD/DVD drive and a hard drive (one after the other) in another slot, and again, the BIOS recognized the hard drive but not the CD/DVD drive.

One tech support person suggested that if the CD/DVD drive isn't jumpered as Master, that could cause the problem. I was almost certain that it was jumpered as Master, but double-checked just to be sure. It was.

Since it takes about an hour to remove my current motherboard, install the new one, try out a suggestion, and, if it doesn't work, swap out the new one for the old one again, I'd like to get as many suggestions as I can before trying them so that I can try all of them in an hour, instead of an hour for each one.

Thank you for any help you can offer.

Discussion is locked

doniel has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
26 Posts
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Best Answer

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Problem solved
by May 22, 2014 3:05PM PDT

Our son did, indeed, bring me back a SATA DVD drive and it's working.

Thank you very much to all of you who took the time to write and offer suggestions.

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Answer
Did you try the jumpers in other settings?
by Forum moderator Apr 3, 2014 3:29PM PDT

I have this nice enough USB to IDE and Sata adapter but bear in mind that SATA DVDRW drives are just as much money.
Bob

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Jumpers
by doniel Apr 3, 2014 4:05PM PDT

Sorry, Bob, this is the second time (the first being in my ZoneAlarm thread) I don't get what you wrote. Please clarify what you mean by "Did you try the jumpers in other settings?"

Drives aren't all that cheap in the country I live in.

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I can't.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 4, 2014 1:15AM PDT

I read your post again and didn't find the make/model of the drive so I can't list all the other possible jumper alternatives.

If drives aren't cheap in your country the same would be for those adapters. Here the adapters are same price as the drive!
Bob

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Answer
Access setting setup
by Apr 4, 2014 2:57AM PDT

YES, you can use IDE with SATA provided the adapter/dongle works with your new setup. That means, you have to check the bios setting or s/w device setting to see what is need to set or configure. Cheaper or just enough to get it working apparatus may not cut it and fail. -OR- its too dated and needs to be updated from its maker to access newer mtrbds. or PCs that require it. If it doesn't work after all the above has been done, then NO it won't work. There's simply a good running start that it should work, there's simply too many ifs, ands and buts in the process.

The real cure is to upgrade the h/w and get all SATA drives. -OR- use a IDE type PCI card to attach drives that way, of course review what has to be done as it may interfere with SATA if not compatable, back to square 1.

As always post the full details in order to best answer. All we know is IDE and SATA setup, what mtrbd., what IDE adapter or plug-in?

tada -----Willy Happy

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Bob, Willy . . .
by doniel Apr 6, 2014 12:17AM PDT

The drive is an LG GSA-H42N. Although I haven't checked the price of adapters here, I took it for granted that they'd be more or less the same price as drives. What I was hoping was that there was simply something I wasn't doing right and that I'd be able to get things working with what I have.

MB is a Gigabyte GA-H61M-S1. I found the two adapters among my computer supplies. My best guess is that they came with an Asus motherboard I bought a number of years back. I happen to think highly of Asus and therefore believe that these adapters are of good quality.

At any rate, this will all probably be moot. Our son is visiting the States right now and will hopefully be able to bring me back a new drive. I'll try to remember to let you know the final resolution when he returns in a few weeks.

Thank you both for your help.

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LG is doing something odd.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 6, 2014 9:06AM PDT
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PDF
by doniel Apr 6, 2014 5:09PM PDT

Tech support sent me the manual in pdf format just a few days ago. I don't see any way to upload files here, or I'd upload the manual.

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Try Dropbox or similar.
by Dafydd Apr 7, 2014 4:13AM PDT

Dafydd.

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Dafydd?
by doniel Apr 7, 2014 7:43AM PDT

No idea what that means.

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Dafydd is his name
by itsdigger Apr 7, 2014 7:46AM PDT

He's Welsh

Digger

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Thanks
by doniel Apr 8, 2014 1:12AM PDT

I'd googled it and seen that it was a Welsh name, but it didn't occur to me that it washis name.

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He's one of the many
by itsdigger Apr 8, 2014 1:18AM PDT

members here that volunteers his time and expertise to helps others.
To stay on his good side, Never Offend Sheep Devil

Digger

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(NT) LOL!
by James Denison May 22, 2014 10:44PM PDT
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Dropbox.
by Dafydd Apr 7, 2014 7:51AM PDT
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That's what I use public links on Dropbox for.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 7, 2014 4:14AM PDT
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Link
by doniel Apr 7, 2014 7:59AM PDT
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OK, this drive has on page 5
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 8, 2014 12:33AM PDT

I see the jumper options are CS, SL, and MA.

Test to see if one of those works. If none work then it's something else and not jumper settings.

And before anyone writes "Use __" we are going for what works.
Bob

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Will do, but . . .
by doniel Apr 8, 2014 1:15AM PDT

If you remember what I wrote in my original post - that it takes me an hour to swap boards and test - I won't go to the trouble just to try this. It'll have to wait until I have a more compelling reason.

Thanks, Bob.

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Very odd. Here the jumper change on a desktop
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 8, 2014 1:32AM PDT

Takes about 20 seconds, About 60 seconds if I drop the jumper. What is this swapping boards?

I can set up my rig on cardboard for testing to avoid losing time mounting in a case. In fact most motherboards come with a cheap case. Video shows it to follow
Bob

-> http://hak5.org/geek/cardboard-case-mod

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Swapping boards
by doniel Apr 13, 2014 5:22AM PDT

No point in going into why I need to do a full swap. I just do.

At any rate, I suddenly remembered that the adapters didn't work even with my current Gigabyte MB (which has an IDE connector - I just tried the adapters to see whether I could confirm that they do, indeed, work), so I disconnected the IDE cable and connected the adapters (one at a time) and tried the other two jumper settings. Nothing worked.

I found a SATA drive at Newegg for $14.99 with free shipping, so I ordered it. Our son will bring it back in a couple of weeks.

That means that even though we didn't solve the problem, it's (presumably) resolved.

I'm grateful to all of you who took the time to offer your help and suggestions.

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for the IDE drive access
by James Denison May 22, 2014 10:57PM PDT

Either of these in a PCI-1 express slot will do better for extra drives including those IDE drives. I use an old A-Power metal enclosure I put old IDE drives into for pulling anything off them, it plugs to a USB port.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3825448&CatId=1455

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5265861&CatId=1455

Enclosures

Also can get from Amazon, EBay, and numerous other vendors. Here's a walmart link but you notice they actually ship it from other vendors.

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PCI-1 express slot
by doniel May 25, 2014 6:12AM PDT

Thank you. At this point, our son has brought back the SATA drive I ordered and I've installed it. But it's a good idea to keep in mind.

Thanks again.

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PCI-1
by doniel May 27, 2014 7:23AM PDT

Odd. I replied yesterday or the day before, but it's not showing.

At this point, having installed the SATA drive our son brought back from the U.S., it's not relevant. But it's a good option to keep in mind. Thank you for the idea, James.

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The other half
by Willy Apr 7, 2014 3:45AM PDT

If this came with the mtrbd. as i take it, then the adapter was intended to allow older IDE devices with mtrbd. bios setting to make the adaption possible. basically, the working setup was open to make this work. What you're dealing with now is not having a mtrbd. bios setup or intended as such is open to this adpation. That's where better adapters provide possible s/w or fix in order to use the adapter product. But, that's dated solution as time has passed it by and newer mtrbds. have SATA only. It's to be expected any adapter will have to be a newer type or includes some s/w fix and even then it may not be compatible. If you have to buy some adapter then considering the cost of an SATA cd/dvd drive is comparable the same, excluding super cheap adapter which many have problems with.

I don't think I can add any more other than "real world handling" of your problem and I've long surpassed that lesson. The advise i offer is probable to your problem.

tada -----Willy Happy

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I think you might very well be right
by doniel Apr 7, 2014 8:00AM PDT

And as I wrote earlier, I hope our son will bring me back a SATA drive from NY.

Thanks, Willy.

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