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General discussion

Can't select DMA

Aug 12, 2004 1:41AM PDT

While using XP, what could potentially prohibit me from choosing DMA mode for a hard disk drive? When checking the primary and secondary channels, device 0 of both channels shows Ultra DMA Mode 2. However, device 1 of both channels shows DMA Mode if Available, and transfer mode as PIO.

Why can't I change device 1 to DMA Mode? Any ideas on what to look at?

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

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Re: Can't select DMA
Aug 12, 2004 1:46AM PDT

For starters, you neglected the FORUM TIP which reads:
"Tip: If you are asking for help to troubleshoot a computer-related problem, please be sure to include all the necessary information (ie: operating system, model number, hardware, software, etc) that will help others identify your problem for a speedy resolution."

If you had supplied the make/models of motherboard or machine, I may have just told you to install the motherboard drivers and re-test. You also didn't tell all about the IDE CABLE TYPES, the jumper settings you used. Why the cable types and jumper settings matter is I fixed another one that had the master/slave jumpers on the 80 conductor cable by moving to cable select. This would be incorrect for 40 conductor cables, but right or wrong, cable select cleared it up on the 80 conductor cable.

Wish I could read more about the machine, cables, jumpers and BIOS version.

Bob

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Re: Can't select DMA
Aug 12, 2004 2:10AM PDT

Thanks. I know I left a lot of info out, but I just started getting into this problem and I was looking for a few hints of where to look. I won't have the details until I open up the PC.

The PC is a P3 Dell (Dimension 4100) with 2 Maxtor 80GB Ultra ATA/133 and 1 IBM 45G drive. The IBM drive is on it's own PCI external Maxtor disk controller.

I think all drives are set to cable select, per Dell's recommendation.

I'll post more info once I have it. Thanks again.

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That's a clue.
Aug 12, 2004 2:17AM PDT

The PCI controllers tend to be problematic and you may run into an unit now and then that will never do DMA at full tilt. The only fix I know is to dump the controller and move back to the onboard controllers.

If the drive is "external" then DMA is a non-starter since the connection may be USB, Firewire, SATA or other. Again, details are far too light to see what we can do.

If you can post gritty details, it can help.

Bob

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Re: That's a clue.
Aug 12, 2004 2:23AM PDT

The drive that concerns me the most is connected via the onboard controller.

I installed these drive myself several months ago and I'm 99.9% confident that at that time, all drives were set to DMA mode. Since then, I haven't changed the PC's config. I recently started experiencing slow performance with video editing so I checked DMA mode for each drive which led me to posting the question.

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Did you?
Aug 12, 2004 2:27AM PDT

There's a MICROSOFT'ISM that you have to set it to PIO, OK your way out and then go back in and set it to DMA, then ok your way out. Some will not do this, but continue to stare at the settings. I'm unsure why they do that.

Hope this issue is yours. Easy to fix.

Bob

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Re: That's a clue.
Aug 12, 2004 6:56AM PDT

I seem to recall a piece of triva I read about if windows (xp I think) encountered too many errors on the IDE ports it started stepping back the speed.

It did not apply to me so I said ya that's nice and moved on.

If I had an IDE device that was set to DMA and then later showed as PIO I might be wondering if windows was trying to tell me something.

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Re: That's a clue.
Aug 12, 2004 11:04PM PDT

I have usually seen the problem you mention happen when the second drive was not set to Auto in the BIOS when it was added to the Dell. If you do this the system can't properly recognize it and sees it only as a PIO drive, if you go into the BIOS and set it to auto for the drive then it will use DMA.