New WD 160g stuck in PIO instead of Ultra DMA

[Steve M. Mann]

No it doesnt. You dont know that 2K greys that out with all drives
that dont have an entry in the bios drive table. 2K could have just
given up on the response it got from the particular hard drive when
it was queried about what its capabilitys are. There may just be
some quirk with a particular drive's response on that.



Nope, makes more sense to use the lowest common denominator instead.



With that particular hard drive. You dont know that it always greys
that out with all hard drives that dont have a drive type entry.

Its very likely just a blemish in 2K. You dont see too many saying
they get that effect when the drive doesnt have an entry in the
drive table. So its likely only seen with some hard drives etc.



No it isnt if its only seen rarely with some hard drives.



That risks it being set inappropriately.

2K has never let the user override what 2K has decided is
appropriate with that setting when its decided that DMA is too risky.



Doesnt happen if you know what you are doing. You try the common
causes of a lack of DMA and then try the less common causes when
the common causes doesnt produce DMA. No need to tear any hair,
just debug the possibilitys systematically, from most likely to less likely.

Its ALWAYS possible to work out what the problem is, the only
question is whether its worth the effort and it obviously is with
something as simple to check as the drive type and jumpers.

All I know is that I fixed the problem in less time than you to have
taken to fight about it.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

No it doesnt. You dont know that 2K greys that out with all drives
that dont have an entry in the bios drive table. 2K could have just
given up on the response it got from the particular hard drive when
it was queried about what its capabilitys are.

There may just be some quirk with a particular drive's response on that.

In which case it obviously doesn't help to put it on another IDE (add-in)
controller as you suggested.

[snip]

 

[Rod Speed]

All I know is that I fixed the problem in less
time than you to have taken to fight about it.

And I'm rubbing his nose in the fact that its worth checking
what you discovered was the problem when the more
obvious causes of lack of DMA are the problem.

 

[Rod Speed]

In which case it obviously doesn't help to put it on
another IDE (add-in) controller as you suggested.

I never ever suggested anything of the sort. HE
asked if that was the best approach to get DMA.

And you dont know that 2K might well have been happy to
use DMA on the drive with it on an addin controller anyway.

 

[Steve M. Mann]

No it doesnt. You dont know that 2K greys that out with all drives
that dont have an entry in the bios drive table. 2K could have just
given up on the response it got from the particular hard drive when
it was queried about what its capabilitys are.

There may just be some quirk with a particular drive's response on that.

In which case it obviously doesn't help to put it on another IDE (add-in)
controller as you suggested.

[snip]

It was I who originally asked if that might be a viable solution.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Rod Speed wrote
Steve M. Mann (e-mail address removed)> wrote
I just added a new Western Digital 160g Caviar SE (wd1600jb) to
my system as a primary slave (on the same cable as the master,
and physically jumpered as slave). I can't get the new drive to
utilize Ultra DMA. It's currently stuck in PIO. The OS is Win2k
(sp4). It's a Dell Opti-Plex GX-270 PC.
I've followed all the solutions and workarounds I can find on
the Dell and WD sites. Including uninstalling the IDE primary
channel driver and restarting Windows. Still no go. The IDE/ATA
information still shows PIO even though it's set for auto detect.

Set for autodetect where?

In 2K presumably.

That is correct. And just to be clear, the option was grayed out
and could not be changed from the 'Auto Detect' setting it was in.

Sounds like a misnomer then. Supposedly it can't be changed
because it doesn't do anything other than take the state that it is in.

Or its only greyed out in some situations like when the
drive doesnt have an entry in the bios drive table etc

That would mean that you can't use the Windows only (biosless )
add-in controllers that are available for sale on Windows itself.

No it doesnt. You dont know that 2K greys that out with all drives
that dont have an entry in the bios drive table. 2K could have just
given up on the response it got from the particular hard drive when
it was queried about what its capabilitys are.

There may just be some quirk with a particular drive's response on that.

In which case it obviously doesn't help to put it on another IDE (add-in)
controller as you suggested.

[snip]

It was I who originally asked if that might be a viable solution.

And he did confirm in no uncertain terms that it would be a last resort
that would certainly work:


"

That would be another weird assumption.

Those are worth considering when the basics arent the cause.

Assuming that would help.

*It would almost certainly fix the problem with the drive not*
* having DMA enabled, tho it would be a very crude kludge. *

Another grasp at straws.

* Nope, no straw involved, it would get DMA on the drive. *

"

 

[Rod Speed]

And he did confirm in no uncertain terms that it would be a last resort

Lying, again.

that would certainly work:

Lying, again. I included the word ALMOST, liar.

news:[email protected]

Which says nothing like what you previously
claimed I said, or what you are now lying either.

"

Those are worth considering when the basics arent the cause.

*It would almost certainly fix the problem with the drive not*
* having DMA enabled, tho it would be a very crude kludge. *

* Nope, no straw involved, it would get DMA on the drive. *

"

Basically because the drive type entry isnt relevant
with the drive on an addon controller, cretin.