"Write Cache Enabled" won't stay disabled

  • Thread starter Thread starter Frank
  • Start date Start date
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Frank

I can't seem to permanently disable write caching to the two ATA hard
drives. (Win 2000 sp2):

right click "my computer" --> properties --> Hardware -->
Device Manager --> Disk Drives --> select drive --> Properties -->
Disk Properties --> uncheck "Write Cache enabled"

After either a normal reboot or system crash (the reason I need to
disable caching), the option is again turnrd on for both drives,
resulting in data loss at the next crash.

How do I turn off caching and have the setting stick?
 
You should be at SP4 + rollup
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=332023

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
|I can't seem to permanently disable write caching to the two ATA hard
| drives. (Win 2000 sp2):
|
| right click "my computer" --> properties --> Hardware -->
| Device Manager --> Disk Drives --> select drive --> Properties -->
| Disk Properties --> uncheck "Write Cache enabled"
|
| After either a normal reboot or system crash (the reason I need to
| disable caching), the option is again turnrd on for both drives,
| resulting in data loss at the next crash.
|
| How do I turn off caching and have the setting stick?
 
Depending on controller/driver you may note be able to. I had to dump a DPT
high end scsi controller because the W2K drivers wouldn't disable cacheing.

Hopefully a update will fix your issue.
 
Dave Patrick said:
You should be at SP4 + rollup
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=332023
Click to expand...

I still have that problem with SP4. I have one PATA133 drive in a
removable bay drawer, and one directly connected. Each has its own cable
with no other devices. I got "The driver detected a controller error on
\Device\Harddisk1\DR1." 42 times in the past 5 months (with very even
frequency, every 2-4 days, but with some long gaps). The errors always
come in pairs, at the same exact time, as if both drives have the error at
the same time, but it's always the same "DR1" device name. The controller
is a SIIG, which appears as a SCSI adapter.
 
These articles may help you determine what's going on.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q314093
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/159865/


--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| I still have that problem with SP4. I have one PATA133 drive in a
| removable bay drawer, and one directly connected. Each has its own cable
| with no other devices. I got "The driver detected a controller error on
| \Device\Harddisk1\DR1." 42 times in the past 5 months (with very even
| frequency, every 2-4 days, but with some long gaps). The errors always
| come in pairs, at the same exact time, as if both drives have the error at
| the same time, but it's always the same "DR1" device name. The controller
| is a SIIG, which appears as a SCSI adapter.
|
|
| --
|
| Reply in group, but if emailing add
| 2 more zeros and remove the obvious.
|
|
 
Dave Patrick said:
These articles may help you determine what's going on.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q314093
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/159865/
Click to expand...

Thank you for those links. I've read the second one before.

The event appears to be refering to the drive in the drawer (drive 1, not
0) but neither the registry nor disk management uses the term DR1.

I suspect it's the drawer itself, but it's hard to be sure.

It is only a backup drive, and I make backups to rotating folders every
day, so if it has an error every few days I think I should still have most
backups. Once every 2 months or so, the backup log shows a write error,
but at those times there's no hardware error in the event viewer.
 
I'd download and run a disk diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer's
web site.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Thank you for those links. I've read the second one before.
|
| The event appears to be refering to the drive in the drawer (drive 1, not
| 0) but neither the registry nor disk management uses the term DR1.
|
| I suspect it's the drawer itself, but it's hard to be sure.
|
| It is only a backup drive, and I make backups to rotating folders every
| day, so if it has an error every few days I think I should still have most
| backups. Once every 2 months or so, the backup log shows a write error,
| but at those times there's no hardware error in the event viewer.
|
|
| --
|
| Reply in group, but if emailing add
| 2 more zeros and remove the obvious.
|
|
 
Dave Patrick said:
I'd download and run a disk diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer's
web site.
Click to expand...

You're right, of course. I've been too complacent about it because it has
redundant data and most copies are good, but I will try the Maxtor utility.
Hopefully it does a rigorous test that can detect a cable problem as well
as a drive problem.
 
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