T1B

My motherboard has the basic 2 IDE connections.

They are labeled 'IDE 1' and 'IDE 2'.

Now, in the BIOS setup, it looks for for 'IDE 0' to be the primary master.

I get an error message "Can not find primary master" and it then finds the 'IDE 1'.

I use American Megatrends BIOS.

Is there any way to fix this?

I also find that my CD-Rom about 50% of the time won't auto-run: I think cause it's not on IDE 1, but IDE 2.

Weird.

Maybe there's a flash update for the bios that might remedy your problem, chief?

I usually don't post during the weekends, but i'm drunk so I of course went to work to post. Makes sense right?

Anywa, IDE, in case anyone is confused is the IDE connect on your motherboard, in other words, its the connector for your hard drive.

It shoud be labled IDE 1 and 2 and not IDE 0 and 1 but I spose some wierd cheap MB manufacturer could be doing something wierd. I don't feel like researching, but here are some recommendations of the top of my head.

You should connect your primary (Boot) drive on IDE 1 (or 0 I spose). Connect your 2nd drive on IDE 2 (0r 1). Then connect one CDrom/DVD rom on IDE1 and the 2nd cdrom/dvdrom/ on IDE2. Remember that each IDE connection allows for 2 connections. A master and a slave but some drives are kind of wierd about how they get connected. For example, never drives, by themselves should be set to Cable connect. Other, older drives, should be set to either master or single drives if they are alone. If you have more then one drive on the same connector (IDE 1 or 2) then go for Master and Slave. (kink isn't it?). Just be sure to read the directions cause this changes every few years.

-ET

Actually, I am. But it depends on the set up you have. If you have one large drive and one optical drive, put them seperate. if you have two hard drives and two optical drives then put the two hard drives on the seperate IDE channels. Now you may ask why I say that? Fair enough.

The reasoning is simple. Each IDE channel can run one drive at a time. That means that you should seperate your busiest drives. By default your IDE channels can only run one drive at a time, as opposed to SCSI that can connect up to 7 drives and have parallel channels to each of them. SATA is a serial channel but it only allows one drive on each connection vs IDE (PATA), which allows 2 drives.

So if you have one Hard drive and one optical (CD/DVD) drive, you should seperate them. In fact some of the old optical drives will work better if you do. Now days it doesn't really matter, but if you seperate them, things will be a bit faster, however if you have two Hard drives, those should be seperated because your HDs will be used more then your optical drives. Then put the optical drives as slaves on IDE1 and IDE2.

-ET

Nope, I would seperate the two optical drives. Why? Makes it faster if you are doing CD/DVD to CD/DVD copying.

Just sayin.

-ET

Interesting every time I've set up an Asus or Abit board it always says to don't mix optical and hard disks on the same IDE channel. Fuck it though ita all about SATA now any hoo.

Damn if that didn't work.

Thanks HUGE ElTaco!

JKnox wrote:Interesting every time I've set up an Asus or Abit board it always says to don't mix optical and hard disks on the same IDE channel. Fuck it though ita all about SATA now any hoo.

There are so many variables that it it pays not to mix them. You can get away with it with some motherboard/drive combos, but not all of them.

Just go SCSI and be done with it.