Greetings Tom and list--

What happens if you set the hard disk and optical disk jumpers to
establish master-slave on each IDE channel? Will Windows properly
access the drives in that configuration?

Paul A. Shippert
Library Media Specialist
Margaret Brent Middle School
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and I'm hovering like a fly
waiting for the windshield on the
freeway." Genesis
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-------------- Original message --------------

> I recently installed a new CDRW drive in an XP Home SP2(fully updated) machine.
> I now have the 'C' HD as 'master' and a DVD drive as 'slave' on the primary IDE.
> And I have a 'D' HD as 'master' and the new CDRW drive as 'slave' on the
> secondary IDE. All are set for 'cable selection'.
>
> The BIOS sees all the drives correctly. Windows XP 'system information' sees the
> drives correctly with the DVD as 'E' drive and the CDRW as 'F' drive. The device
> manager sees all the drives and indicates proper operation. The ' My Computer'
> and 'Windows Explorer' only acknowledges the CDRW drive and inaccurately
> indicates it is the 'E' drive rather than the 'F' drive. Therefore, I can not
> get to the DVD drive through Windows. I have tried with disks both in and out of
> both drives without any difference.
>
> Through the 'Command Prompt' I can get to both drives and use them.
>
> If I physically disconnect the CDRW from the system, then 'My Computer' and
> 'Windows Explorer' will acknowledge the DVD drive as the 'E' drive. All other
> combinations I have tried have resulted in the DVD not being acknowledged.
>
> I have the same setup (except for the manufacturer of the DVD) in another
> machine and have no problems.
>
> Hardware Details:
>
> Soyo SY-K7VMP2 MB , Athlon XP 2400, 512 MB PC2100 DDR 266MHz, ATI Radeon 9200,
> LiteOn DVD-ROM, Sony CDRW, Acer LCD, 2 - 40GB Western Digital HD
>
> Since all of the hardware indicators are correct, this appears to be a problem
> within Windows XP. From the days of DOS, it almost seems like an 'environment'
> setting is limiting the number of drives being acknowledged. Any ideas on what
> might be causing this problem and how to solve it?
>
> Thanks
>
> Tom Mayer
>
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