At 03:40 PM 4/2/00 -0600, you wrote:
>I am building a series of servers and they require IDE cd rom
>drives.  These drives must be mounted in the front of the box
>sideways.
>
>The drives I intended to use will not run in this configuration,
>erroring out unless I tip the case on the side.  This is not
>acceptable.
>
>My question:  Is anyone aware of an IDE drive that will operate
>when turned on the side?
>
>     Bob Wright
>The NOSPIN Group

This is odd.  Every single CD-ROM drive I have from a cheapy no-name brand,
to my HP 8110i CD-RW operates just fine for me on its side.  I have about 8
of them here from my HP to a Compaq OEM model, to a Matsushista SCSI unit.

The reason I run them this way is because I have mid-tower cases and my
computer desks will only accommodate a desktop unit.  Sounds a bit cheasy,
I know, but they run just fine this way and have for a while.

Perhaps you have them mounted improperly?  Just a shot in the dark, but I
remember years ago reading a CD-ROM manual I had for one of those old
Creative 1X CD-ROM's (you might remember the models that only attached to
the creative proprietary CD-ROM port on the SB16 sound card?), that they
could only run on their side if mounted in a specific direction.  Mine are
all mounted in the case normally and the case is turned with the top facing
left.  That means the eject button is on the right side of the (now
vertical) CD-ROM.

HTH


Eric

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