On 29 Dec 2003 at 10:34, Paul A. Shippert wrote:

> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>
> > I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450, Pentium III 450 Mhz, with 256 MB ram and
> > Windows ME that won't pickup the CD-RW; an Acer 10x4x32.  This CD-RW drive is on
> > the secondary IDE connector slave; in the master is DVD drive.  The BIOS will
> > not let me selected a secondary slave device,
>
> If this is the case, is the jumper on the correct pair of pins on the CD-RW (and the
> DVD, for that matter)?  If so, and the BIOS doesn't see it, the drive MAY be toast.
> It would be a good idea to re-check the jumpers on both devices on the secondary
> IDE channel, and set them to the manufacturer's recommendations.

  Dell has been very fond of configuring drives for "cable select" -- i.e.,
master or slave depending on which connector of the cable they're plugged
into.  This works fine when (a) all devices on a given channel are
configured this way, AND (b) a good cable that supports this is used.

  This points toward two possibilities to consider:

1.  Confirm that the DVD drive is really configured as master.

2.  Perhaps this cable was cheap and doesn't properly support cable select.


  My hunch is that you may have (effectively) two slaves on that channel,
and no master.

David Gillett

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