Problem when adding a second DVD burner

Newbie Forum
#1

Hello,

I recently installed a DVR-110D in my computer, instead of a LG 4081. WHen the new drive is alone (as master, on the secondary IDE chain), it works great. When I add the old burner (as slave, on the same IDE cable as the burner), it starts burning coasters, with Nero reporting a DMA error.

Both drives (burners) are set to DMA. Any ideas why this might be?

Shlomi

#2

Windows sometimes falslly reports dma settings. Download cd speed and do a burst rate test. It should read at least 22-24 MBps. If it doesn’t, look for dma settings in your bios and make sure they are set right. If it is not that, you might want to try the old drive as master and the new drive as slave. Sometimes switching them around can solve issues. If you have a spare ide cable, you might want to try a diffrent cable. A damaged ide cable can cause all kinds of hard to diagnose problems. Just a few possibilities there.

#3

I hope these works… I’ll start dimantling the computer again, and possibly go shopping for an IDE cable :slight_smile:

#4

Using an 80 wire cable is anyway a good idea. Also verify to connect the right drive in the right connector, i.e. connect master drive on the external connector and slave on intermediate connector.

#5

THANKS ALL! Why Dell sold me a computer with a 40 wire cable less than a year ago will remain one of life’s great mysteries (or they are just cheap, take your pick).

Shlomi

#6

Thats pretty ridiculous. They probably just had a surplus of them they wanted to get rid of and figured they would go cheap on the computers. So the 80 wire cable fixed it?

#7

Yo-

Sony did the VERY same thing in both my Vaios-eh!!

I didn’t know that you could even find a 40 wire any more!!

Mike

#8

Yup - computer is happily burning on both burners…
Re 40 wire cables - not only can you find them, but the &^%*& worker at the local CompUSA happily handed me one when I asked for an IDE cable with three connectors…

#9

Emachines did exactly the same to me a couple of years back. The machine now lives with my mother, and I haven’t gotten round to swapping it out for an 80 yet, since it seems to be problem-free (plus I’m just lazy :bigsmile: )

Pleased to hear things are running nicely!