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#1
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Maximum number of IDE drives.
Is there a maximum of only four drives allowed on a PC?
That is, a master and slave on the primary IDE connector of the motherboard and the same on the secondary connector. I have a new ZIP drive and don't know how to install it because I've got two HDs on the primary, and a fast CD reader and a burner on the secondary. Please help. |
#2
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"jayhay" wrote...
Is there a maximum of only four drives allowed on a PC? That is, a master and slave on the primary IDE connector of the motherboard and the same on the secondary connector. In general, yes. You'll have to buy a PCI card, or connect it via USB2 or Firewire (internal or external) with the appropriate adapter/case. |
#3
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You can use more than 4 IDE drives, but IDE controllers support only up to
two drives per channel, as you've seen. One solution would be to install a PCI IDE controller card. An inexpensive example is the Promise Ultra100TX2. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16816102026 It's an old card, but it supports LBA48 drives (137 GB) and has drivers for XP. It has two controllers, so it would allow you to use up to 8 drives in your system. It may be best to put the fixed drives on the Promise card and removables on the mainboard's controllers. Address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn. "jayhay" wrote in message ... Is there a maximum of only four drives allowed on a PC? That is, a master and slave on the primary IDE connector of the motherboard and the same on the secondary connector. I have a new ZIP drive and don't know how to install it because I've got two HDs on the primary, and a fast CD reader and a burner on the secondary. Please help. |
#4
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I heard that if you run xp off one of these controller cards, and
then build a new computer, you can just move the card and drive to the new one and it works. Is there any truth to that? |
#5
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Mike Hollywood wrote:
I heard that if you run xp off one of these controller cards, and then build a new computer, you can just move the card and drive to the new one and it works. Is there any truth to that? It's a half truth, or rather the fraction is smaller than that. The way that's said suggests you can just move the card/drive and, viola, everything works in the new PC. No. What it will do is BOOT, maybe, since the IDE driver for that CARD is installed but even that is not assured depending on what chipset the old and new motherboards have. Like, is the PCI bus, that the card is plugged INTO, going to work? Quite likely nothing on the new motherboard would have the right drivers for the base chipset (including PCI), sound, LAN, or anything else on it and if it can't talk to the PCI bus then it can't talk to the cards plugged into it, whether they have the 'right driver', or not. At any rate, whether it booted or not you'd need to do at least a repair install for everything else so it doesn't really get you anything to hope the add-on card/drive boots. |
#6
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jayhay wrote:
Is there a maximum of only four drives allowed on a PC? That is, a master and slave on the primary IDE connector of the motherboard and the same on the secondary connector. I have a new ZIP drive and don't know how to install it because I've got two HDs on the primary, and a fast CD reader and a burner on the secondary. Please help. Buy a PCI IDE add on card and get more IDE connectors. Ari -- spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor: http://www.abmdr.org.au/ http://www.marrow.org/ |
#7
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Yeah. Pop in 3 PCI cards & get an extra 12 connections.
"spodosaurus" wrote in message ... jayhay wrote: Is there a maximum of only four drives allowed on a PC? That is, a master and slave on the primary IDE connector of the motherboard and the same on the secondary connector. I have a new ZIP drive and don't know how to install it because I've got two HDs on the primary, and a fast CD reader and a burner on the secondary. Please help. Buy a PCI IDE add on card and get more IDE connectors. Ari -- spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor: http://www.abmdr.org.au/ http://www.marrow.org/ |
#8
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BruceM wrote:
Yeah. Pop in 3 PCI cards & get an extra 12 connections. I've got an extra 2 PCI IDE cards in this box :-) Soon I'll need a more powerful PSU. "spodosaurus" wrote in message ... jayhay wrote: Is there a maximum of only four drives allowed on a PC? That is, a master and slave on the primary IDE connector of the motherboard and the same on the secondary connector. I have a new ZIP drive and don't know how to install it because I've got two HDs on the primary, and a fast CD reader and a burner on the secondary. Please help. Buy a PCI IDE add on card and get more IDE connectors. Ari -- spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor: http://www.abmdr.org.au/ http://www.marrow.org/ |
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