Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 23:48:11 +0200 From: Siegbert Baude <siegbert.baude@gmx.de> To: DAve <dave@pixelhammer.com>, "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: (off Topic)Two drives on primary controller Message-ID: <397B681B.A5990E39@gmx.de> References: <20000722220645.A1690@pixelhammer.com>
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Hello Dave, DAve wrote: > Generally the bios never sees the drive, when the rare occurance of the bios > identifies the drive, the box hangs before it boots. So we don't have any OS related problem here. We first have to figure out how to get hardware working, then we can think about Software (OS related) problems. Short summary about IDE: You have two independant channels (disk access can be simultaneous for those channels). To each channel you can apply two devices (hard disks, CD-ROM, ZIP,...), which can't be accessed simultaneously within the same channel. So you should place two devices on the same channel, which aren't used often at the same time. If we end in only one working combination, there is no much choice ;-) On each channel used, there must be exactly one MASTER, the second device per channel must be SLAVE. Don't fiddle with auto detection (cable select option). Although you can be lucky with using a CD-ROM set to SLAVE as the only device on an IDE channel, don't do it, it can cause trouble. Pay attention to the cables, you can plug them in wrong: There normally is one side marked with a colour (normally red), which must go to pin #1 on your motherboard and devices. If the slots on the devices aren't marked, assume the pin close to the power supply to be pin #1. Use short cables, the IDE specs will only allow 40cm (about 16 inches). I often heard the hint to plugin the MASTER disk at the end of the cable, SLAVE in the middle. But i never noticed any difference (IDE is a bus, so there should be none). Just to be sure you can follow this hint ... Write down everything you will change from now on, to be sure you can always go back to the status quo (that is working with one disk). To get things simple reduce your hardware to the minimum for the following tests (at best only VGA, keyboard and floppy; we will try to add IDE components piece by piece). I just looked into your old mails: In the box, which the drives should be installed in, you don't have any scsi components (if yes remove the controller for these tests). Now look on your motherboard or in its documentation: Are there any jumpers or switches to deactivate the second IDE channel? If yes activate. Have a look at your bios (this machine is rather old; maybe there is a bios update from the motherboard manufacturer homepage to support nowadays big IDE disks. But I would first try with the installed BIOS and assume BIOS update to be a last ressort): Are there any possibilities to switch off your second IDE channel? If yes, switch it on. Put everything related to IDE disks to AUTO: Detection, Mode (LBA, LARGE, NORMAL), PIO-Mode, DMA-Mode (not all of them may be present in an old BIOS). If you can adjust IRQs and IO ports, the defaults are: IO 0x1f0, irq 14 for IDE channel #1 IO 0x170, irq 15 for IDE channel #2 In the following we will test your equipment with only one disk installed. So now plugin your old hard disk to your "known as working" IDE channel (make sure it still is jumpered as MASTER). If you switch on your computer, the drive should be detected (don't wait for booting, the BIOS detection is enough for the following tests). If you have to activate manually the auto detection in your BIOS, you should see then some recommended mode lines (CHS, blabla). Try the same cable and disk on the other IDE channel. Is it still detected? Fine, otherways you know your trouble is caused by motherboard/BIOS, and you won't come any further until this works. Use the same cable with one of your new disks in the first IDE channel (again make sure, they are jumpered as MASTER). Is it recognized? Fine, if not look if there is any jumper on it to make the BIOS believe it's a small old hard disk. Try again, if it's still not detected look now for BIOS updates as last ressort, but I would assume then, it is broken so go back to your dealer. Try all the disks you want to use in the same manner (same cable, jumpered MASTER, on the first IDE channel). If it works on the first IDE channel, try again on the second with all the disks. Try your second cable with one of the working disks. Now you know your disks, cables and IDE channels work fine. (Hope you come until here :-) ) Now we go for tests with two disks, so one has to be in MASTER mode, one in SLAVE: Use your first IDE channel, (if you want, you can doublecheck with the second IDE channel, but the results should be the same) your old hard disk as MASTER, your CD-ROM as SLAVE (that is your old configuration, isn't it? So this should work). Are they detected properly? Now replace the CD-ROM with one of your new disks jumpered as SLAVE. Try all combinations of two drives jumpered as MASTER and SLAVE (of course always one SLAVE and one MASTER). Write down things, which don't work, publish them and use the working ones (all of them are considered to work, but reality is sometimes different). Now try if one of the working combinations does its thing also on the second channel and you should be done. If you have any choices left, use your old hard disk as MASTER on first IDE channel (to avoid numbering problems), CD-ROM as slave somewhere (I never noticed the problem, stated in an earlier answer, that disks won't be found, when a CD-ROM is SLAVE on first IDE channel). Write down recommended BIOS settings, if possible use LBA for new disks >8GB to avoid some problems, and happily throw your OSs on the new disks. If anything goes wrong, mail us which of the above steps worked and which failed. Ciao Siegbert To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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