Ultra DMA mode not being reported correctly by Windows XP Pro???

[MadMax350]

I have 3 IDE devices hooked to the sys in my sig. I have 2 IDE's on the Primary and 1 IDE on the secondary. I don't think windows is registering the UDMA modes correctly.. Here is what is going on:

Mobo BIOS Reports:............WinXP Pro Dev Man Reports:

IDE 0, Pri UDMA66.....................IDE 0, Pri UDMA mode 3 (44.4mb/s)
IDE 0, Sec UDMA33....................IDE 0, Sec UDMA mode 1 (25mb/s)
IDE 1, Pri UDMA33......................IDE 1, Pri UDMA mode 1 (25mb/s)

I got the UDMA mode descriptions from:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/modesUDMA-c.html

Is windows truly not registering my transfer modes correctly? If not, is there a way to fix this problem?

[HawaiianGhost]

Go into your Device manager and check the properties of the device called:

IDE ATA/ATAPI CONTROLLERS

In its properties you should see an "Advance Settings" tab. Here you would make sure that the TRANSFER MODE drop box is set to "DMA if Available" under the Primary and Secondary IDE channels. **You may have to reboot once changed
My backup HDD shows Mode 5 and my Yamaha and Lite-On LTN526 both show Mode 2 - this is ultimately what you want & it's the most you will get out of these type of drives. If your CD-ROM drives don't support it, of course, it won't work.

I believe I had to flash my Lite-On'z chip to be able to get it to run at this mode though, you can search for it at the Lite-On site. But try it without the flash first and see what happens. My Yamaha was automatically detected to run in the most optimized mode.

[Brk]

For one thing, your CD/CD-RW/DVD drives should not be on the same channel as the hard drive. If your hard drive is ATA/66 (also called UDMA 4), and you have an ATA/33 (or UDMA 3, which is the speed of all IDE CD/CD-RW-/DVD drives) on the same cable, both drives will run at the slower ATA/33 speed.

Hence, I would set the jumpers on all three drives to CS (Cable Select), and the revised setup would be like this:

Cable #1 on Primary IDE
Hard drive

Cable #2 to Secondary IDE
DVD-ROM
CD-RW

Furthermore, you need a 80 conductor (40 pin) IDE cable for ATA/66 (or higher) to run at the correct speed.

[Brk]

Also, have you installed the latest Intel chipset drivers? It's very important that you do.

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/index.htm

[MadMax350]

Ok, here are the changes I have made and what effect they had:

Advanced Properties Tab, DMA has been and still is set to "DMA if Available"

-no effect

Changed the IDE cables around and set all of the drives jumpers to Cable Select. Yes, I do have (2) 80 conductor ATA-66/100 compliant cables. New drive (IDE) arrangement is as follows:

HDD IDE 0 Primary
DVD-ROM IDE 1 Primary
CD-RW IDE 1 Secondary

BIOS is still recognizing all drives' UDMA modes the same as I stated in my original post. Win XP is still recognizing UDMA modes as stated before... NO CHANGE.

I don't think I have an Intel Chipset. The chip on the board says: VIA VT82C596B. Is this a VIA chipset? If not, how do I find out what chipset I have? I have the most current BIOS rev installed.

[MadMax350]

I also have found the most current Chipset drivers for my MOBO and downloaded and installed them... Still no change in the way XP is reporting my UDMA modes.

[Brk]

Originally posted by MadMax350
I also have found the most current Chipset drivers for my MOBO and downloaded and installed them... Still no change in the way XP is reporting my UDMA modes.

I was about to say that...your board used the Apollo Pro chipset. I'm not sure what's going on, then, if you have the latest drivers.

[Brent]

Originally posted by MadMax350
I also have found the most current Chipset drivers for my MOBO and downloaded and installed them... Still no change in the way XP is reporting my UDMA modes.

which ones were they specifically

want to make sure you got the right ones

[MadMax350]

gigabyte.com specified the VIA 4in1 v4.38 chipset drivers for my mobo.

http://www.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/Support/Driver/Driver_GA-6VXE+.htm

[Brk]

Originally posted by MadMax350
gigabyte.com specified the VIA 4in1 v4.38 chipset drivers for my mobo.

http://www.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/Support/Driver/Driver_GA-6VXE+.htm

Might try these:

http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=2

[MadMax350]

thanks burke, I downloaded and installed those drivers but guess what?

didn't help...:(

[Brk]

Check this out...it's for CD drives, but it might help overall.

http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6645

[MadMax350]

Interesting reading. Perhaps this explains why I have some hickups in the video when I play DVDs on my puter. Went ahead and did what that link said to do but still no change, both the DVD and CD-RW drive are still operating at DMA mode 1. I will note that even after I installed the VIA drivers you told me to, Windows says that Microsoft is the provider for both drivers in the driver file details dialog. Is this telling me that Windows is NOT allowing the updated VIA drivers to be installed? If so, how do I force XP to take these drivers?

[Brk]

Maybe my brain isn't working right, but I'm stumped on this one. I'll look around and see if I can dredge up something else...

[MadMax350]

thanks for your help...

[Brk]

I could swear that XP automatically choose the faster mode anyway, this being DMA...

[Brk]

Try this, perhaps...

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;327805

[Brk]

Have you tried SiSoft Sandra or another program and see what it reports your DMA speed to be?

[terrancelam]

Originally posted by MadMax350
Interesting reading. Perhaps this explains why I have some hickups in the video when I play DVDs on my puter. Went ahead and did what that link said to do but still no change, both the DVD and CD-RW drive are still operating at DMA mode 1. I will note that even after I installed the VIA drivers you told me to, Windows says that Microsoft is the provider for both drivers in the driver file details dialog. Is this telling me that Windows is NOT allowing the updated VIA drivers to be installed? If so, how do I force XP to take these drivers?

Most DVD drives and CD-RW drives don't run any faster then UDMA 33/ Mode 1. Only hard drives run faster (i.e Mode 4 is ATA/100 and Mode 3 = ATA/66).

Usually your hard drive should be on a single channel by itself or with other devices with a similar ATA rating. As for why videos are choppy, make sure you have hardware acceleration enabled within the program you are using to view your DVDs.

[Massa]

Originally posted by MadMax350
Ok, here are the changes I have made and what effect they had:

Advanced Properties Tab, DMA has been and still is set to "DMA if Available"

-no effect

Changed the IDE cables around and set all of the drives jumpers to Cable Select. Yes, I do have (2) 80 conductor ATA-66/100 compliant cables. New drive (IDE) arrangement is as follows:

HDD IDE 0 Primary
DVD-ROM IDE 1 Primary
CD-RW IDE 1 Secondary

BIOS is still recognizing all drives' UDMA modes the same as I stated in my original post. Win XP is still recognizing UDMA modes as stated before... NO CHANGE.

I don't think I have an Intel Chipset. The chip on the board says: VIA VT82C596B. Is this a VIA chipset? If not, how do I find out what chipset I have? I have the most current BIOS rev installed.


The only problem there is that you dvd rom SHOULD NOT be hooked up on the same channel as your HD. Have this setup:

Cable one (ATA66) Hard drisk (primary)

Cable two (ata33) CD-RW and DVD

Thats all you really need to do.

Good luck,

Massa

[Brk]

Originally posted by Massamune
The only problem there is that you dvd rom SHOULD NOT be hooked up on the same channel as your HD. Have this setup:

Cable one (ATA66) Hard drisk (primary)

Cable two (ata33) CD-RW and DVD

Thats all you really need to do.

Good luck,

Massa

Already covered that...didn't help him.

You no read whole thread.

[MadMax350]

Originally posted by terrancelam
Most DVD drives and CD-RW drives don't run any faster then UDMA 33/ Mode 1. Only hard drives run faster (i.e Mode 4 is ATA/100 and Mode 3 = ATA/66).

Usually your hard drive should be on a single channel by itself or with other devices with a similar ATA rating. As for why videos are choppy, make sure you have hardware acceleration enabled within the program you are using to view your DVDs.

Ok, back the truck up. What modes is WinXP working with? According to the link I supplied earlier in this thread, UDMA mode 1 was 25 mb/s and mode 3 was 44.4mb/s. According to you, WinXP is reporting my stuff correctly. Who is right?

[Brk]

Originally posted by MadMax350
Ok, back the truck up. What modes is WinXP working with? According to the link I supplied earlier in this thread, UDMA mode 1 was 25 mb/s and mode 3 was 44.4mb/s. According to you, WinXP is reporting my stuff correctly. Who is right?

Don't worry about what the MB/s rating is. It's two different ways to say the same thing.

UDMA 3 = ATA/33 = 33 MB/s

UDMA 4 = ATA/66 = 66 MB/s

UDMA 5 = ATA/100 = 100 MB/s

UDMA 6 = ATA/133 = 133 MB/s

Most CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM drives operate at the ATA/33 speed. Newer hard drives go from ATA/66 to ATA/133. If your hard drive is on its own cable, then it's operating at the proper speed, assuming you have an 80 conductor/40-pin cable, which you said you had. If that's the case, then enabling DMA may not be an option, because Windows XP usually chooses the optimal transfer mode for each particular drive.

[Massa]

I did read the whole thread ... but i got no hint that he had already tried that device configuration :D

[MadMax350]

yes, I have the 80 con / 40 pin wire, trust me, I have already traveled down the road of non compliant cables that like to create bad sectors on hard drives.

[MadMax350]

can't seem to find any software available for download that will test the speed of my HDD as far as transfer rate and UDMA mode that doesn't want $50 or so to access it. Anyone have another place for me to look?

[Brk]

Originally posted by MadMax350
can't seem to find any software available for download that will test the speed of my HDD as far as transfer rate and UDMA mode that doesn't want $50 or so to access it. Anyone have another place for me to look?

http://www.sisoftware.net/index.html?dir=&location=sware_dl&langx=en&a=

[MadMax350]

already downloaded and installed that. it says I need to pay $50 to register it so I can test DMA status.

[Brk]

Originally posted by MadMax350
already downloaded and installed that. it says I need to pay $50 to register it so I can test DMA status.

But you can test the drive speed, like you said you wanted to...

[MadMax350]

what utility on that prog do I use to test drive speed? all of the icons under the "tests" heading say they need registration to work.

[Brk]

Originally posted by MadMax350
what utility on that prog do I use to test drive speed? all of the icons under the "tests" heading say they need registration to work.

File System Benchmark

[MadMax350]

Ok, I downloaded the latest version of that software and it allowed me to run this test. Here are the results:



SiSoftware Sandra

Test Status
SMP Test : No
Total Test Threads : 1
SMT Test : No
Dynamic MP/MT Load Balance : No
Processor Affinity : No
Windows Disk Cache Used : No
Use Overlapped I/O : Yes
IO Queue Depth : 8 request(s)
Test File Size : 511MB
File Server Optimised : No

Benchmark Breakdown
Buffered Read : 38 MB/s
Sequential Read : 32 MB/s
Random Read : 8 MB/s
Buffered Write : 38 MB/s
Sequential Write : 35 MB/s
Random Write : 10 MB/s
Average Access Time : 6 ms (estimated)

Drive
Drive Type : Hard Disk
Total Size : 93.2GB
Free Space : 87.5GB, 94%

Performance Tips
Notice 5008 : To change benchmarks, click Options.
Notice 5004 : Synthetic benchmark. May not tally with 'real-life' performance.
Notice 5006 : Only compare the results with ones obtained using the same version!
Tip 5202 : Use cache on to measure Windows performance.
Tip 2 : Double-click tip or press Enter while a tip is selected for more information about the tip.


Hmm, this leads me to believe Win XP is truely registering my UDMA 66 drive (as recognized by the BIOS) as a UDMA 33 drive. Is it time to go to microsoft support online?

HOWEVER, according to the DRIVE INDEX, my HDD beats a benchmarked ATA66 (7.2k RPM, 2mb cache) 28 GB NTFS by about 8000kb/s. Which readings are accurate?