What a Good Computer Needs

by **Empty17** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 12:49 pm

I built my own computer about 5 week or so ago. I currently have a Samsung Floppy Drive I haven't used yet. An Asus 52x CD Drive, and a Toshiba 16X DVD Drive. Plus one WD 80gb w/8mb Cache.
My configuration is:
IDE Channel 1-Hard Drive Master
IDE Channel 2-DVD Master & CD Slave

I just bought a Samsung 52X CD-RW. So, now that I have a CD-RW can I get rid of the Floppy Drive? I thought it might be good if I kept the Asus CD, and did not use the CD-RW for playing CD's, but I am not sure. Is a CD, CD-RW, and DVD too much?

If I decide to keep all three drives, what should my IDE Channel configuration be?

Any help, much appreciated, Thanks.

by **dhc014** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 1:51 pm

Why would you want to get rid of the floppy drive?

I would say:
PM: Hard Drive
PS: DVD-ROM
SM: CD-RW
SS: CD-ROM

by **Ian** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 2:47 pm

dhc014 wrote:Why would you want to get rid of the floppy drive?

Why would you want to keep the floppy drive?

Seriously, when was the last time you used a floppy?

by **dhc014** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 2:54 pm

This morning :wink:

by **Empty17** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 3:00 pm

dhc014, If you have a CD-RW, then why would you need a Floppy Drive?

Can't you copy anything you would on a Floppy to CD-RW instead?

http://members.fortunecity.fr/vbl117 · by **vbl117** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 3:07 pm

U can copy a small compressed website on a floppy for example ( that's my case ) . U need mainly the floppy to flash your motherboard Bios . Explain me how you flash your Bios without floppy . Why shouldn't i use a floppy . Cost only 15 euro , and i use it sometimes .

by **Empty17** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 3:24 pm

Okay, I didn't know that. You can't flash your BIOS with a CD-RW? See, that's news to me. That's why I posted this.

If that's true though, how can DELL ship all their current machines now with out Floppy Drives? How are those people supposed to flash their BIOS?

by **cfitz** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 3:32 pm

Empty17 wrote:dhc014, If you have a CD-RW, then why would you need a Floppy Drive?

In dhc014's case, the reason is no doubt mtkflash. :wink:

cfitz

by **Empty17** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 3:49 pm

cfitz, sorry, but I have no idea what "mtkflash" means, *lol*.

BTW-Can I use a CD-RW to flash a BIOS?

To Floppy or Not to Floppy, that is THE Question....

by **Inertia** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 3:59 pm

Although it is theoretically possible to make a bootable CD-R containing firmware or BIOS update files, this would be a scary proposition for some people (including me), not to mention the waste of a disc. To update firmware it obviously would have to be used in a different drive than the one being updated. Not recommended.

I use floppy drives occasionally, primarily (as cfitz has remarked) for firmware flashing with MTKFlash (firmware flashing utility). If you wanted to save the current firmware configuration before flashing, this would be problematical using a boot CD-R. Floppies are outmoded, but simple and straightforward for basic utility jobs such as this.

Floppies can also be useful for rescue discs, loading ATAPI drivers, and basic DOS operations with no drivers loaded.

by **Dartman** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 4:12 pm

They are also handy for doing a dos boot when you need to fix something or just need to get at a true pure dos mode for anything.
When I was trying to install 98 I didn't have SCSI drivers included that would load for the Plextor cd rom and the writer so I couldn't boot to the 98 install cd. I used the boot disk and eventually figured out how to manualy add the drivers to get the cd drives working.
Now that they're all IDE drives that isn't a big deal but it sure was then.

by **Empty17** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 4:12 pm

Okay, so I'll keep the Floppy Drive. I do want to update BIOS as soon as the new versions come out, and I learn how to do it.

I guess I'll keep my CD player too. I have it, I might as well keep it.

by **Empty17** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 6:43 pm

Okay, for those of you with 4 IDE devices, any trouble connecting everything? I am using round cables. There's no way I can connect the DVD to the Hard Drive. It won't reach, and I am not sure 24" round cable will make a difference, since the second plug on the cable needs to reach, it still might not be long enough?

by **cfitz** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 6:49 pm

You may need to buy an additional IDE controller card if the cables physically won't reach. I wouldn't recommend exceeding the IDE specification of 18" maximum cable length.

If you do get an additional controller, put your hard drive on it and your optical drives on the mother board's controller.

cfitz

by **cfitz** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 6:53 pm

Here is a list of some candidates:

http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic. ... 0567#60567

cfitz

by **Inertia** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 7:25 pm

Another option would be to leave the hard drive alone on the primary cable as it is now.

You don't need the Asus 52x CD-ROM just to play CD's, if that is all you use it for. You can use either the Toshiba DVD-ROM or the new burner to play CD's. If you intend to burn data CD-ROM's on the fly at 52x, this might be a reason to keep the Asus, but the Toshiba DVD-ROM is almost as fast.

If you replace the Asus with the Samsung burner (slave on secondary channel) then you won't have to add a controller card at this time.

by **Empty17** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 7:26 pm

cfitz, I have an Abit Max 2 ver. 2 Motherboad. Can I use RAID?

by **cfitz** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 7:38 pm

Sure. That should work fine. Put your hard drive on the RAID controller (RAID controllers can generally be set up to support drives in non-RAID configurations as well) and put the optical drives on the regular IDE channels.

That motherboard also supports serial ATA, so you have all sorts of options.

cfitz

by **Inertia** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 7:46 pm

Your ABIT AT7-MAX2 Motherboard comes with two extra IDE channels which can be used with a Highpoint RAID controller.

The RAID IDE primary would be the best place to hook up your hard drive. In order to use RAID, you need two or more drives which should be identical for best results. However, you can use the extra IDE RAID slots as a standard IDE controller with one or more hard drives with the RAID configuration not enabled.

Your best bet would be to hook up the hard drive by itself to the RAID IDE slot. Then you will be able to hook up the three other ATAPI device on the standard mainboard IDE slots with plenty of room for the cable lengths.

by **Empty17** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:52 pm

Okay, Inertia, let me see if I have this right.

1)I don't have to configure anything in RAID. I can just plug in the Hard Drive to the first RAID IDE slot. I think that would be IDE 3. I leave it on Master.
2)Then I plug in the CD-RW on IDE 1 as Master.
3)Then I plug in the DVD on IDE 2 as Master and the CD as Slave.
4)I don't have to do anything in BIOS.

Is this configuration correct? I just plug and play? Nothing else?

Thank You for your help.

by **Inertia** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 9:43 pm

Empty17 wrote:Okay, Inertia, let me see if I have this right.

1)I don't have to configure anything in RAID. I can just plug in the Hard Drive to the first RAID IDE slot. I think that would be IDE 3. I leave it on Master.

Right.

2)Then I plug in the CD-RW on IDE 1 as Master.

Right.

3)Then I plug in the DVD on IDE 2 as Master and the CD as Slave.

Right.

4)I don't have to do anything in BIOS.

Make sure that the RAID controller is enabled in the system BIOS. It is probably listed under "Integrated Peripherals". Change the boot device sequence to boot from the ATAl33 RAID instead of HDD-1 (probably in Advanced BIOS Features).

Is this configuration correct? I just plug and play? Nothing else?

Yes, this is a correct configuration. Until the RAID functions are accessed and enabled in the RAID BIOS (probably Ctrl-H to enter), the RAID controller should function as a standard IDE hard drive controller. You can connect up to 4 hard drives without even using the RAID function if desired. Don't use the RAID controller for anything but hard drives.

Read your motherboard manual to confirm my directions on the system BIOS and RAID BIOS.

Thank You for your help.

You're welcome.

by **Action Jackson** on Wed Apr 23, 2003 11:17 pm

I keep my floppy just in case someone needs to bring over some files and such.

I even have an active 5.25" floppy drive just to fill space in my case.

by **CDRecorder** on Thu Apr 24, 2003 12:50 am

Ian wrote:Why would you want to keep the floppy drive?

Seriously, when was the last time you used a floppy?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but for me, they are better than CD-RWs for transferring some files (mainly those that are less than 50 KB). I also use them for flashing BIOS and some firmware. CD-RWs are far better for larger files, though.

Action Jackson wrote:I even have an active 5.25" floppy drive just to fill space in my case.

I have one of these in my 486/66! :lol:

by **Empty17** on Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:10 am

Okay, great. I am going to try it out today, hopefully it will work okay.

Thanks for all your help!

by **Turkeyscore.com** on Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:07 pm

5.25 drives rule, i got $1 for one

one friend of mine bought a compaq computer for cheap, he has done much to disguise that....he took off the front compaq *bezel*...is that what it is called? oh well he also covered the thing with duct tape and then alienware stickers he got from a lan party. he also put a 5.25" drive in...any idea how to install 2 3.5" floppy burners in one computer and get them both to work? Then you would be able to copy from floppy to floppy....

some would say i suffer from insanity...that is incorrect, i enjoy every minute of it!!!!!

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