A more complete log about my disk access errors

[Victor Tsaran]

Hi, Kirk!
That sheds some light. I will probably end up downloading a diag diskette
for Western Digital drives and see whether they detect DMA capabilities. OK,
if it turns out that I was fooled by Windows during all this time, do you
know of any parameter which I could use to tell Linux to fall to PIO mode
right away?
Best,
Victor

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kirk Wood" <cpt.kirk at 1tree.net>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2001 11:53 PM
Subject: Re: A more complete log about my disk access errors


> First, understand why Windows 2000 doesn't complain about the DMA. If the
> drive times out twice (ever) then it no longer uses DMA ever. So it won't
> complain. It won't tell you. In fact, win winclows 98 they burried any
> indication that this had happened. It happens more often them many people
> realize.
>
> Having said that, if you didn't have DMA support compiled into the kernel
> you wouldn't get the errors. Yes, it must be compiled in if it is to be
> used. (DMA falls back to PIO in case of failure and PIO always remains
> available.)
>
> As for fixing this, it is either the motherboard or the drive. I know that
> doesn't help. You might check to see that DMA is turned on in the
> BIOS. (Linux will try anyway, winblows just acts like it is using DMA and
> doesn't really.) Otherwise try another DMA drive and see if the problem
> resolves.
>
> =======
> Kirk Wood
> Cpt.Kirk at 1tree.net
>
> Nothing is hard if you know the answer or are used to doing it.
>
>
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