IDE question - adding a CD Writer

De Rebel

I'm adding a CD writer to a PC for a friend. The IDE configuration currently is:

Primary Master = HD
Secondary Master = DVD

It will have mixed use - writing from disk and duplicating (non-copyrighted) CDs.

My gut feel is never to put anything on the same IDE cable as the HD.

What's the consensus - should I add it as a Primay or Secondary Slave?

Sleipnir

Actually the best thing to do is to have the CD-ROM and the CD-writer on separate IDE channels.

If you mainly use the ROM for running cd's (installations etc) then put that on the secondary channel. That way you when you are using the HD and the CDROM together (eg running a game) they will each have their own channel.

When you are burning from ROM to writer, they each have their own channel (well, mostly!)

whosurpaddy

it dosent really matter but id put it on the same IDE as the HD as having both cd drives on same IDE can slow cd burning if your copying a cd from the dvd drive without burning to HD first

Mutant_Fruit

IT makes a big difference if a burner as compared to a cd-rom/dvd-rom is on sthe same channel as a HD.

When an IDE burner burns a cd, it locks the channel that its on when its writing the lead-in and lead-out. Basically, it means that if windows is on the same HD that is sharing the channel with the burner, you can get computer freeze. Also, it can crash the computer.

My advice, put a reader on with a HD if you have to, but definately but the cd-rw on a channel with no hd

muffen

My advice, put a reader on with a HD if you have to, but definately but the cd-rw on a channel with no hd

Agreed, it's safer to have the burner by itself.

De Rebel

That all makes sense.

Thanks ppl