How to set HD from PIO to DMA mode??

Are you saying when you change setting to DMA it doesn't retain setting?
Some bios's have the option to disable DMA, so check there too.

My system is Dimension 8400. I've searched in BIOS for DMA info but can't find anything concert with DMA in BIOS so i don't think this problem comes from that. Any ideas??

Message Edited by onion721 on 09-18-2006 06:12 AM

Message Edited by onion721 on 09-18-2006 06:13 AM

I tried to set DMA from Device Manager many times.I don't understand why each time i restart the computer, the SATA drive uses DMA mode but when i copy files it simply automatic change to PIO mode and the system is very slowly. In the "Event Viewer" i received errors 11, 5. I think in this case maybe the drive can't synch with ATA drive or the dirver for it isn't compatible. How do you think?. And should I change it from "RAID signed/ATA) mode to "Combination" mode in BIOS?.
P.S: My system is Dimension 8400/HD: ST3106212AS

You sure BIOS shouldn't be set to RAID Autodetect/AHCI on the 8400? That's how mine is set, and I only have one 160 GB hard drive. Is new drive correctly recognized in BIOS?

You can go to this Dell page and download piotodma.exe. Unzip the folder and run pushdma.exe. That should reset the IDE channel to Ultra DMA mode. But if either drive is throwing off too many errors at that transfer speed, the channel will revert to PIO so there are fewer errors. If you remove the new drive will old HD drive run in Ultra DMA? If so, it's possible the new drive is a dud.
http://ftp1.us.dell.com/fixes/

And are you sure the SATA AHCI controller is installed in Device Manager?

Ron

Oh my God. It's a disaster when i set my system in "RAID signed/AHCI" mode. I tried it for only once. You know RON maybe your system just has one SATA drive so everything's ok but in my system I have one ATA and one SATA. When I set my system in "RAID signed/AHCI" mode and login Windows, copy files and then suddenly Windows doesn't regconize my drive anymore. All my data on SATA is wiped but i must accept with you that in "RAID signed/AHCI" mode the system run very fast. Anyway thanks for your help.

Now I'm confused. You said you bought a new SATA drive for your 8400, and now you have 1 SATA and 1 ATA drive. The 8400 was sold with SATA drives so where did the ATA drive come from? Did you substitute an ATA drive for the original SATA drive ??

Ron

Ah, sorry cause don't tell you that the original SATA drive'd died. And then i added a new ATA in my system first. Now i buy a new SATA and the problem comes immediately thereafter. In many case, I thinks everything'll ok if I remove the ATA but my data's full and one drive can't store enough beside that i want to know what happen and learn how to solve a problem.
P.S: I intend to buy a SATA to replace ATA. Does 8400 system reconize 320GB SATA? and can you show me how to install the OS on single SATA because when i run setup Windows it doesn't find any SATA that's why i must install the OS on ATA drive.Thanks.

So the ATA drive with OS is connected to the primary IDE channel. Is it jumpered 'cable select'? And I presume your optical drive is also on the IDE channel. Is it also jumpered 'cable select'? You may have to swap the connectors to which these drives are connected to the IDE ribbon cable.

You may want to disconnect the ATA drive and turn it off in BIOS. Install the new SATA drive alone (make sure it's jumpered cable select, if you have a choice), and recognized in BIOS. Boot from the XP CD and format the new drive before you can install XP on it. If you search around these forums, user Denny Denham frequently posts a link to instructions for installing XP on a new drive. (I don't have the link handy.)

Once the new drive is installed, you can reconnect the old one and copy the files over to the new drive. Then you'll be able to replace the ATA with a SATA drive. Don't know if the 8400 will recognize 320GB. Somebody else will have to answer that.

Ron