UNSOLVED
Closed
K
keyboarduy
22 Posts
0
37510
July 31st, 2003 15:00
Delayed write failure with firewire hard drive
I've been sifting through the myriad of posts which describe the Delayed Write Failure which occurs on several laptops - including Inspiron's 8200 and 8500, and even desktops. The symptoms to the problem happen when transferring files to your firewire hard drive, whatever brand it is (maxtor, acomdata, western digital). The drive stops transferring, the delayed write failure message pops up, and the firewire port becomes disabled.
Every solution, whether GAP SP2, or disabling write caching, doesn't work. The problem isn't that it's third party hardware and it's "their" fault, it's DELL's fault. Why can't DELL fess up to their mistake - at least admit it's a problem, and maybe even do what good customer service should do - and fix the problem?
Every solution, whether GAP SP2, or disabling write caching, doesn't work. The problem isn't that it's third party hardware and it's "their" fault, it's DELL's fault. Why can't DELL fess up to their mistake - at least admit it's a problem, and maybe even do what good customer service should do - and fix the problem?
MGillespie
10 Posts
1526
0
Posted July 31st, 2003 18:00
Do you know what make of firewire enclosure DOES work? Mine certainly didn't (have now sold it). It was not a Oxford911 based chipset, but one of the others. What laptop you using, where it does work OK, what BIOS version etc...
Need to buy a new one, one that works this time.
@MGillespie wrote:
Do you know what make of firewire enclosure DOES work? Mine certainly didn't (have now sold it). It was not a Oxford911 based chipset, but one of the others. What laptop you using, where it does work OK, what BIOS version etc...
Need to buy a new one, one that works this time.
See my sig for info on the laptop I have. (I8200). Don't remember BIOS revision. 1394 is handled by the OS anyway.
Desktop is a homebuilt Athlon system with a generic VIA chipset 1394 card. (The I8200 has a TI chipset).
I've had rare issues with writing to my Firewire HD (Maxtor 120G drive in a generic USB2/1394 enclosure from NewEgg, ME-720UF) from my desktop machine. No problems with the drive connected to the 8200. The ME-720 is an OX911-based enclosure. Note that I'm running Linux on both machines. I've also used the drive under XP on the desktop and Win2k on the 8200, but far less frequently.keyboarduy
22 Posts
1526
0
Posted July 31st, 2003 21:00
If you read other posts which concern themselves with this issue, you'll find that other companies' laptops don't have this problem, which means it's not a Windows XP problem.
By the way, I have an Inspiron 8200 1.8 GHz, 512 MB RAM Running XP dual boot Pro and Home SP1, all the latest DELL fixes.
@keyboarduy wrote:
If you read other posts which concern themselves with this issue, you'll find that other companies' laptops don't have this problem, which means it's not a Windows XP problem.
By the way, I have an Inspiron 8200 1.8 GHz, 512 MB RAM Running XP dual boot Pro and Home SP1, all the latest DELL fixes.
It may or may not be XP. But it also isn't the laptop, as while I have had the problems you describe, they were NOT encountered on my Inspiron, but on my desktop which has a different 1394 controller in it. (VIA instead of TI).- I can assure you that the Oxford 911 chip set is not the problem. I have firewire drives that have been used on multiple systems daily for well over a year, and it was only when I got an Inspiron 8500 did I get random and numerous delayed write errors. Along with system hangs, blue screens of death, and other firewire failures. One simple test for me was to try and capture video from my camcorder through one firewire port to my firewire drive on the other port (built-in port + ADS Pyro port). Whether I used Avid Xpress DV, Adobe Premiere, or Vegas Video, the system locked up instantly requiring everything to be powered down. Dell replaced the motherboard and it still did the same thing. That's indicative of a design problem. The Compaq Presario 1500 I have and the Presario X1000 I just bought to replace the 8500 have no such problems, nor do I get delayed write errors with them. You're kidding yourself if you think that firewire is supposed to be finicky and the Oxford chipset is the problem--it's not. Dell's design is the problem.
MGillespie
10 Posts
1544
0
Posted August 26th, 2003 10:00
Well, my Inspiron 8200 is currently back with Dell. Let see what happens. I doubt that it will be any different when the laptop comes back....
- Just an FYI, I had this problem again. As mentioned before, it has only happened on my desktop. (Homebuilt, AMD Athlon 1.1 GHz, generic VIA-chipset 1394 card, Windows XP.)
It is NOT a Dell-specific problem. It could be a problem specific to a particular OX911 revision - Keep in mind that the OX911 chip does have OEM-customizable firmware (the secret to Wiebetech OX911-based bridges supporting ATA-6 HDs >137 GB when no one else did.), and hence firmware bugs that might be present in some OX911 bridges might not be present in others.
I'm using a generic enclosure from www.newegg.com - ME-720UF, combo USB2/1394 enclosure. MGillespie
10 Posts
1261
0
Posted August 28th, 2003 17:00
My original enclosure was NOT a 911 chipset, and it exhibted the problem. I don't know what chipset it was, but it certainly wan't a Oxford 911.
I am looking for another enclosure to try when the laptop comes back from Dell.
Anyone know any UK sellers of Firewire enclosures?
Entropy42
529 Posts
1526
0
Posted July 31st, 2003 16:00
Interestingly enough, I've had this problem once or twice, but NEVER on my Dell. It has (so far) only happened on my homebuilt desktop machine.
It may be a bug with the Oxford OX911 chipset used in most enclosures.