Updating Firmware

Hello all!

I have tried to set up my hardware in different combinations on the two IDE channels. My DVD doesn´t work well / doesn´t work at all, as the Primary Slave.
Depending on jumper settings, the computer boots but the (Primary Master) HDD light doesn´t go out until I have cycled the DVD tray. With different jumper settings, the HDD isn´t recognized by the BIOS.

I have discouraged people from updating the firmware version since things can go wrong. If it works, leave it as it is but now I have an issue.

The DVD is a Samsung SD-612S with firmware version SS02, which is the original.

Can anyone advice if a firmware update will solve this problem?
If it does, I´m willing to take my chances ...... ......

Thanks for Your time,
Christer

By the way, when my CD-R/RW was Primary Slave it worked well. It is a Samsung SW-408B with firmware version BS02, which also is the original.

 

Matt,
when re-reading my post I see that I didn´t express the situation very well.

The BIOS recognizes the DVD (and the CR-R/RW as Secondary Slave). The HDD is recognized jumpered as Cable Select but not as Master or Slave Present. When jumpered as CS it boots but slowly and the HDD light doesn´t go out until I have cycled the DVD tray.
The DVD causes the HDD to not work well but the DVD itself works okey.
It´s strange though, that the CD-R/RW works nicely as Primary Slave with no effects on the HDD but that´s not the idea behind mixing them. The idea is to be able to read from the main HDD and write to either the backup HDD or the CD-R/RW on the Secondary Channel. To do that, the DVD must be Slave on the Primary Channel to the main HDD.

Not long ago, I learned that jumping all the devices as Cable Select is a good idea and it seems to be the only jumping that works at all in this case.

I have noticed a succession of DVD and CD-R/RW firmware updates too but neither have I seen any "what do they cure" list. I suspect that they have to do with DMA/UDMA Modes and of course, WinXP compatibility.
This is however the first issue that I have with the Samsung devices. They have worked well on my XP system as Secondary Master and Slave. It could be a compatibility issue but it is also possible that it has a bearing on what Gary discusses.

Gary,
You might be on to something here.

During POST, the BIOS reports the CD-R/RW as Samsung SW408B BS02 and the DVD as SS02 Samsung SD612S. For the DVD the type and firmware version has swapped places.

However, this is the case on whichever IDE it is put so it isn´t crystal clear. It can also be bad firmware.

I´ll check into it!

Christer

Been checking my dictionary for "turd" and I shouldn´t have done that ...... ...... now I´m worried!
Well ...... ...... not really, it has worked well for 2½ years and if it is a bad BIOS chip, it can be fixed.
I also understand it as Your problems were immediate, they didn´t lurk for years.

I forgot to mention that the swedish EPOX general agent is less than 20 km away from where I live ...... ...... and they were very nice to deal with when I asked about accessories (the second pair of USB ports that isn´t standard).

 

Hi Matt!

I have sent Samsung/Sweden an E-mail with a question on what they think about the situation. Thanks for the hint on that possibility and for the pointers in Your most recent post too!

It was interesting reading and their discussions can be condensed into this, I make a few quotes:

I have experienced the slow access thing and even not recognizing the HDD. The strange thing is that the problems were with the DVD as Slave, with the CD-R/RW as Slave, there were no problems at all.

This I have proven. With the CD-R/RW as Slave, the HDD had the same performance as when alone on the primary.

With the DVD as Slave it booted very slowly but when it had finished, the HDD tested at the same speed as before.

It seems like it is a "two sides of the coin situation ". Some combinations work but other combinations don´t and what doesn´t work may differ.

This far, we recognize our own arguments (in the Independent Device Timing thread) but here are some news, well, to me at least:

I thought that having the main HDD on the Primary and the backup HDD on the Secondary with the CD-R/RW as Slave would be good. Using one controller for reading and the other for writing. The above quote indicates that tasks across the controllers are not good.

This would mean that the device that is most frequently used to write to, from the main HDD, should go as the Slave on the Primary.

Well, which one is it ...... ...... new considerations that overturn everything else ...... ...... !

And from Your latest post:

I´m with You all the way on that one ...... ...... !

Very interesting, thanks again,
Christer