IDE and bad software are killing me...

[Santilli]

Hi
I'm copying stuff on my machine from my SCSI 10k Cheetah, to my DM9 160 gig cheetah for backup. In the process, the file copying took awhile, but more destressing is the near entire usage of processor 2, of 4 virtual processors. This is not good. Whenever I want to load another program, even though it's off a different bus, I think, and 4 different drives, the process ground to a halt. It took a very long time for OS functions to occur, along with the programs taking 10-30 seconds to begin loading.

Currently I'm running a test for file system errors, and attempts to recover bad sectors, and it's running 26-30% cpu usage, and I'm out typing the machines rendering of my typing right now.. ANNOYING>

Processor two is again, buried at nearly 75-100% fluctuation. I don't have this problem with scsi, and just ordered an SCA/scsi box:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-121-401&depa=0

While scsi drives are more expensive, you do find great deals on 80 pin sca drives all the time, and I like the reliability, not to mention I don't like a freezing machine...

s

 

[Santilli]

Just for giggles, I decided to copy the same 6 gig file from the XL 18 backup, to the raid, while the Tools are still running on the maxtor.
It's taking 4 minutes, instead of 30. It's increase processor usage from
26-30 to 29-35%, and the typing problems remain. I think since the copying is taking priority, the processor usage has actually gone done, into the 60-80% range on cpu two.

Very strange.

s

 

[Santilli]

Defrag ide 26-31 % with DVD running. Affects DVD playback, slowing fram rate.

Will test scsi defrag.

 

[Santilli]

Same defrag, over on an 18XL, in about 2 minutes, and between 8-19%.
s

 

[LunarMist]

It could be a DMA or IDE controller problem if not a dying drive. I get 55.22MB/sec transfer rates when copying 4.35GB from a 15K.3 to a DM+9. The CPU utilization (1 CPU) is about 25%. The 18XL is a very old drive capable of only ~36MB/sec IIRC so CPU use should be even less.

 

[Adcadet]

I've got two Cheetah 18XL's and a WD1200JB on my system (single Athlon 64 3000+). Anybody want me to test something?

 

[Santilli]

Well, I ran the Maxtor tests, and the drive is fine.
I did change cables, but I may not have the right cable in place. It's a premium cable I bought a while back, but it's not for 100-133 standard, IIRC.

It's running PIO 4 mode, master channel, on the motherboard.

s

 

[Santilli]

LM:
Do you have a free utility for testing, that works?

s

 

[LunarMist]

I don't know if WB 99 works on newer systems. Otherwise, the new HDTach is viable for low level tests.

 

[Santilli]

I'm getting really worried about backing this stuff up, so I went through it, copied it to the XL, and to the Maxtor, and to the raid.
I changed the cable to a quality ATA-133 cable, for the Maxtor. Still in PIO, so I deleted the primary ide channel, and after reinstall, we are back to where we should be, DMA 2.
Well, I went with a Sony 8x DRU-530A something for backup stuff. 129 bucks at costco. Seems sonys software doesn't support DVD-R, as much as I can figure out, for writing data discs.

However, the Roxio 6.0 or whatever does. so right now, I'm writing a 4.5 gig file to disk, using that, on a -R. Only tricky part is remembering to keep the disk out, until you have the project ready. Seems drag to disk formats anything that gets put in the writer. Great. I've now got three drag to disks that I'll have to see if I can do that with...

Funny how some software supports some formats, and others support others.

Once running, this thing doesn't seem to use any processor power, or it must be loading to cache/buffer.

I do like having two disks, instead of 7-8 CD's for each backup of the work I've done.

One does get more bothered with coasters, when the coasters cost a buck 20.
Funny part is sony has a firmware download that gives you DVD-R writes at 8x, and DVD-RW's at 4X's. Just no software that allows you to use the DVD-R speeds, as close as I could tell.

Pulled the SCSI Plextor writer and replaced with the DVD.
Haven't tried to boot from it...
s

 

[ddrueding]

Why so worried? It's fairly clear that the issue is due to the drive not operating in DMA mode. That drive should be capable of "Ultra DMA Mode 5" or similar. The first thing I would suspect is a cable issue, then a BIOS issue, than an OS issue. I really doubt the drive is at fault.

 

[Santilli]

David: I have the black thumb of ide drives. I'm sure that an other wise reliable drive will die on me.

I do have a couple that continue to work, Quantum LM, and Maxtor ATA 5120, but my failure rates are real high, 4 of 5 on the 5120s.

Suffice to say, that having a year's worth of work, and only on drives, in the same machine, is not my idea of a safe backup. I just ran DVD, and CD copies of the work, 3-4 copies, and feel much more secure..

I'll need that stuff for professional development...
s

 

[Pradeep]

Well, I went with a Sony 8x DRU-530A something for backup stuff. 129 bucks at costco. Seems sonys software doesn't support DVD-R, as much as I can figure out, for writing data discs.

....

Funny part is sony has a firmware download that gives you DVD-R writes at 8x, and DVD-RW's at 4X's. Just no software that allows you to use the DVD-R speeds, as close as I could tell.
s

What software came with your 530A? My 500A came with RecordNow DX, we were finally given a link to the 4.56 version which works well. It doesn't care whether it's - or +R. 4x speeds in my case but you shouldn't have any probs doing 8x. What media are you using? Is it 8x rated?

Perhaps it's that Roxio shitsoft.

 

[Santilli]

I have RecordNow, and the video program. Niether liked my 4x TDK DVD-R to record too. I had three coasters right off the bat.
Says revision 4.40 on my disk, but that's the entire software package numbering. Checking now....

s

 

[Santilli]

Can't figure it out without installing it.

s

 

[Santilli]

Well, I'm giving it another try. So far, Sony has lived up to Merc's evaluation, a royl pain in the ass. I have to download Sonic manager, then try and connect to their server, to download 6.71 update, except their server is hard to get in on, and takes repeated trys.
More later.
Have to reboot.

s

 

[Mercutio]

You misspelled S*ny.

Use it properly, like any other curse. Either as punctuation (as I do in real life), or reserve it for only the most dire of needs (as I do on SF).

"I just stepped in a deep pile of S*ny."

 

[Santilli]

My gripes were it SonicNow didn't let you know how much data you were going to put onto the DVD, and it wouldn't record on DVD-R, even though a big selling point of the drive is the cross format writing ability.

It did write well when I finally got it going, and I made backups for all my stuff.

s

 

[Santilli]

Well, just attempted to use my backup disk. First had to dump DLA.
Windows Media player couldn't read the disk, since DLA grabbed it first.

Next I try and open a word document, and Word won't do it, so I have to update to 2000 SR-1, core update, currently downloading.

I'm sorry, but if this keeps up, I'm going back to Roxio...

s

 

[LunarMist]

David: I have the black thumb of ide drives. I'm sure that an other wise reliable drive will die on me.

I think it is a "brown" thumb.

I do have a couple that continue to work, Quantum LM, and Maxtor ATA 5120, but my failure rates are real high, 4 of 5 on the 5120s.

Are those the same old 5120s that were part of your infamous Fasttrak66 setup five years ago? Why do you keep hard drives so long? I would replace them every 1-3 years.

 

[Santilli]

Are those the same old 5120s that were part of your infamous Fasttrak66 setup five years ago? Why do you keep hard drives so long? I would replace them every 1-3 years.

Yes. My drives died, fairly quickly.

I gave up on ide, until I saw the 5 year warranty on the Maxtor DM 9, and, I bought it from Costco. Really needed a boot drive for the mac, with huge storage, and, I figured if they are all that fast, I could connect it to my mac. I did, and it sucked, for a variety of reasons, mainly the onboard ide chipspeed, and, the only card I wanted, a Tempo Trio, wouldn't work in the one avaliable slot, becuase it uses a compressed driver, and, when combined with the two other cards, worked, until using the firewire, or USB, then it caused the machine to freeze.

Kind of defeated the purpose, so I gave up on the mac, and moved it into this machine, for storage. Of course I used the wrong cable, etc.

By the way, I'm with Mercutio on S*ony slowware.

You did just remind me that somewhere around here I have a Sonnet Trio PC card, which might be the solution I have for another minor problem
with my Xeon machine. Thanks

s

 

[Bookmage]

1-3 years??? What do you do with your old ones?
Do your drives die that fast? or do u just like upgrading?

I plan on changing my out towards the end of hte 3 year warranties
and i move warrantied drives to non critical stuff w/backups.

I've got maybe a dozen drives on hand and some did involve rebates for cheaper pricing. But, replacing 4+ drives a year would be pricey.

Course, I'm just a student and don't have a real full time job
yet ...

 

[Santilli]

Let's see. After the debacle of trying to use the drives in raids, the different, working drives, ended up in other computers, that didn't have drives, or in boxes.

One sat in a Dell, not used, for a couple years. Others were sold in computers, I put together for sale, or for backup...
s

 

[LunarMist]

1-3 years??? What do you do with your old ones?
Do your drives die that fast? or do u just like upgrading?

I don't upgrade for fun, but to increase capacity. I have a regular buyer for all the used IDE drives. Thirteen drives (2.5TB) are running at the moment. I may slow down on the upgrades if I live long enough to see 5TB drives.

 

[Santilli]

Minor update.

Figured out how to burn DVD's from disk images. I originally used DVD
Shrink, and then burn with Roxxio.
Since I was sort of happy with the Maxtor, and it had lots of storage, I figured I'd copy the image to the maxtor. I did, and it took a long time.

Then I burned from it, and the most the burner would run at was 1X.

Switched to putting the image on SCSI raid, and the program burns at 4X.

Haven't tried putting the images on one of the other scsi disks yet.

s

 

[Pradeep]

There must be something fubar'd with your Maxtor and/or IDE setup. 4x DVD is around 5.25MB/sec, even some POS 4400 rpm laptop drive can do that.

 

[Santilli]

Yes, there was. For some reason, it defaulted back to PIO mode.
So, delete Primary IDE channel,
reinstall, and we are back at Ultra DMA 5 we'll see how long that lasts...
s

 

[Santilli]

Now you wonder why I don't like IDE?
I'm cursed I tell you :excl: Cursed :excl:

s

 

[Santilli]

Typing this on my mac.
Apparently the Maxtor is constantly defaulting to PIO mode, and I don't know why.
Just shut it down, did the delete, and reinstall, etc.

It has a premium cable, and it's master on Channel 1.\
s

 

[ddrueding]

Can I blame your motherboard?

 

[Santilli]

Not yet.
I just reset the motherboard settings to auto, hoping that is what's doing it, since one of the two settings is what it's defaulting to, PIO 4.

Perhaps if I leave it on auto, it will still go to DMA 5, or whatever.

I've weeded out offensive startup items, and enabled shuting down a bit quicker.

Could be a Roxio problem. Never know.

s

 

[mubs]

I doubt an app would go and change DMA settings. They just make calls to the OS which handles the I/O.