Using Raid for extra IDE

[kmike75]

P4 1.8 Ghz
Abit BL7
512 PC 133 Crucial
40 gig x 7200 rpm WD
Pioneer DVD
HP Burner
Iomega Zip (internal)
3D Prophet II @ 64 meg
Windows 98SE

I figured by ponying the DVD/Burner and Hard Drive/Zip, the hard drive would be sharing a cable with the zip which would slow down the hard drive. Soooo I enabled RAID on the board, set everyone to master, then connected the Hard Drive to IDE 1, the DVD to IDE 2, the Burner to RAID 1, and the Zip Drive to Raid 2. The result, C= HD, D= Burner, E= DVD, F= Zip. This was suck...

Then I moved the burner to IDE 2, and the DVD to Raid 1. The result was C= HD, D= DVD, E= Burner, and F= zip. This was sucksess...

Now here's the problem... I tried to install the DVD software and it finds the Burner and not the DVD. The software came with the DVD so I know it knows the Pioneer DVD.

I can burn CDs, use the DVD as a CD Rom, but I can not play DVDs. Any Ideas on how I can configure this so the DVD software will work?

 

[Tsaico]

I don't think you can raid cd/dvd/burner/zip drives... I think it only works on IDE hard drives. You need to get your hd's there, set up your array and then you can use raid for hd's and your other four can be your non-hd drives.

 

[kmike75]

Ok, everything does work. I loaded Quake III, I played Quake III, then I burned a copy of Quake III, then I pulled a file from Quake III to the zip, then back to its folder.

The problem I have with things set up this way is that the DVD software can't find the DVD.

In the bios I enabled RAID, then I set the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd boot devices to RAID. Is there something I can do in the RAID BIOS to get the software to find the DVD?

 

[kgraeme]

Raid ports are finicky with removeable media. They might work or they might not. Your best bet is probably to swap the HD with the DVD like so:

IDE0: DVD
IDE1: CDRW
RAID0: HD
RAID1: Zip

Assign the drive letters however you want.