Using IDE 3 and 4 K7V Dragon Plus

I have been using IDE 3 and 4 with my hard drives and IDE 1 and 2 with my
optical plextor cd/cdrw and toshiba dvd dual layer writer. I did this to
have the two opticals (the toshiba is the new drive) on their own ide
channels. I have been having random system crashes causing memory dumps (?)
error code had something to do with w2k32.sys file, even though I havent
much used the burners at all. Has anyone had experience with this
configuration? Using win xp home 768 MB RAM.
Should I go to a more conventional set up with the optical drives as slave
and master on IDE 2 and forget the Promise controller or should I try a
repair install of the OS on my F partition (1.95 GB free)? I am trying to
see if this is a board problem or configuration problem as I did replace the
processor about two months ago. Problems didnt really start until I started
using the 3 and 4 controllers.
If you need it I can get the memory dump file if I can find the default
location.
Keheikev

Keheikev wrote:
> I have been using IDE 3 and 4 with my hard drives and IDE 1 and 2
> with my optical plextor cd/cdrw and toshiba dvd dual layer writer. I
> did this to have the two opticals (the toshiba is the new drive) on
> their own ide channels. I have been having random system crashes
> causing memory dumps (?) error code had something to do with
> w2k32.sys file, even though I havent much used the burners at all.
> Has anyone had experience with this configuration? Using win xp home
> 768 MB RAM. Should I go to a more conventional set up with the optical
> drives as
> slave and master on IDE 2 and forget the Promise controller or should
> I try a repair install of the OS on my F partition (1.95 GB free)? I
> am trying to see if this is a board problem or configuration problem
> as I did replace the processor about two months ago. Problems didnt
> really start until I started using the 3 and 4 controllers.
> If you need it I can get the memory dump file if I can find the
> default location.
> Keheikev

i'd say more probably your problem lies in using two RAM modules...remember
that most (if not all) people (including me) had problems using more than
one RAM on this board. I'd say first remove one RAM and see.

Okay will give that a try. I had heard that in a couple posts and yes that
was one of my upgrades when I started this upgrading lately.
Kevin
PS are these crashes others are seeing and you random as well not related to
any particular action?

"SleeperMan" <> wrote in message
news:Stl%d.10639$...
> Keheikev wrote:
>> I have been using IDE 3 and 4 with my hard drives and IDE 1 and 2
>> with my optical plextor cd/cdrw and toshiba dvd dual layer writer. I
>> did this to have the two opticals (the toshiba is the new drive) on
>> their own ide channels. I have been having random system crashes
>> causing memory dumps (?) error code had something to do with
>> w2k32.sys file, even though I havent much used the burners at all.
>> Has anyone had experience with this configuration? Using win xp home
>> 768 MB RAM. Should I go to a more conventional set up with the optical
>> drives as
>> slave and master on IDE 2 and forget the Promise controller or should
>> I try a repair install of the OS on my F partition (1.95 GB free)? I
>> am trying to see if this is a board problem or configuration problem
>> as I did replace the processor about two months ago. Problems didnt
>> really start until I started using the 3 and 4 controllers.
>> If you need it I can get the memory dump file if I can find the
>> default location.
>> Keheikev
>
> i'd say more probably your problem lies in using two RAM
> modules...remember that most (if not all) people (including me) had
> problems using more than one RAM on this board. I'd say first remove one
> RAM and see.
>

On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:58:42 +0100, "SleeperMan"
<> wrote:

>i'd say more probably your problem lies in using two RAM modules...remember
>that most (if not all) people (including me) had problems using more than
>one RAM on this board. I'd say first remove one RAM and see.
>

I read this several times, but can this problem be reproduced maybe by
running a RAM test program?

Mark

Keheikev wrote:
> Okay will give that a try. I had heard that in a couple posts and yes
> that was one of my upgrades when I started this upgrading lately.
> Kevin
> PS are these crashes others are seeing and you random as well not
> related to any particular action?


This odd behaviour can be just about anything. For instance, my experience:
Windows run just perfect, while when i burned ANY CDR, (using Nero, and
other programs) Burn went OK, but file checking resulted in error, also CDR
was indeed with errors (tested in another PC). When i removed one RAM, all
was OK.
Others i'v eread were reporting random crashing or freezing.



>
> "SleeperMan" <> wrote in message
> news:Stl%d.10639$...
>> Keheikev wrote:
>>> I have been using IDE 3 and 4 with my hard drives and IDE 1 and 2
>>> with my optical plextor cd/cdrw and toshiba dvd dual layer writer. I
>>> did this to have the two opticals (the toshiba is the new drive) on
>>> their own ide channels. I have been having random system crashes
>>> causing memory dumps (?) error code had something to do with
>>> w2k32.sys file, even though I havent much used the burners at all.
>>> Has anyone had experience with this configuration? Using win xp home
>>> 768 MB RAM. Should I go to a more conventional set up with the
>>> optical drives as
>>> slave and master on IDE 2 and forget the Promise controller or
>>> should I try a repair install of the OS on my F partition (1.95 GB
>>> free)? I am trying to see if this is a board problem or
>>> configuration problem as I did replace the processor about two
>>> months ago. Problems didnt really start until I started using the 3
>>> and 4 controllers. If you need it I can get the memory dump file if I
>>> can find the
>>> default location.
>>> Keheikev
>>
>> i'd say more probably your problem lies in using two RAM
>> modules...remember that most (if not all) people (including me) had
>> problems using more than one RAM on this board. I'd say first remove
>> one RAM and see.

Mark Behrends wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:58:42 +0100, "SleeperMan"
> <> wrote:
>
>> i'd say more probably your problem lies in using two RAM
>> modules...remember that most (if not all) people (including me) had
>> problems using more than one RAM on this board. I'd say first remove
>> one RAM and see.
>>
>
> I read this several times, but can this problem be reproduced maybe by
> running a RAM test program?
>
> Mark

Usually you run RAM test in pure DOS, and if you mean did you destroy RAM by
running this test, NO, absolutely not. This test just writes and reads into
RAM like windows, it's just it does it many times and into each part of it.

Thanks Sleep,
I have been opening and closing and deleting files in windows explorer etc
to see if I can get it to crash. Is it posible that this problem arises from
having non matched RAM on this board? Anyway I am sticking with just one
stick for the future. You saved me a lot of backing up and rearranging as
this configuration is really crowded with ribbon cables when you have four
drives.
I will keep you posted.
Kevin Miramon "keheikev"
"SleeperMan" <> wrote in message
news:W3D%d.10693$...
> Mark Behrends wrote:
>> On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:58:42 +0100, "SleeperMan"
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>> i'd say more probably your problem lies in using two RAM
>>> modules...remember that most (if not all) people (including me) had
>>> problems using more than one RAM on this board. I'd say first remove
>>> one RAM and see.
>>>
>>
>> I read this several times, but can this problem be reproduced maybe by
>> running a RAM test program?
>>
>> Mark
>
> Usually you run RAM test in pure DOS, and if you mean did you destroy RAM
> by running this test, NO, absolutely not. This test just writes and reads
> into RAM like windows, it's just it does it many times and into each part
> of it.
>

Keheikev wrote:
> Thanks Sleep,
> I have been opening and closing and deleting files in windows
> explorer etc to see if I can get it to crash. Is it posible that this
> problem arises from having non matched RAM on this board? Anyway I am
> sticking with just one stick for the future. You saved me a lot of
> backing up and rearranging as this configuration is really crowded
> with ribbon cables when you have four drives.
> I will keep you posted.
> Kevin Miramon "keheikev"

Sometimes people did post that using good (read expensive) matched or
especially same brand RAM did make good result, but still, i'd go for just
one stick of RAM...just in case...


> "SleeperMan" <> wrote in message
> news:W3D%d.10693$...
>> Mark Behrends wrote:
>>> On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:58:42 +0100, "SleeperMan"
>>> <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> i'd say more probably your problem lies in using two RAM
>>>> modules...remember that most (if not all) people (including me) had
>>>> problems using more than one RAM on this board. I'd say first
>>>> remove one RAM and see.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I read this several times, but can this problem be reproduced maybe
>>> by running a RAM test program?
>>>
>>> Mark
>>
>> Usually you run RAM test in pure DOS, and if you mean did you
>> destroy RAM by running this test, NO, absolutely not. This test just
>> writes and reads into RAM like windows, it's just it does it many
>> times and into each part of it.