I just purchased and began installing an “Iomega CD-RW(16x 10x 40x 32x)”. I’m not a computer genious, but getting the hardware itself in was pretty easy. However, after booting the computer up, I get back to my directions, and they tell me I need to “Enable my DMA”. Also, to check my computers manual to see if this is supported. Well…blow me!! Is there anywhere on the hard-drive I can see if my computer supports this (I know how to check mark/unmark it in the devise manager)? Do I REALLY want to enable my DMA?? I own a Gateway-piece-o-poopie computer, which runs on a Windows98 platform. Not sure what other info one may need to answer my questions.
Any help you could provide would be most GREATLY appreciated. Thank you!!!
my computer>
control panel>
system>
device manager>
CDROM>
properties>
settings
DMA enable/disable check box is there.
Older PC’s IDE chipsets will sometimes not support DMA access but this limitation mostly ended with very early pentium designs. Enabling hard disk DMA access in these older systems can damage hard disk data in rare situations but should not adversly affect CDROM data as it is read only. In other words it may not read it correctly and you’ll have to switch the CDROM back to non-DMA but at least it can’t damage the CD and DMA access can reduce system CPU cycle overhead used for IDE transfers significantly.
to the SDMB.