Maximum number of hard drives? 2

[tinkster1949]

I have a Windows XP Professional setup. Two ATA133 hard drives (each 200/250 gig) fitted to the primary IDE channel and a CD rewriter and DVD player fitted to the secondary channel.

I would like to add one or maybe two extra hard drives to this system. The plan would be to fit these to the secondary IDE channel, install an IDE expansion card and transfer the CD and DVD to the expansion card.

Is this possible? I read somewhere a while back that there is a maximum of 4 IDE devices that can be fitted to a Windows system. Is this correct? If I can do this, are there any expansion cards that anyone can suggest? Thanks.

 

[edfair]

4 IDE devices on a normal motherboard. You can add a card for 4 more.
Promise has a good one.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[tinkster1949]

Appreciate the response - thanks for clearing up the position.

 

[micker377]

I've read of problems with DVDRW burning problems when used on an expansion card. Just be aware of the posibility.

 

[cdogg]

Although it is possible to add a PCI card for one or two more IDE controllers, beware that the total bandwidth of PCI is 133MB/s, which is being shared by all PCI devices.

I wouldn't use an add-in card for more than 2 drives.

And like micker377 pointed out, I've had mixed results when trying to port optical drives (CDROMs, burners, etc) to an add-in card.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[Sleepsalot]

I would keep the cd drives on the mother board ide controller and add the new HD's to the card. This is what most Mfg's of the cards recomend.

Wayne

Life is a big Roleplaying adventure.

Wayne