CD_RW Master/Slave Relationship: Is USB Device Recognition Impacted?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the recognition of USB devices following changes made to the master/slave configuration of a CD-RW and CD-ROM drive. Participants explore whether the alteration in drive configuration could be related to issues with USB device recognition, including a digital camera and a scanner.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that after changing the CD-RW to master and the CD-ROM to slave, their computer no longer recognizes USB imaging devices, questioning if this is related to the configuration change.
  • Another participant asserts that the USB issue is unrelated to the master/slave configuration, sharing their experience with a USB scanner that has specific port requirements.
  • A suggestion is made to disregard the CD-ROM entirely and use the CD-RW as the primary drive without setting master/slave configurations.
  • One participant mentions that using cable select for the drives could simplify the setup, but warns against having two masters or two slaves, which would lead to detection failures.
  • Another participant advises checking for drivers and potential conflicts in the operating system, suggesting that the CD-RW driver might conflict with USB devices.
  • The original poster confirms they have resolved the issue with the camera but still need to address the scanner problem.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether the master/slave configuration impacts USB device recognition. Some believe it is unrelated, while others suggest potential conflicts could exist. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the relationship between the two issues.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the importance of checking for drivers and potential hardware conflicts, indicating that the discussion may depend on specific configurations and setups.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to users experiencing issues with USB device recognition after modifying drive configurations, as well as those troubleshooting similar hardware setups.

Pauly Man
Messages
129
Reaction score
0
My CD_RW drive died last week and I just bought a new one. I made it the master, and the CD rom the slave. Since doing this the drive names have changed letters. I assume that is a normal thing. But also now my computer no longer recognises any imaging devices connected to my USB ports, including my mums new digital camera. Naturally this is really annoying. Do you think it is related to the altering of the CD-ROM/CD-RW master/slave relationship? Or is it unrelated? I think its unrelated, but not entirely convinced.
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
Unrelated.

My USB scanner is picky about USB ports. If you plug it into a different port than what it is first plugged into it will cease working on any port. Really annoying and I've never been able to fix it without a re-install of windows.
 
Pauly, why not just tank the cdrom? You can use the writer as your normal cdrom. I have a writer and a dvdrom and never set any master/slave stuff. Just hook them to the IDE cables and power cables and away you go.
 
Thanx for the replies guys. Uni finishes next week, so I'll have time to have a long hard look at the problem.
 
If he needs to make CD copies, tho, he'll want the CD-ROM in as well. Pain to write an image to your HD just to copy the CD...

If you have the drives jumpered as cable select, then you can just hook em up and they'll figure out the master/slave for ya. But you can't have two masters/two slaves, or it'll fail to detect either.

I agree with Russ on the USB. Mine have always been finicky as well.

What OS are you running? You can try and force it to scan for the devices, as well as check and see if it detected any of them with errors. There is a REMOTE chance that the CD-RW driver is conflicting with the USB device.
 
I'm running Win XP.

I've got the camera working now. :smile:

I'll work on the scanner nextw eek, when I've got some free time.
 
FYI-
I'd check for XP drivers from the manufacturers for all devices; then I'd check for IRQ and HW Address conflicts.

(edit: added below)
P.S. Master/Slave or Cable-Select for the drives shouldn't matter, although I have historically found setting the Master/Slave jumpers more reliable than the Cable-Select.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
6K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
23
Views
7K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K