"Ultra DMA CRC Error Count"

It means that the Ultra DMA (Direct Memory Access) CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) has produced MORE errors than it can "count", i.e. there is a defect in one of these:

1) cable (hardware)

2) Hard Disk controller (hardware)

3) driver (software) - rare

4) motherboard bus (hardware) - rare

An old glossary:

http://www.techterms.org/definition/ultradma

Now we are talking of ATA/speed or UDMA levels:

IDE or ATA or ATA1 original interface 16,7 mb/s = DMA2 = UDMA0

UDMA 0 16.7

UDMA 1 25.0 (NOT a standard)

UDMA 2 (Ultra-ATA/33) 33.3

UDMA 3 44.4

UDMA 4 (Ultra-ATA/66) 66.7

UDMA 5 (Ultra-ATA/100) 100

UDMA 6 (Ultra-ATA/133) 133

A more "advanced" site:

http://www.ata-atapi.com/index.htm

jaclaz

So, if I understand you correctly: either my HD is busted or my HD cable needs changing.

Hmm...well, as you probably guessed already my system is quite old so I do not intend on investing in a new HD (I'd rather by a new PC). A new cable I can try, but it sounds like my computer is slowly dying here.

Is it likely that my cdrom errors are due to a falty cable as well?

Yep, but it could also be that you have a newer hd with an elder 40 conductor cable.

I have found more than once people that upgrade or change the HD installing a good ol' 40 pin cable in place, then somehow enable UltraDMA and start getting errors...

...anything faster than ATA33/UltraDMA2 NEEDS an 80 conductors cable to work properly.

jaclaz

Edited December 2, 200520 yr by jaclaz

Could be, I know my computer is a "self-build", but I didn't build it (its a hand-me-down) so I have no idea about the compatability of its components. I know of some adressing errors to the com ports that i worked around, and that the network card is somewhat unstable (so I disabled it) so getting infront of the computer is always an interresting affair at my house.

Anyway, I thought it strange that this problem should appear "out-of-the-blue" if it is indeed a hardware problem, thus my suspicions towards the defrag prog mentioned earlier.

It seems that there is nothing more to say on this subject, except that I seriously need a new computer, so if noone has anything else to add I'd like to thank everyone for their help and consider this matter closed for the time being.

Anyone?