Find out if IDE port is available

[GaijinPunch]

I think I have 2 IDE ports on my mobo, of which I'm only using one. I can't remember the model number of my board or anything, and I'm lazy, and don't want to take it out. If possible, I don't want to reboot. Any tool out there I can run to see how many IDE ports it has, and how many it's using? My guess is using 1 of 2, but need to know before I buy another drive.

The machine in question is a windows box.

[limey]

I think I have 2 IDE ports on my mobo, of which I'm only using one. I can't remember the model number of my board or anything, and I'm lazy, and don't want to take it out. If possible, I don't want to reboot. Any tool out there I can run to see how many IDE ports it has, and how many it's using? My guess is using 1 of 2, but need to know before I buy another drive.

The machine in question is a windows box.

If you're running windows on it, then the device manager (under win2k, look in settings->control panel->system) should report any IDE controllers/channels present.

[madhatter256]

There is also a website that can do a full analysis on your PC and list all the things it has installed, all the specs of the motherboard, etc. It starts with the letter "B" but I can't remember the full name. I think it is Belarc?

[APE]

Can't you just open it up and take a look? Or is it under warrenty?

A good rule of thumb is that 99% of computers have dual IDE ports and each harddrive and optical drive use up only 1 channel. If you've got one hdd and one optical you've got at least 2 channels free.

[diddydonn]

also if its a newer computer the hdd and dvd may be running of sata, some of the older sata boards have 2 ide ports (for a total of 4 ide devices) where as some of the newer sata board only have 1 ide port (for 2 devices)

another way to check is go into your bios and see what is auto detected and it might tell you in there

[GaijinPunch]

Sorry I wasn't clear.

1: Yes, I *can* open it up, but don't want to. Don't want to pull it out... and couldn't earlier as I was working and my Skype is running on that box.

2: The HDD is SATA... this is why I'm assuming it's got an open channel

3: Both Optical drives are on the same IDE port.

re: bios:

yeah, didn't want to reboot. Doesn't seem like such an issue now though.

I checked the Device Manager. Says I've got two, but doesn't really say what's on what. Now I just have to decide if this is where I want to put a big HD. Would much rather have it on one of my Linux boxes, but one is full, and the other I'm not sure of the space inside.

[APE]

Sata tends to run in blocks of 4 per mobo, unless you've got a stripped down cheapy model. Don't know what they do in Japan but most OEM boxes here tend to have just what they need which is 2 ports.

You've probably an entire IDE port free if you've only got 2 optical drives.

[limey]

I checked the Device Manager. Says I've got two, but doesn't really say what's on what.

You can set the device manager to show 'by connection' (don't have windows box in front of me right now, so can't remember the exact naming) - this should then show what HDDs/optical drives are connected to which controller/channel. BTW, you might have to fish around under 'PCI devices' or something to find the IDE controllers after setting it to show by connection.

[retro]

Look in the motherboard manual ;-)

[GaijinPunch]

Look in the motherboard manual ;-)

If I'm gonna go dig for that, I'd rather just pull the computer out. At least I know where it is. I've had a Skype session going for like 88 hours now, though. Wanna see if I can hit 100. :)