VIA M1000 mini-itx system installation woes - WRITE_DMA error - cabling?

[Aaron Sloan]

W C wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I am attempting to install 5.3-R from cd (iso image download)  and 
> sysinstall is failing
> to write the chosen (Auto Layout) filesystem to disk, the Toshiba 80G on 
> the primary ide channel as master.   The error on vty1 is (from memory) 
> ad0: WRITE_DMA, error=84.
> The drive is detected by BIOS as a UDMA100 device.  There is nothing 
> else on this IDE channel, and only a cd drive on the other IDE slot.
> 
> A search of -questions reveals this error is a UDMA mismatch, possible 
> caused by 80-pin cabling, and fixable with atacontrol ad0 udma33 pio bla 
> bla bla.  However, I do not yet have a running system to run atacontrol 
> from, as I am installing.  I have rooted around in the bios for an 
> option to force the drive to UDMA33 speed, to no avail.  Does anyone 
> know how I can work around this problem and  install FreeBSD to this 
> neat little system?  Do I have bad cabling, a bad drive, or ???
> 
> Thanks for any follow-up questions, pointers, rants, RTFM's, etc.
> 
> Woody
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's 
> FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> freebsd-stable at freebsd.org mailing list
> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-stable
> To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-stable-unsubscribe at freebsd.org"
> 


My experience with these boards is that they are very picky about RAM.
I had similar problems as you have described. I ordered Crucial's 
recommended
stick and it worked fine after that.
Aaron