Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!ubc-cs!alberta!herald.usask.ca!ccu.umanitoba.ca!umcarls9
From: umcarls9@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Charles Carlson)
Subject: Re: IDE Drives and Controller Failures
Message-ID: <1991Apr19.082206.1139@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
References: <10676@hub.ucsb.edu>
Distribution: comp
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 91 08:22:06 GMT
Lines: 20

In <10676@hub.ucsb.edu> 6500boo@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (William Bushing) writes:

>When the controller on my IDE drive failed, I discovered a
>major flaw in IDE design (as far as I can tell)... lose the
>controller and you lose the drive AND the data! Compare the
>replacement of a $100 controller card with the replacement
>of an $800 IDE drive... and the fact that the MFM drive still
>has the data intact while your new IDE drive is virgin and
>your data history unless (as you should be) you're backed up.

I've heard weird things like that before, but haven't come across it.
I've put different IDE ADAPTERS <the board in the computer is more 
appropriately called an adapter, not a controller> on the same drive
and never lost any data.

One problem I have noticed though...Is a lack of compatability.
Some adapters won't work in some machines, some adapters won't work
with some hard drives. There seems to be no 100% followed guidline.