DB2

The 2nd hdd with hdd password set in BIOS will be not availible when you remove it and then re-plug it back in. Once get in this case, you must reboot your Thinkpad with this 2nd hdd pluged in. Then the driver letter in the 2nd hdd come back.

Searched web, didn't get any solution or discussion about it. 

The answer is it's possible.

the APS(Active Protection System) feature of 2nd hdd on Ultra Slim is supported in the newer version of APS software. It requires version 1.30b or newer.

• Symptoms corrected by the latest Active Protection System
  http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-58650
  

Test result while 1st hdd works on PIO mode.

Test result while 1st hdd works on UDMA 5 mode.

Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 on 2nd hdd in my thinkpad with usb dvd-rom.

Choose Grub as boot selector and install grub on the first sector of 2nd hdd without lba support. Reboot, hit F12, choose 2nd hdd to boot up, during booting, screen showed GRUB 4 characters, then stop there. Grub can't continue to load boot menu.

Boot using linux cd in rescue mode, reinstall grub with on the first sector of 2nd hdd:

$ grub-install /dev/hdc

Reboot, hit F12, choose 2nd hdd, during boot, can't see the boot menu, but grub continues to load and get following error message:

• Cannot mount selected partition
• This error is returned if the partition requested exists, but the filesystem type cannot be recognized by GRUB.
  

$ cat /boot/grub/device.map

fd0  /dev/fda
hd0  /dev/hda
hd1  /dev/hdc 

$ cat /boot/grub/grub.conf 

title Linux
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-4.EL ro root=LABEL=/
initrd /initrd-2.4.21-4.EL.img

title Windows
root (hd0,0)
chainload (+1)

Finally, I caught the point. When choosing 2nd hdd as first boot device by F12 during booting, BIOS will see it as hda, and the ist native hdd will change from hda to hdc.

During the grub installing, grub will guess the boot devices list, and generate a device.map file and grub.conf with the detected settings. that time, grub is right, but when booting from 2nd hdd, the thing changes.

I had it working with following settings.

$ cat /boot/grub/device.map

fd0  /dev/fda
hd0  /dev/hda
hd1  /dev/hdc 

$ cat /boot/grub/grub.conf 

title Linux
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-4.EL ro root=LABEL=/
initrd /initrd-2.4.21-4.EL.img

title Windows
root (hd1,0)
chainload (+1)

But i am still wondering why linux could keep recognize /dev/hdc but grub not? needs answer.

refer to:

• http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/html_node/Stage2-errors.html
  
• http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=120802

I check my System Events, there's following error continually detected. 

Event Type:    Error
Event Source:    atapi
Event Category:    None
Event ID:    9
Date:        1/20/2006
Time:        11:05:39 AM
User:        N/A
Computer:    IBM-ALEX
Description:
The device, \Device\Ide\IdePort0, did not respond within the timeout period.

Accounding to the artical in refference, I found the related entry in my registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0004 

I deleted this dword value, then reboot.

MasterIdDataCheckSum

The tools Everest and Sandra Lite say the 1st hdd is working on UDMA 5, but the windows device manager still says PIO mode, I made a test of copying file, the speed is slow as before.

I checked the the dword value MasterDeviceTimingModeAllowed, it's less 0xFFFFFFFF, so I set it back to 0xFFFFFFFF, and deleted MasterIdDataCheckSum again, then reboot.

It works, this time the 3rd part tools and windows device manager both say it's on UDMA 5 mode.

I re-tested 1st hdd by copying files, it's as fast as 2nd hdd now. 

refer to: 

• DMA reverts to PIO
  http://winhlp.com/WxDMA.htm

The native hdd still keeps reducing to PIO mode after a few days.

I found this topic which descibe why this mess happens again and again.

• IDE ATA and ATAPI disks use PIO mode after multiple time-out or CRC errors occur
  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/817472/

The hotfix has been included in winxp sp2 which I have patched.
The step in the MORE INFORMATION section seems will help me. I take this step.

Add a new DWORD value, use 1 as the Data.

ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0004
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0005

then reboot. 

The last solution seems worked, I don't meet the problem of reverting to PIO mode for a week. there're also a few atapi timeout errors, but the chksum should be reset on next success.

I got a new 2.5" HDD and a HDD adapter for my thinkpad.

• Hitachi HTS541080G9AT00, 80G, 8M cache, 5400 RPM, UDMA 5
• Thinkpad 2nd HDD adapter for Ultrabay Slim 

the 2nd hdd on thinkpad needs the hdd adapter using Ultrabay Slim interface.

it's very easy to fix and plug in, but there's a little gappy between the hdd and adapter.

windows xp is able to install driver for the new hardware automatically, the 2nd hdd appears as a new ATA device on Secondary IDE Channel and works on UDMA 5(ATA-100) mode.

By copying files, the 2nd hdd is faster than the native one. I found my Primary IDE Channel is working on PIO mode, that's a problem.

I have fixed the problem above, now the native one works on UDMA 5. 

I query the warranty info at:

• http://www.hitachigst.com/warranty/jsp/arma71.jsp

I don't find China in regions list, so choose Hong Kong instead, enter serial number: XBGDN7DE

Result: 

Toshiba 东芝 

• MK2016GAP    1M    20G    ATA-66    4200 RPM
  
• MK4026GAX    16M       699    40G     ATA-100   5400 RPM
• MK6026GAX    16M       899    60G   ATA-100   5400 RPM
• MK8032GAX    8M        999    80G   ATA-100   5400 RPM
• MK8026GAX    16M        1299    80G   ATA-100   5400 RPM

My thinkpad is using MK8032GAX.

My Sony SR/9K is using Toshiba MK2016GAP.

Hitachi 日立

• HTS424040M9AT00    2M    40G   ATA-100   5400 RPM
  
• HTS541040G9AT00    8M    40G   ATA-100   5400 RPM
  
• HTS541080G9AT00    8M    880    80G   ATA-100    5400 RPM
  
• HTS541010G9AT00    8M    100G   ATA-100   5400 RPM

日立命名规则 

• H - Hitachi
• T - TravellStar, D - DeskStar
  
• S - Standard
• 54 - 5400 RPM
• 10 - ?
• 80 - 80G
• G9 - ?
• AT00 - ATA-100
  

the rule refer to:

http://www.dnys.cn/blogview.asp?logID=185