Device Settings Are Hard to Find in Windows

When you attempt to configure the direct memory access and programmed input/output (DMA/PIO) settings for a device on a Windows-based computer, you do not find the settings in the Properties dialog box for the device, nor does Help provide their location.

This behavior occurs because the DMA/PIO settings are configured for each controller instead of for each device.

To work around this behavior, click Administrative Tools in Control Panel, and then follow these steps to configure the DMA/PIO settings for a controller:

1. Click Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.
2. Click System Tools, and then click Device Manager.
3. Expand IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
4. Click the specific controller for which you want to configure DMA/PIO settings.
5. Click the Advanced Settings tab.
6. In the Transfer Mode box, click either PIO Only or DMA if available.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.