Device settings are hard to find in Windows XP

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This article was previously published under Q310751

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SYMPTOMS

When you try to configure the direct memory access and programmed input/output (DMA/PIO) settings for a device on a Windows XP-based computer, the settings may not appear in the Properties dialog box for the device. Help does not provide the location of the settings.

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CAUSE

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

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RESOLUTION

To work around this issue, open Control Panel, and then follow these steps to configure the DMA/PIO settings for a controller:

Click Start, click Run, type devmgmt.msc, and then click OK.
Expand IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
Right-click the controller that you want to configure DMA/PIO settings for, and then click Properties.
Click the Advanced Settings tab.
In the Transfer Mode box, click either PIO Only or DMA if available.