How can I make the hard drive write-cache setting persistent?

[mbuechler]

The hard drive write-cache setting on my Windows 2003 Server is not persistent. I'm using a 3ware RAID card with two IDE drives. The web interface for the RAID card has a hard-drive cache setting that is supposed to override the Windows hardware setting. However, I changed the setting using the Windows hardware volume configuration process and now the setting is not persistent - gets reset to write-cache disabled after each reboot. 3ware says it's a Windows issue. Can someone confirm and give me some guidance? I've already deleted the registry keys that were supposed to be affecting this but it hasn't helped.

 

[bcastner]

It is not a registry issue.

It is a kind of three strikes and you are out rule. Have you talked to the tech folks for the manufacturers of the drives?

Windows 2003 is convinced that these hard disks cannot support caching.

 

[mbuechler]

Yes, I have contacted 3ware and they referred me to this article in their Knowledge Base

http://www.3ware.com/KB/article.aspx?id=12063

I have no idea if respond by 3ware is legit, but they're basically washing their hands of this issue. I've deleted the cache keys that seemed relevent to no effect. Any other thoughts? I appreciate you're responding my post, thanks!

 

[bcastner]

It is the tech support of the company who made the hard drives I want you to contact.

Win2003 wants very specific information to enable DMA or write caching. If you are correct there is no underlying device driver issue, talk to the tech folks who mad the drives.

There is something Win2003 is unhappy with, and from your link my guess is the hard drive techs likely know more as to what it does not like.

 

[mbuechler]

Thanks, I'll go that route and see what Maxtor can tell me. I appreciate your help!