FAQ, tips and tricks - Busmastering Drivers

The Busmaster drivers is a software driver developed by the manufacture of the chipset and is specifically made for each type of chipset.

This driver allows you to enable special features like ATA 66/100 of your chipset and increases the IDE interface performance by activating the DMA function.

Because every day new technologies and/or operating systems become available the busmaster drivers are frequently updated by the manufacture to support these new functions and to remove earlier bugs.

Therefore it is advisable you check frequently for new updates from one of following sites:

Links for most common chipsets :

VIA chipset: http://www.via.com.tw/drivers/
Ali chipset:
Intel chipset: http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/
SIS chipset: http://www.sis.com/support/driver/index.htm

How to find out which chipset is installed on my mainbord :

Windows 95/98/ME:
Click on the Start button -> Settings -> Control Panel -> system and select "Device manager"
Now expand the "system devices" and search for the "ISA to PCI bridge" or simply the "PCI bridge"
The name mentioned for this bridge is the brand of chipset that is used for your mainbord. Most common motherboards will have one of these chipsets, Via, Intel, SIS, Ali, AMD.

Windows 2000/XP:
Click on the Start button -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Hardware and select "Device Manager".
Now expand the "standard PC" and "PCI bus" and search for the "ISA to PCI bridge" or simply the "PCI bridge"
Most common motherboards will have one of these chipsets, Via, Intel, SIS, Ali, AMD.