Toshiba V1100 - Manual (Page 59)

3
Direct Memory Access
Similarly, the data required by the device are stored in a spe cific place or
address in memory called the Direct Memory Access (DMA). The DMA
provides a dedicated channel for adapter cards to bypass the
microprocessor and access memory directly. If two or more devices use
the same DMA, the data required by one device overwrite the data
required by the other. If this occurs, you have a hardware conflict.
Plug and Play
Windows NT does nol suppori ihis mode al ihis lime.
When supported, Plug and Play prevents hardware conflicts. Plug and Play
is a computer standard that helps the system BIOS and the operating system
to automatically assign system resources to Plug and Play-compliant devices.
In theory, if every device connected to the computer is Plug and Play-
compliant, no two devices will compete for the same system resources. You
simply plug in the device and turn on the com puter. Windows automatically
sets up your system to accommodate the new device.
However, if you install an older (legacy) device that Windows cannot
recognise, Windows may have difficulty assigning system resources to it.
As a result, a hardware conflict can occur. To see what resources
Windows has assigned to the device, see " Checking device properties".
Resolving conflicts
There are three things you can do to resolve hardware conflicts:
□ Disable the device.
For an older device, remove it from the computer. For a Plug and Play
device, see "Fixing a problem with Device Manager".
□ Disable another system component and use its resources for the
new device.
See "Fixing a problem with Device Manager".
□ Reconfigure the device so that its requirements do not conflict.
Refer to the device's documentation for instructions about changing
settings on the device.
User's Manual Troubleshooting 4-7