HD keeps disappearing in Windows XP

S

Sometwo

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
202
I have a 400 GB WD SATA drive that keeps disappearing in Windows XP after days or a few hours. The way I get it back is by shutting down and reconnecting the SATA cable. I tried taping the cable to the drive but that only lasted a few hours before it was gone again. The drive has lost connection 3 times now.

Do you think it is the drive or the cable? Is there anything I should do besides get a new SATA cable?
 
Sometwo said:
I have a 400 GB WD SATA drive that keeps disappearing in Windows XP after days or a few hours. The way I get it back is by shutting down and reconnecting the SATA cable. I tried taping the cable to the drive but that only lasted a few hours before it was gone again. The drive has lost connection 3 times now.

Do you think it is the drive or the cable? Is there anything I should do besides get a new SATA cable?
Click to expand...

i would just try a different cable... but this happened to me before and it was my motherboard's problem...
 
I think you may be right. The first and maybe second time I lost the HD, the cable looked slightly loose. I opened the case today after it disappeared, and there was definitely a good connection.

I might see if I can get an external HD case and use USB. However, my BIOS is from 2005. Do you think the BIOS would support a 1 TB drive or bigger? My dad had an ancient computer (way older than mine) and he was able to use a 500 GB external USB hard drive, so I'm not sure if BIOS HD size limits play a factor with USB drives.
 
I opened the case today after it disappeared, and there was definitely a good connection.
Click to expand...
Just because the connection "looks good" doesn't mean it is.

Get the manfgs. diagnostic disc and do a test with a known good cable.


so I'm not sure if BIOS HD size limits play a factor with USB drives.
Click to expand...
It doesn't but the external enclosure's interface does and all newer units will take the larger drives.
 
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