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Please help: 2 HDD problem

U

Un[H]ardened

n00b
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
13
Hey guys -
I recently purchased a second 'alternative' drive I call it -- just a 20 GB drive to be the slave to my 40 GB drive. I installed it today, but when plugged in, the computer won't boot XP off of my primary. It recognizes that the primary is there, but won't boot the OS. It doesn't recognize that the slave is there. I've tried it with the slave drive in both slave mode and cable select mode. I think I'm gonna yank my sound card -- I don't know that it is hurting anything, but it's not working properly right now anyways (Game Theatre XP), and it pisses me off. Thanks for any insight you guys can offer.

System:
1.4 GHz Athlon T-bird
Epox 8k7a
Geforce 3 (can't remember brand)
hercules GTXP 6.1
Linksys NIC
512 MB PC2100
40 GB Maxtor
20 GB WD
 
Couple of things you may want to try:

1) Be SURE you have the jumper settings correct. If you are going to use the slave setting on the new drive, then make sure the Maxtor is set to Master (check if there is a setting for master w/ slave present), if it isn't you aren't going to get much. If it is already cable select, make sure you have cable select set on both drives and they occupy the correct position on good IDE cable. Always double check the jumpers.

2) Make sure your BIOS is set to auto-detect all drives. On some boards, it is possible to stop auto-detecting and then the mobo will be confused when you throw another drive at it.

3) Try the drive on a different IDE channel (i.e. the second one on the mobo). You may want to remove any other drives on the channel just for testing purposes. Again, check the jumpers.

4) Check all the cables to make sure they are good.

Try out some of those things and see what you can come up with. As always, the tech specs and diag utilities are available for free d/l at the mfg website.

Cheers.
 
Probably a jumper incorrectly set on one of the drives. I usually try to have my drives on CS [Cable Select] when I install in case I add additional drives in the future - less to worry about.
 
** UPDATE **

I made sure the jumpers are correct. The drives are on the same IDE channel. When both are hooked up, it doesn't work (various problems, with restarting being the most common). When only one or the other is on the master channel, it does fine. I tried another cable, to no avail. I'm gonna take a break for a while, have myself a screwdriver, but if anyone has any insight, I'd appreciate it.
 
just some ideas that come to mind. (not necessarily in the order listed)
1) put the primary as a master, the slave as cable select.
2) go to your bios and select "Load Default Settings," then reboot. it is possible that your mobo is being pissy.
3) try formatting the slave drive in DOS or by plugging it in another computer (i suggest using another computer)
4) put your primary drive at the last IDE plug and the slave at the middle plug (i don't think this will make a difference, but i'd swear it fixed a problem i had one time.. maybe i'm just crazy but it's worth a try :D )


during the boot sequence, where does it stop loading? After the Windows Logo? At the Login window (welcome window)? you should explain where the boot fails first before doing any of the above because telling where it fails gives a much better idea of where the problem is.

why do you think your sound card would be a problem?
 
Is the 20GB a brand new drive ... if not, there might be an OS installed on it ... and the BIOS can see 2 boot sectors and getting confused.
 
I actually got the drive from a guy on the [H]. He said it was still in it's anti-static bag but he checked to make sure it was a working drive (he's a trustworthy guy, good feedback and such). It arrived in it's original box and everything. I've hooked the drive up by itself and it doesn't have anything on it -- at least not anything bootable.

The pc restarts before it even gets to loading windows when both are plugged in.

I'll mess with it more tonight if I get the chance, but I haven't done anything as of yet. I don't know why it hates me so. :( You'd think something simple like installing a second drive would be just that -- simple. Not in my case, ever.

**EDIT -- UPDATE **
I just plugged in the 20 GB alone and tried to use FDISK on an old Win98 floppy. It said Fixed Disk Error (or something like that... that might be the wrong word order). This has to be a problem with the HDD right?
 
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