bios recognition differs for identical hard drives

[david]

A hard drive (Quantum Fireball Plus AS, 30GB) is jumpered and
connected as primary master. Whether bios recognizes it depends on:

does not recognize solo - if it's the sole hard drive

does recognize accompanied - if a secondary master hard drive is
plugged in (even if bios setting for it remains "none"). Mere presence
of the 2nd drive does the trick for the 1st one.

An identical-model Quantum Fireball Plus AS doesn't have the problem,
works solo as primary master in same machine. (I even copied the image
of the identical Fireball to the problem Fireball so they have same
mbr, partition table, all other content-- not content dependent.) The
problem drive (Quantum Fireball Plus AS, 30GB) passes basic
manufacturer diagnostic test (Powermax).

Is there any way to enable use of this drive as solo primary master?

 

[Arno Wagner]

A hard drive (Quantum Fireball Plus AS, 30GB) is jumpered and
connected as primary master. Whether bios recognizes it depends on:

does not recognize solo - if it's the sole hard drive

does recognize accompanied - if a secondary master hard drive is
plugged in (even if bios setting for it remains "none"). Mere presence
of the 2nd drive does the trick for the 1st one.

An identical-model Quantum Fireball Plus AS doesn't have the problem,
works solo as primary master in same machine. (I even copied the image
of the identical Fireball to the problem Fireball so they have same
mbr, partition table, all other content-- not content dependent.) The
problem drive (Quantum Fireball Plus AS, 30GB) passes basic
manufacturer diagnostic test (Powermax).

Is there any way to enable use of this drive as solo primary master?

This sounds like an issue with the drive electronics. The only
thing a ''master'' drive does is that is tgives the boot-up
reset fro bith drives. Better replace the one that does not
cooperate. If it is damage by static electricity or heat, it may
be genearrly unreliable.

Arno

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

A hard drive (Quantum Fireball Plus AS, 30GB) is jumpered and
connected as primary master. Whether bios recognizes it depends on:

does not recognize solo - if it's the sole hard drive

does recognize accompanied - if a secondary master hard drive is
plugged in (even if bios setting for it remains "none"). Mere presence
of the 2nd drive does the trick for the 1st one.

An identical-model Quantum Fireball Plus AS doesn't have the problem,
works solo as primary master in same machine. (I even copied the image
of the identical Fireball to the problem Fireball so they have same
mbr, partition table, all other content-- not content dependent.) The
problem drive (Quantum Fireball Plus AS, 30GB) passes basic
manufacturer diagnostic test (Powermax).

Is there any way to enable use of this drive as solo primary master?

If you exhausted all the jumper combinations what do you think the answer would be?
If you didn't exhaust all the jumper combinations what do you think the answer would be?

Next, is there a specific reason why you need it to be Master and not Slave?

 

[Rod Speed]

A hard drive (Quantum Fireball Plus AS, 30GB) is jumpered and
connected as primary master. Whether bios recognizes it depends on:

does not recognize solo - if it's the sole hard drive

does recognize accompanied - if a secondary master hard
drive is plugged in (even if bios setting for it remains "none").
Mere presence of the 2nd drive does the trick for the 1st one.

An identical-model Quantum Fireball Plus AS doesn't have
the problem, works solo as primary master in same machine.

Likely the difference is with the jumpering of the first drive,
it needs to be jumpered master to be seen when its the
only drive one the cable. Its likely jumpered as slave.

(I even copied the image of the identical Fireball to the problem Fireball so
they have same mbr, partition table, all other content-- not content dependent.)

The content is irrelevant to it being seen by
the bios on the black screen at boot time.

The problem drive (Quantum Fireball Plus AS, 30GB)
passes basic manufacturer diagnostic test (Powermax).

Is there any way to enable use of this drive as solo primary master?

Likely you just dont have it jumpered as master.

 

[david]

If you exhausted all the jumper combinations what do you think the answer would be?
If you didn't exhaust all the jumper combinations what do you think the answer would be?

I tried all the other jumper settings just in case. They should be,
and are, "wrong." The setting it's on is "master," same jumper
position as the other Fireball. The fact their behaviors are
different, this one departing from my normal expectation, is what I
don't get and am asking about.

Next, is there a specific reason why you need it to be Master and not Slave?

Yes, I want it to be a drop-in bootable backup to this machine's usual
primary master. I know how to do the backup part (linux, rsync). So
when the time comes, it needs to become a primary master.

If it can't, maybe i should explore booting off it as primary slave by
adjusting the boot loader, as a Plan B.

 

[david]

Likely the difference is with the jumpering of the first drive,
it needs to be jumpered master to be seen when its the
only drive one the cable. Its likely jumpered as slave.


The content is irrelevant to it being seen by
the bios on the black screen at boot time.

Yeah, that makes good sense.

Likely you just dont have it jumpered as master.

I wish. But it's "master."

 

[Rod Speed]

Yeah, that makes good sense.


I wish. But it's "master."

Check that its a good jumper plug and if it is, it may just be a
dry joint with one of the pins used in the master config, so that
even with the jumper on, the pins arent actually electrically connected.

Try the cable select position with an 80 wire ribbon cable.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

This sounds like an issue with the drive electronics.
The only thing a ''master'' drive does is that is

tgives the boot-up reset fro bith drives.

(Better get to a doctor quick, babblebot)

And this is relevant how with both drives as master on different channels, babblebot?

Better replace the one that does not
cooperate. If it is damage by static electricity or heat, it may

be genearrly unreliable.

If it's not too late (the doctor, I mean).

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

I tried all the other jumper settings just in case.

They should be, and are, "wrong."

If you say so.
Strange how Cable Select or Slave can be "wrong" settings, must be me.

The setting it's on is "master," same jumper position as the other
Fireball. The fact their behaviors are different, this one departing
from my normal expectation, is what I don't get and am asking about.

No, you want a fix for a damaged or ill behaving drive, that is what you are
asking about.
If everything else is the same for that particular configuration then for
all intents and purposes that drive is dead for that particular configuration.
What you haven't tried is slave alone or Cable Select or switching to the
other channel. Well, not in words/explanation, anyway.

Yes, I want it to be a drop-in bootable backup to this machine's usual
primary master. I know how to do the backup part (linux, rsync). So
when the time comes, it needs to become a primary master.

Why?
Does Linux know about Master/Slave? Does rsync know about Master/Slave?

If it can't, maybe i should explore booting off it as primary slave by

adjusting the boot loader, as a Plan B.

The bootloader knows about Master and Slave too? Wow.