DD sometimes not seen by CMOS

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill
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B

Bill

Hi

On a 7zx board sometimes the hard disks aren't detected by the CMOS at
startup. I must unplug the DD cables from the MB and restart the machine.

The cables are brand new.

Is there something to do to fix that pb ?

Thanks
 
Bill said:
Hi

On a 7zx board sometimes the hard disks aren't detected by the CMOS at
startup. I must unplug the DD cables from the MB and restart the machine.

The cables are brand new.

Is there something to do to fix that pb ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

There can be multiple reasons for a problem like that.

The hard drive, at the ribbon cable level, is unresponsive until

1) Spindle is up to speed.
2) Controller is able to complete internal housekeeping.
That may include loading sector substitution tables,
or other data structures from disk. (One of my disks, even
got its name and capacity from the platters - I discovered
that one day, when the disk failed.) There may be a small
SMART test and an attempt to seek to a few places.
3) Then, the drive will listen for commands on the IDE bus.

The BIOS, at that point, doesn't know what is going on.
A drive may be there, or it might not. The BIOS may have
a timer it keeps in software. One of my motherboards will
wait up to 35 seconds, before giving up on the interface.
For interfaces on which the user knows there is no disk,
sometimes you can go into the BIOS and disable the interface,
so there is no additional delay waiting for drives that
are not there.

That being said, I don't see a setting in the GA-7ZX manual,
to adjust the delay. Some motherboard BIOS have a setting,
where you can adjust the delay (for that number like 35
seconds).

An alternative way to add delay, is to enable a memory test
in the BIOS. BIOS have options for "quick POST" or not so
quick POST. If you enable functions that increase the
test time at the beginning of POST, that can give a
slow hard drive more time to start. Again, I don't see
the necessary option in the GA-7ZX manual.

This could be symptomatic of a hard drive problem. You can
either use a tool that displays SMART data (Speedfan from
almico.com), or you can download a disk diagnostic from the
hard drive manufacturer. Most hard drive manufacturers have
tools of one sort or another on their site. They recommend
the user run the diagnostic, before making warranty claims
etc.

But in some cases this is drive brand specific. There have
been drive models, that are overly slow to start and become
ready, causing problems for more than one motherboard design.

Adding a PCI card based IDE controller, is another potential
fix, but does require proper support from the BIOS (INT 0x13
capture, boot order etc). In that case, BIOS code stored in
the BIOS chip on the PCI card, would insert a delay, for the
disk to become ready on that interface. To use a PCI card,
you install the PCI card first (no disk connected), install
driver for PCI card, shut down, and move the IDE cable to
the new card. The card is most likely to be compatible with
hard drives (optical drives can be picky), and perhaps include
one IDE cable in the retail box.

HTH,
Paul
 
On a 7zx board sometimes the hard disks aren't detected by the CMOS at
startup. I must unplug the DD cables from the MB and restart the machine.
Click to expand...

It has been quite a while since I have seen this.
But maybe the 'old days tricks' still offers some help:
disable quickboot in the BIOS.
Or try a better (higher rated) PSU.

If you power up a PC, the harddrives need some time to
initialize. If the BIOS polls them before they are ready, BIOS
may decide "no harddisk there".

If you disable the quickboot feature, BIOS performs a more in
dept ram test. Which takes more time. More time for the harddisk
to run the initialisation routine :-)

And as to the PSU: if you have a marginal sized PSU installed,
right at boottime when all devices claim more or less maximum
power, harddisk startup may be delayed because of insufficient
current supply. (If you want to test this scenario: unplug all
CD/DVD drives and all but one harddisk. If the problem
disappears, buy a higher rated PSU :-)
 
It has been quite a while since I have seen this.
But maybe the 'old days tricks' still offers some help:
disable quickboot in the BIOS.
Or try a better (higher rated) PSU.

If you power up a PC, the harddrives need some time to
initialize. If the BIOS polls them before they are ready, BIOS
may decide "no harddisk there".

If you disable the quickboot feature, BIOS performs a more in
dept ram test. Which takes more time. More time for the harddisk
to run the initialisation routine :-)

And as to the PSU: if you have a marginal sized PSU  installed,
right at boottime when all devices claim more or less maximum
power, harddisk startup may be delayed because of insufficient
current supply. (If you want to test this scenario: unplug all
CD/DVD drives and all but one harddisk. If the problem
disappears, buy a higher rated PSU :-)
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay in my answer but I can't log anymore on my news
server I get a 10060 error. I tried other servers but I can't find a
free one where I can post.

My problem looks like a connection problem because, as I've said, if I
unplug the cables from the MB and the HD, replug everything and start
the machine again, everything works at any time of the day. And the HD
worked flawlessly on another machine. And another HD plugged in that
machine does the same thing.

I'll change the CMOS to normal boot and see what it can do but IMO it
won't change anything 'cause sometimes it stops loading the system. So
it looks really like a bad connection to me. I'll try to pry the
prong sockets in the milex but they are pretty tight right now. What I
suspect is more a bad contact in the MB socket and that, I don't know
how to increase the contact.

I'll get back

PS. Do you know of a free news server where I can post that I could
use with thunderbird ?
 
A motherboard socket contact problem is rare, the two main
things to do are inspect the contacts' solder joints to the
board, reflowing any that are broken by adding some flux and
reheating with a soldering iron (if you're not accustomed to
soldering and have a good small-tipped iron, it'd be better
to let someone else do this since the data traces are fairly
fine pitched), and to inspect the contacts to see if there
is corrosion or residue buildup.  Residue might be removed
by taking a paint-brush and contact cleaner or (as pure as
you can reasonably find) alcohol and brushing the areas then
flushing, then letting it thoroughly dry.
Click to expand...

This is not my computer, it's my mother's. Since I can't be there in a
snap, she had the time to try a few things. One successful was to
unplug the computer from the wall outlet for some time. She says that
the 'puter starts in a whiz after doing so.

Now that says something to me: there's no problem with the HD
connections or any other one. But it doesn't tell any further, at
least to me ! :)

And to you ?
 
On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:15:04 -0800 (PST), Bill
Click to expand...
related might be a failing PSU or flat battery.
Click to expand...

The CMOS would lose the date and the settings if the battery was dead,
no ?
But the weakening PSU rings a bell to me. And the more I think of it,
the more it sounds like it.
I'll find a good used one and give it a try. If the problem disappears
I'll get a new PSU.

Thanks
 
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