Hard Drive Problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter CableGuy
  • Start date Start date
C

CableGuy

Recently obtained a supposed bad hard drive, so I was trying to
confirm by hooking hard drive up as slave to my master HD. No
jumpers on back of supposed bad hard drive. When plugged in as
slave, computer will not boot past startup screen. Error comes up,
Primary Drive 0 not found. As soon as I unplug the supposed bad hard
drive from the IDE slave position, computer boots up fine.

Does this prove bad hard drive, or am I doing something incorrectly?


Dell Dimension 2400

==============
Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware troubleshooting newsgroups.
 
CableGuy said:
Recently obtained a supposed bad hard drive, so I was trying to
confirm by hooking hard drive up as slave to my master HD. No
jumpers on back of supposed bad hard drive. When plugged in as
slave, computer will not boot past startup screen. Error comes up,
Primary Drive 0 not found. As soon as I unplug the supposed bad hard
drive from the IDE slave position, computer boots up fine.

Does this prove bad hard drive, or am I doing something incorrectly?


Dell Dimension 2400

==============
Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware
troubleshooting newsgroups.
Click to expand...

Just because it doesn't have a jumper, doesn't mean it doesn't need one.
Look at the label - it will tell you what pins need to be shorted for
master/slave/cable select. Any jumper will do - I've got a few I pulled off
a fried motherboard, you must have one or two lying around somewhere.
 
CableGuy said:
Recently obtained a supposed bad hard drive, so I was trying to
confirm by hooking hard drive up as slave to my master HD. No
jumpers on back of supposed bad hard drive. When plugged in as
slave, computer will not boot past startup screen. Error comes up,
Primary Drive 0 not found. As soon as I unplug the supposed bad hard
drive from the IDE slave position, computer boots up fine.

Does this prove bad hard drive, or am I doing something incorrectly?


Dell Dimension 2400

==============
Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware
troubleshooting newsgroups.
Click to expand...


Just an addendum, I did have a couple of Seagates that didn't require
jumpers when set as slave. It could be that your drive is the same.
 
The top of the hard drive does specify jumper settings. I am curious
though, if that is the problem. I attempted to set the jumpers to
master and boot computer from the hard drive, with no result.
Primary 0 drive not found, and the settings for slave is no jumper.
That produces same result. I am just dumbfounded though, as why my
computer will not boot when this hard drive is installed as a slave
with my good hard drive as master. In BIOS is brings up Unknown
Device for my Primary Master.

==============
Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware troubleshooting newsgroups.
 
The top of the hard drive does specify jumper settings. I am curious
though, if that is the problem. I attempted to set the jumpers to
master and boot computer from the hard drive, with no result.
Primary 0 drive not found, and the settings for slave is no jumper.
That produces same result. I am just dumbfounded though, as why my
computer will not boot when this hard drive is installed as a slave
with my good hard drive as master. In BIOS is brings up Unknown
Device for my Primary Master.

==============
Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware troubleshooting newsgroups.
 
On 28 Aug 2004 16:05:00 -0400,
The top of the hard drive does specify jumper settings. I am curious
though, if that is the problem. I attempted to set the jumpers to
master and boot computer from the hard drive, with no result.
Primary 0 drive not found, and the settings for slave is no jumper.
That produces same result. I am just dumbfounded though, as why my
computer will not boot when this hard drive is installed as a slave
with my good hard drive as master. In BIOS is brings up Unknown
Device for my Primary Master.
Click to expand...

Sounds like drive is, as already declared, bad.

You might try hooking it up as the only drive, master, "auto"
detect setting in bios, then boot to the drive manufacturer's
diagnostic floppy and see what it reports.
 
CableGuy said:
The top of the hard drive does specify jumper settings. I am curious
though, if that is the problem. I attempted to set the jumpers to
master and boot computer from the hard drive, with no result.
Primary 0 drive not found, and the settings for slave is no jumper.
That produces same result. I am just dumbfounded though, as why my
computer will not boot when this hard drive is installed as a slave
with my good hard drive as master. In BIOS is brings up Unknown
Device for my Primary Master.

==============
Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware
Click to expand...
troubleshooting newsgroups.

If it's still acting as master when (un)jumpered to slave, it will interfere
with your master hard drive if it is still hooked up, and neither drive will
work.
 
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