Hard Drive Trouble

by Varina Nov 8, 2004 7:08AM PST

Alright, here's my problem (though I'm not exactly sure what it is):
Our computer worked fine until we moved, it was then it decided to quit operating properly. At this time I noticed that when it wouldn't boot it wasn't detecting the primary master. So I went into my BIOS and checked things out and I noticed that under my 'IDE Hard Drive' the option was set to 'none'. So then I went into the option list for my hard drive and the only other option was 'disabled'. So, in short I figured my hard drive had died on me. We were using a Fujitsu MPG3204AT with Windows XP Professional.

I went out to Office Max and bought a brand new Western Digital WD1200JBRTL (massive upgrade from the Fujitsu) and I'm still getting the same result when I start up my computer. The primary master is not detected and the same options are given in the BIOS.

Does anyone know what the problem might be?

Discussion is locked

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Re: Hard Drive Trouble = 120GB support?

by r. proffitt Forum moderator Nov 8, 2004 7:16AM PST

There are a lot of machines that can't detect that size drive.

In short, you would use the 80 conductor IDE cable with the drive as CS jumpers on the black connection and the blue connection to the motherboard. The drive must "spin". Read http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/confCable80-c.html

If the BIOS is out of date, then there is hope but you must update it.

Bob

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WOW where do we start???

by Ray Harinec Nov 8, 2004 7:27AM PST

Doubt if your Hard drive was bad. I hope that you saved it.

Lets get some inf before recovery starts. What type of computer, CPU, Memory, what was on the "defective" drive.

Need to know the vintage of the machine to see if the drive that you picked will run into the ovewr 137 GB "limit"

What operating system are you going tpo install.

If the BIOS said no IDE it was not necessartily an indication that the drive had failed.

You moved, when you first had indications that the computer wasn't working, did you open the case and verify that all of the connections were still "tight'??

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Sorry about the 137 GB limit comment.

by Ray Harinec Nov 8, 2004 7:31AM PST

misread new drive as a 200 GB.

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So many questions.

by Ray Harinec Nov 8, 2004 7:42AM PST

Re the comment that the BIOS options for the hard drive were only none or disabled. That makes no sense whatever.

We need to understand what state the system is at this time.

Understand that you should use CS [cable select] jumpering for the WD drive., the Master and slave jumpering will confuse things badly. With the 80 conductor cable the drive should be on the end connector and then will automatically be the master.

Can you get into the BIOS?? If so, set the Primary Master to AUTO. That way the drive gets detected at each boot, no need to make any other settings.

Depending on the operating system thenext steps can vary widely.

It would be intersting to see if the first drive is really bad, especially if you had Win XP on it.

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Re: So many questions.

by Varina Nov 9, 2004 12:27PM PST

I can get into the BIOS but even when the primary master is set on auto the computer will not boot. It tells me that there is a disk drive failure.

I still have the old hard drive, it had Windows Xp with office, a photosuite program, virus scanning software and not a whole lot else really other than messengers and other internet-y things.

I honestly don't know a whole lot about this computer. My dad built it and lives 1000 miles away, so he can't help me. And I'm pretty much a newb as far as hardware is concerned.

I can't find the manual for my BIOS anywhere though apparently we have it somewhere. It's an Award BIOS.

I'm really stumped. I need to know first of all how to find the answers to some of the questions you all have posed... step-by-step if at all possible.

Thanks

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I'm glad that you clarified that

by Ray Harinec Nov 9, 2004 11:50PM PST

the BIOS allowed setting the drive to AUTO, earlier post re none and disabled caused me great confusion.

Lets use only the WD drive to see if we can get it recognized, if we get that going we may go back to try the older drive.

We want the drive to be the Master on the Primary IDE bus.

If you bought the drive retail it came with an 80 conductor ribbon cable. You want to set the jumper on the rear of the drive to CS [cable select] Maybe it says CSEL. Then using the new cable, blue end to mobo, and the WD drive on the end, black, connector it will be the Master automatically. I think that I earlier mentioned that using Master and slave jumpering with a WD Drive is confusing. Make sure that the new ribbon cable is on the Primary IDE connector on the mobo.

Just realized to say mobo = motherboard or some call it mainboard.

Do this, leaving the Primary Master set as AUTO in the BIOS, and see if the drive gets seen on the BIOS boot screen. Let us know.

If you can find out from your Dad what mobo the system uses we can go to their website and download the manual in PDF format. Useful if additional help is needed.

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Also, Ray

by chuckieu Dec 27, 2004 4:25AM PST

I found out recently that although they are now SUPPOSED to, not all new hard drives will accept the Cable Select
setting. Just added two new drive(not WD) and had to go back to Master/slave settings. I am in agreement that
original drive was still good, just settings out of sync.
That happened in the same hard drive switch. Re-installed
Windows instead of just re-doing settings. chuck

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Re: Hard Drive Trouble

by ondouglas Nov 9, 2004 9:14PM PST

Well it think you should try changing the jumper setting to something else i think it will work even with the Ist HDD, also check the power and IDE cables,

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hard drive trouble

by putorbasher Dec 26, 2004 7:02PM PST

hi seems this is a known issue with this drive
go to
http://www.tweaknews.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=205
the drives themselves are defective and quite problematic type into google mpg3204at issues and you will see what i mean from what i've read so far there is pretty much no hope for the drive to be recovered

putorbasher

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