Re: Harddrive Delima

Anna wrote: 
"Ron" wrote:

Rather than write a page of action taken, I will list:

Have a 20 GB HD (Maxtor 6E040L0).installed.
Bought a new 160 GB Seagate Hurricane
Installed per Segate Manual.
BIOS wouldn't recognize any drives.
Reconfigured for many hrs.
Called Segate.
Said disconnect CD & DVD drive ribbon cable.
They said plug the Segate drive into the MB where the CD/DVD was.
Computer recognizes everything well.
Segate said there is a conflict somewhere with other hardware.
Said buy an ATA card and plug into a PCI slot.

Old 20GB drive still set as master.
Segate has no jumpers so it is a slave.
ATA card had two pins with a jumper on each.
Directions only said "make sure you have jumpers set properly"?????
Left them on.
BIOS/CMOS still doesn't recognize new Seagate.
Device Mgr says it's connected and working properly.
Installed Win XP.
Moved files to the new drive.
Segate is an Ultra 100 ATA Drive.
Hardware Mgr lists it as a SCSI Drive??
I want to make the Segate the bootable drive and the 20 GB as slave.
Everything seems to work well even though BIOS doesn't recognize it.
No hardware conflicts reported.
Win XP on 20 GB drive is really slow in booting now.

Since each drive is on it's own ribbon cable connected to the MB, what do I have to do to make the Segate the bootable drive and the 20 GB as slave? Remember, BIOS doesn't even recognize it's there. Should I anticipate problems? All suggestions will be appreciated - This is my first HD installation. I won't be able to read your answers until tomorrow, Thursday.

Thanks 



Ron later wrote:


Thanks to you and Bob for your help. The computer is a 2.6 GHz, 1 GB memory, about 2yrs old. I am running Windows XP Home. It's an ATA 100 , homebuilt. I guess I'll have to look into this BIOS upgrade thing though I thought mine was new enough. The instructions said to configure the Segate as a slave (no jumpers)until files could be transferred to new drive. Then to reconfigure as a master.

Thanks to all


(And still later...)
Wish I had gotten your (Bob's) msg earlier, I just ordered a new BIOS ($69.95).
I am using the proper cabling but the old 20 GB drive is master and is
bootable; if I jumper the Segate as master then I would have two
masters. Also, the Segate isn't recognized by the BIOS so I can't make
it bootable. The master is at the end and middle is slave as you say but
BIOS won't recognize it. Plugged directly into the MB with it's own
cable won't recognize it either; I don't know how Segate got me to test
it to ensure it is recognized.


Ron:
1. We're going to assume your Seagate HD is non-defective. BTW, you said it's a Seagate "Hurricane". I never heard of a Seagate model by this name. We're assuming it's a PATA drive.

The Segate works. When I install only the Segate it boots and works fine but then the Maxtor isn't recgonized (Segate is jumpered master and old Maxtor is slave). I am unfamiliar with the PATA term.


2. Now you did partition & format that drive before installing it, yes? You do understand that a new drive must be partitioned/formatted before the system will recognize it, right? Tell us precisely how you partitioned & formatted that drive, if indeed you did so. Then we can go on from there, OK?

I installed the Segate only, inserted the Win XP CDROM, and it led me through the process and formated it. I chose not to partition it.

3. You mentioned something about an "ATA card". What's that all about? You've connected the Seagate to a controller card?

Segate told me there is something in my computer that is incompatible with the drive (but when is's installed alone it works fine). They said my only hope was to add an ATA controller card in a PCI slot and run the Segate through there. Bought and installed the card but no luck. There were no instructions for the two jumpers on the ATA card. However, it doesn't matter nothing works from the ATA card.

4.. If & when you respond, also indicate the make & model of your motherboard and its age if you know it. You purchased a BIOS upgrade for $69.95? From whom?
Anna

I see no visible name on the board, only that the chipset is VIA. Approx two years old, 2.6 GHz. 


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Harddrive Delima
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