Desktop

Ask something
Discussion Locked

freezer burn out

0 helpful
11 replies

by lbsmusica2

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
I have a pentium 133mhz computer with 6 gig hard drive and a 540 mb hard drive using win 98se,and a sis 4mb video card and sound card.The 6 gig drive does not bootup even when I followed the instructions on accessing dead drives.This hard drive failed with Hard Drive failure(80).When I boot with a startup disk to fdisk it,the message is good,select disk 1 or 2.When I select 2 the message is disk not available.The next page shows 472mb 0%.Shy by at least 6 gig.I tried the freezer method,no.I tried the knuckle fridge method,no.Can I try trash.can you help.

11 replies

by jrodri1636

You should check the power to the drive. Check the cable. Check your configuration in the bios. If the problem continues, then the drive is bad.

by lbsmusica2

I really need this drive as it does contain inportant information pertaining to a game creation and some software creations.The computer used was a P3 533MHZ WIN ME.The drives cables and power are fine.I just switched drives the second try and all is as it should be in connecting a drive.The drives cyl,heads,land zone and sectors are all as they were when it did work and listed on the drive.Why would it say 472 mb when it is 6472mb.The computer has a white cable like con with pins in it below the mem.Is that a regulator for drive size or power.

by mastertechphila

More than likely, you need to flash (update) the BIOS if it can be done. The BIOS knows the drive is there but in older machines, it cannot recognize large hard drives. If the BIOS cannot be flashed, you probably will need a newer motherboard.

by ryder007

Yes update your bios, if your still having problems take the drive out and put it on another machine that handles larger drives then extract your data.

by dmiles

You could try booting the computer with a Win 98 startup disk,use option to boot without cd rom support,at command prompt type in scandisk,if bad sectors can be repaired,you then try to fdisk the drive
As mentioned if bios needs updating or other hard ware problems exist,you may have to install the drive as a slave into another sytem with a master drive then performing the fdisk

by lbsmusica2

I guess the computer that had held the drive,and operating system have no bearring on why the drive is not recognised.Am I correct in assuming that 533mhz and win me,as apposed to 133mhz and win98,that the latter will boot it if the bios is flashed.Are there any other means of getting it detected.

This discussion is closed to new replies.