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Hard Drive not accessible

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by jvongunten

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I purchased a new MB (gateway # 2511081) and tried to install an older HD (seagate 1.2G). The bios found the drive, but I can't access it. Is the older drive not supported by the MB? Specs say compilant to ATA 4 and 5.

13 replies

by alpha-male

Have you partitioned the drive? Formatted it? If you run FDisk, does it see the drive? Errors? Have you tried to fdisk the master boot record on the drive? How is the drive jumpered? Master? Slave? Cable Select? How does the BIOS detect it (master or slave, primary IDE or secondary)?

Check these things and of you're still having trouble, please give specifics and I'll try to help further.

by jvongunten

HD jumper is set for master. BIOS finds it as master. Did fdisk. Is also primary drive. Same problem with CD. Cd is found as secondary drive and jumper is set as master, but can't access.

by alpha-male

Okay...so you ran fdisk. Did it partition the drive without any problems? Then did you format the drive without any problems and add a system to the drive? (use sys c: from a boot disk or format /s when formatting). What OS are you trying to use? Did you fdisk /mbr to clear the boot record?

If you use a boot disk with CD-Rom Drivers (like a basic win98 boot disk) can you read a CD in the CD-Rom drive? What error are you getting when you try to access the hard drive?

We need you to give us information for us to answer your question. When asking for information, I'm not just trying to get a rejection and look stupid. I want a few details as to where you're getting stuck and what you have tried. It is almost certain that your motherboard will support your HD and CD. When you say you can't access it, we need to know where and what errors you're getting. So...

If you can let me know if you're using a boot disk, if you SUCCESSFULLY Fdisked the drive, formatted the drive, added an os, and what error you're seeing when you do I can probably tell you what's wrong.

Since the BIOS recognizes the drive (I'll assume correctly), then your power and cabling are almost certainly fine.
Since neither the HD or CD work, I would say it is highly unlikely that both are bad. Since HDs and CDs fit to very rigorous standards, I would say almost certainly you can get them to work with your system. My guess is you're missing a step in configuring them or (initially - not now) that you may have a jumper setting issue.

If you need a boot disk, you can get a boot disk from www.bootdisk.com or create one (depending on your OS). Please add a comment with details and I'll add a comment with steps to resolve your problem.

by alpha-male

Just noticed something I wanted to clarify. When you say CD is configured as secondary jumpered as master...you DO mean it's on the secondary controller jumpered as master, right? Not the second drive on the same controller as the HD jumpered as master. I think I understand what you mean, but I wanted to make sure. It should be connected to your secondary IDE controller...not on the same cable as the HD.

by jvongunten

The cd is on the second IDE controller and is jumpered as master. I am booting to a 98 install diskett. I can't format the hard drive because although the bois sees the cd the startup boot does not, so I don't have a cd to format from and the diskette doesen't have format. I get invalid media type reading c: therefore I can't do anything to C: I will try fdisk \MBR and let you know.

by alpha-male

Okay!....what is wrong is the C: Drive is not formatted. From your boot disk (most likely A:) type format c: /s

This will format the drive, and add system files. You should then be able to boot to the HD. To use your CD Rom you'll need to eitherhave its drivers on the boot disk or add them to your HD after it is formatted. www.bootdisk.com has boot disks with generic cd-rom drivers. Once you get to that stage, you can put your CD in your cd-rom drive and begin installing your operating system and software. If you don't have the format command on the boot disk, download or create one that does have it.

If you still have trouble, also make sure the partition is marked as active in fdisk...just in case.

Take a look here for a few more details:

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000231.htm

http://www.buildeasypc.com/sw/hddsetup.htm

Good luck!

by jvongunten

I can boot to floppy, fdisk HD, changa to c:. When I try to access (dir) I get INVALID MEDIA TYPE READING DRIVE C.

by b_pope

Make sure you make the disk active when using fdisk or you'll never be able to access it.

by b_pope

sorry Alpha-male I just noticed you mentioned that right near the end.

Regards

by alpha-male

The answer is there. I'm risking getting abused with yet another rejection here, but you have to format the drive. Download a boot disk from www.bootdisk.com with generic cd drivers and the basic tools to setup your system. Format is one of the mostessential of these. One you boot to the boot disk type format c: /s

After that you will no longer have the invalid media type issue. Then, change to the cd rom drive (you need to have the drivers on your floppy boot disk). From there, run what you need to install. I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything, but I have received 2 rejections here and I am 99.99999% certain the information I have given you is correct.

by jvongunten

I gave up. I belive the hard drive had a problem. Got a bigger hd and a better CD. Thanks for all your help.
John
P s All works now.

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