Desktop·25,157 discussions

Primary Hd recognized as slave

Locked

When I boot my Windows XP Pro system, the bios reports that the Primary HD is not found, and then the Secondary Partition reports the correct HD. The system always boots properly and when I am in Win XP the Primary drive is reported correctly. Even in the registry. This system has intermitant problems… system errors when running IE 6. This is my daughters system and I cannot for the life of me figure out what is wrong with the bios. I have recently updated the bios (after problem was found) and this does no good.

This is a ASUS motherboard P4MV-XP system. The only hard drive is an 80 gig Western Digital which is partitioned into 40 gig partitions.

I teach at ITT Tech and I have talked to our administrator he says all of my devices should be set to cable select… is this pointing in the right direction?

Topic

Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

In reply to Primary Hd recognized as slave

Setting cable select is configuration setting for two hard drives connected to the primary IDE cable,with only one drive this is not true.
It reads in your post as if you have a dual boot set up,splitting the partition should not have MRB files on both your partitions
The intermittent problem should not be effecting the software loading,it sounds as though there is a virus in the system that is causing you to think that this is a intermittent problem

IF,you can backup you most important files then scan system with virus scan

There is a good chance you will want to start form the beginninga nd use a third party software to split the partition.

Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

In reply to Primary Hd recognized as slave

The cable select to the setting ONLY works IF you have a cable select cable, and have the drive connected to the Master connector on the cable.

If you do not have a cable select style cable, or connect the drive to the slave connector, the BIOS will detect the drive as a slave drive.

Cable select is the default setting for most Western Digital drives when used as the Master without a slave present.

Start with a different IDE cable, and make sure that the drive is connected as the master.

As to your IE problems, the first step is to clean up your system.

Open Internet Options and delete Temporary files.

Then run your favorite spy-ware cleaner.

I use both AdAware and SpyBot Search and Destroy.

Still having IE problems?
Start a new question listing the specific errors you are having.
Include a list of web sites that the problems show up on if pertinent.

Chas

Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

In reply to Primary Hd recognized as slave

Please check your jumper settings

Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

In reply to Primary Hd recognized as slave

While I concur that the issue sounds like a jumper on the HDD- also make sure and check the BIOS, as some MB’s allow you to configure the drives from within there as well. There is a small chance that there is an issue with the IDE ribbon or the actual HDD itself. Try another IDE ribbon to eliminate that as a possible source of the issue and for HDD issues- you’d want to rule out all other issues.

Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

In reply to Primary Hd recognized as slave

Hello, I would pull the hd and change the jumper from cable select to master, and if possiable change the cable it self. For now just unplug all drives and leave the hd as “master”, until you can see it displayed in the bios post message as the master, then we will worry if XP has it correct. Is there a cd or other drive on the machine? Is it on a different cable, you do not mention what it is displayed as. If it is on the same cable then you will have to change its jumper to “slave.” I do not beleive this is a bios issue. My own feeling is that I never use cable select, maybe it’s a control issue. Let me know, good luck.

Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

In reply to Primary Hd recognized as slave

what model wd?
did you see this:
(talks about alternate jumper configuration)
Why is my EIDE drive not detected or recognized by the system BIOS?
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=54&p_created=1003440599&p_sid=yKcmKkUh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD04MTMmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1

Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

In reply to Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

sorry about that. you may have to surf over to http://www.wdc.com and search the kb yourself if you can’t get these links to work.
here is a better one, it describes your symptoms as product of improper jumpering:
Jumper settings for WD 3.5 inch EIDE drives.
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=84&p_sid=x9rkLkUh&p_lva=1223&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NDQmcF9wcm9kcz05MSw5MyZwX2NhdHM9MTgyJnBfcHY9Mi45MyZwX2N2PTEuMTgyJnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfZm5sJnBfcGFnZT0x&p_li=#

Reply To: Primary Hd recognized as slave

In reply to Primary Hd recognized as slave

might be worth trying a new cable.
the alternate jumper configurations are not supposed to be needed with winXP, sorry about that. i wonder if you should just spend $40 and put in promise controller. bet that would solve it.

[Author]

Replies