Hi,
A client’s Dell Dimension 8250. A few months ago it was rebuilt from scratch because of a HD failure. A few days ago it failed again – bad sectors, also in the boot sector. I suspected the IDE controller (2nd HD damage). I tried one more new HD since I can’t replace the motherboard. I started the XP install, and it did the first reboot – and suddenly the Dell couldn’t find the HD anymore. The BIOS shows unknown and complains about not finding anything.
I switched the IDE controllers between HD and CDs, and the fun thing is that it still recognizes the CD drives, but not the HD.
I put the HD into a USB case, and it worked on my PC without problems.
So I tried a PCI IDE controller, but the Dell doesn’t seem to recognize it, and I found no setting in the BIOS that would make it work.
Just out of curiosity I tested the power supply with a new tester I had just bought, and I found there is no -5V on the main power plug. I tried a new power supply on which -5V works, but the BIOS still didn’t recognize the HD. No clue what that means…
I wouldn’t be so confused if the HD hadn’t work up until a reboot, and I know XP setup had nearly finished formatting without a problem. Next time I looked when the PC beeped before the restart complaining it could not find any IDE device on that controller.
I have about 16 more hours to figure out how to fix this piece of $%&* 🙁 And I am out of ideas.
I talked to a Dell representative via Chat for a bit – waste of 30 minutes – he told me to use FDisk (huh?!?) and then to contact the drive manufacturer (although it had worked 20 minutes prior to my call).
There has to be a way to fix this without replacing the whole motherboard.
My hope is that either someone will recognize this and have a BIOS setting or some other fix that will make the new drive work, or there is some fix to get the PCI controller to work.
I really hope someone can help me…
Thanks in advance!