Hard drive problem

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

silverspade14

Distinguished
Dec 26, 2006
37
0
18,530
I got everything set up, I boot up my computer and I try to install windows but it says it doesnt detect my hard drive. I have the IDE cable connected and the power. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Also, is a floppy drive a required part?
 
M

minty

Distinguished
Jul 24, 2006
204
0
18,680
Check the jumpers on the back of the HD. Is it set to master/slave/cable select? Also make sure your IDE cable is plugged into the mobo with the right end (blue to motherboard), and that your HD is plugged into the ribbon cable with the correct connector. The grey connector is for a slave drive (CD or 2nd HD), the black for the master drive (your HD).
If you're using cable select mode, make sure your HD is plugged into the black
 
Zorg

Zorg

Splendid
May 31, 2004
6,732
0
25,790
I got everything set up, I boot up my computer and I try to install windows but it says it doesnt detect my hard drive. I have the IDE cable connected and the power. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Also, is a floppy drive a required part?
Click to expand...

I have no idea what your specs are but I will assume there relatively current. No you don't need a floppy.
1. Check drive and make sure it is set for master.
2. Install blue end of cable on 1st IDE port (port0) on the board, check the manual.
3. Install HD on other end of cable and connect power.
4. Access BIOS usually delete key, check manual.
5. Make sure that PATA is enabled and that the BIOS can see your drive. (I'm assuming when you say IDE you mean PATA and not SATA even though they are both technically IDE)
6. If you connected the HD LED ( Light ) on the front panel you should see it light when you Boot the machine. You should also be able to hear it spin up if you listen carefully.

If the BIOS can't see the drive Windows/Linux probably won't either. ( I would say certainly won't except I have seen some posts that say the BIOS didn't but they were able to load windows. Don't have a clue how that's possible though.)
 
S

silverspade14

Distinguished
Dec 26, 2006
37
0
18,530
Let me start over here. With my motherboard came 2 ribbon cables, one with 3 connectors, one with 2. I also have a blue cable that has a long flat connector at one end that fits into the hard drive, and the other end of the cable is a connector with an "L" shaped opening. it says serial ATA on this end. The blue cable is the ony one I recieved that can be plugged into the larger slot on the hard drive. I'm guessing the ribbons are for the DVD drive seeing as how thats the only thing they fit in. So on the hard drive I have the blue cable with the large end connected to the hard drive and smaller end into these slots on the motherboard. There are a few of these slots on the motherboard, they are the L shaped ones, theres 2 orange and 1 purple. I also don't know what the "jumpers" are that you guys are talking about because theres nothing on the hard drive that I can switch and I dont think it came with anything else.

Edit: I just looked in the box and there was a bag with some screws and this little black thing which I guess is the jumper. What do I do with it.
 
S

silverspade14

Distinguished
Dec 26, 2006
37
0
18,530
C2D e6400
2 GB XMS2 ddr2 800
8800 GTS
965p DS3
HIPER 580 PSU
Western Digital 160 GB SATA HDD

I just tried putting the jumper in the only other place show in the manual and it still says there is no master drive in the bios.
 
Zorg

Zorg

Splendid
May 31, 2004
6,732
0
25,790
Ok, forget my other post. I should have known that you had a SATA drive. Give me a minute to look. Maybe, in the mean time, someone with this setup can reply.
 
S

silverspade14

Distinguished
Dec 26, 2006
37
0
18,530
I just went to the BIOS and went to the standard CMOS and told it to auto detect hard drives on all of the amsters and it still couldnt find any.
 
Zorg

Zorg

Splendid
May 31, 2004
6,732
0
25,790
the board is SATA 3Gb/s (sata2). Which WD 160 drive? is it sata2. It probably is so make sure the strap is not set to downgrade to sata1. Probably set to stat2 at factory default. does the drive have a 4 pin molex power connector? Like the old PATA drives.
 
Zorg

Zorg

Splendid
May 31, 2004
6,732
0
25,790
I just put a WD74 gig Raptor in my old machine. The sata cable that came with the drive had a small plug for the MB and a large one for the drive. This pulls the power from the MB. My drive also had the 4 pin Molex to power directly from the power supply. You are warned not to plug both in or you will damage the drive. So if your drive has the 4 pin Molex plug you either don't use it, or you use the sata cable that came with the MB (small plugs on both ends) and the 4 pin Molex plugged into the PS.
 
S

silverspade14

Distinguished
Dec 26, 2006
37
0
18,530
What do you mean by a 4 pin molex. Mine has a the big slot the jumper slot and then the power slot which has 4 male connectors in 1 row.
 
Zorg

Zorg

Splendid
May 31, 2004
6,732
0
25,790
What do you mean by a 4 pin molex. Mine has a the big slot the jumper slot and then the power slot which has 4 male connectors in 1 row.
Click to expand...

What is the model # of the drive. let me get some info on it. I suspect that the big slot is the combo sata and sata power connectors (in one big slot I think). The 4 male pins that are in a row is probably the power supply connector. (Called 4 pin Molex) See above post.
 
Zorg

Zorg

Splendid
May 31, 2004
6,732
0
25,790
For a SATA drive you'll probably have to use a floppy (if one came with the HDD)
Click to expand...
only the HDD, the instructions and the bag of screws and a jumper came with it. Plus a cd.

I'm not 100% sure but I think htat's only if you are going to RAID.
 
Dante_Jose_Cuervo

Dante_Jose_Cuervo

Distinguished
May 9, 2006
867
0
18,990
Well... installing XP on there... hmm... If XP won't recognize it then the only way I know of is to use a floppy. Unless the drivers are on that CD...

Try looking through that manual to find anything on that.
 
Zorg

Zorg

Splendid
May 31, 2004
6,732
0
25,790
Jumper for a SATA HDD isn't for RAID... if it's a SATA II drive the jumper is to set it to SATA speeds on a mobo that doesn't support SATA II
Click to expand...

I looked at the gigabyte web page and unless I am mistaken the board does support sata2. I never said or even alluded to the fact that the jumper was for RAID. As a matter of fact I explicitly said that the jumper was for changing from sata2 to sata1 which he did no want to do. I said that the floppy, that you said he needed, was probably only required for a RAID setup. Are you reading the posts?
 
S

silverspade14

Distinguished
Dec 26, 2006
37
0
18,530
Well... installing XP on there... hmm... If XP won't recognize it then the only way I know of is to use a floppy. Unless the drivers are on that CD...

Try looking through that manual to find anything on that.
Click to expand...
The BIOS or CMOS or whatever doesnt detect it either.

The model is WD1600JSRTL
 
Dante_Jose_Cuervo

Dante_Jose_Cuervo

Distinguished
May 9, 2006
867
0
18,990
silverspade14 wrote:
Dante_Jose_Cuervo wrote:
For a SATA drive you'll probably have to use a floppy (if one came with the HDD)

only the HDD, the instructions and the bag of screws and a jumper came with it. Plus a cd.


I'm not 100% sure but I think htat's only if you are going to RAID.
Click to expand...

Lol, yes I'm reading the posts. I just misunderstood what you said. I thought you were talking about the jumper. if he was doing RAID though... that cd wouldn't help him. The RAID drivers would be with the mobo... or a RAID controller if you bought a dedicated one.

Anyways... onto the original topic of this... @ the OP... have you figured out what's on that CD?
 
Zorg

Zorg

Splendid
May 31, 2004
6,732
0
25,790
Yes I used the plug that goes into the SATA Driver and the Data and also the one that goes into the legacy power thing.
Click to expand...

In the box with my Raptor, and probably yours, there was a piece of paper warning against using both at the same time. The warning said it would damage the drive. See earlier post. unplug the 4 pin power supply plug. Next important question. Is your drive spinning up? Open case get close to it you should hear it spin up when you turn on the machine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom