BIOS not detecting SATA drives all of a sudden

[sa_ill]

Hey

So I'm having this weird problem. I'm using my computer normally, here and there, games, music etc. and I perform a normal shutdown.

So this next time I switch on the computer I notice it doesnt boot to the OS. I visit the BIOS and notice, it aint detecting my SATA HDD and my DVD drive.

I open up. (erm. my computer cabinet i.e.), replace the wires, redo the connections.

Still.

No help.

BIOS cant detect nothing. And its been working fine all these months. Why all of a sudden? And how do I troubleshoot this thing?

Here are my specs
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200
Gigabyte G31 mobo
Western Digital 500GB SATA hard drive.

 

[x3style]

Try your hdd in another machine and pray it works. Otherwise your hdd might have been smoked somehow. If it works then check bios settings see if sata is activated and set as IDE emulation mode not AHCI. If that is ok go trough all sata ports and also make sure your change you power cables. If that still does not work i'd go with the mobo's sata controller gone bad.

 

[sa_ill]

I think the harddrive is fine, since it makes that sound it makes makes everytime you switch on the PC. Plus I think the power cables are just fine, since when I push the Eject button on the DVD drive it does respond.

 

[x3style]

I'd still go test it, i've had dead hardrives behave like normal ones. Mechanically it was ok but the HDD board had a controller chip fried.

 

[ram1009]

Electronic components often die suddenly. The only way to trouble shoot problems like yours is to replace suspect items with known good ones.

 

[sa_ill]

Found out the issue but its yet to be solved. Apparently the Seagate Barracudda manufactured before Aug-2009 have a firmware defect and they bound to die out. The solution is to send it to Seagate and they repair it.

Incase if you have a Seagate Barracudda, UPGRADE YOUR FIRMWARE NOW!