Funkerific Hard Drive Behavior, mobo Dead?

[natewildes]

So it's just another day, and just another build, except for the hard drive; when the IDE cable is plugged in, the hard drive does NOT spin (but there is power, the LED indicator on the bottom is lit), but when the IDE cable is unplugged from the motherboard, the hard drive DOES spin. On top of all that, I don't get a boot screen or beeps regardless of the configuration, so I'm thinking either the motherboard is gone, or the CPU is--any thoughts?

Note:
-the HD and power supply are confirmed working on another computer
-I'm using an ECS AM2+ mobo and an AMD X3 425 processor

 

[buzznut]

It sounds like you have the cable inserted incorrectly. This behavior is something I experienced before, and it was an incorrectly installed ribbon cable.
I'd double check that first, ensure correct orientation, examine the pins in the board and the drive to be sure they are all accounted for, and be certain the cable is seated completely.