BIOS says hard disk NONE but computer still works

Please explain how you have the drives and cables setup now and how they were before.

As a test you can move the motherbord end of the cable that works to the ide header on the motherbd that doesnt work and boot up. If it boots up at least you know that ide port also good. if it doesnt then your motherbd may be on its way out.

a ide cable typicall has
1-----------2----3
1: motherbd end.
2: slave drive
3: master/single drive

I've seen where the master/slave jumper on the drive can work loose or not make good connection. Take it off the drive and give it a slight squeeze with a pair of pliers and put it back on.

Remember if you have one drive on a cable you need to look up what the drives "Single" setting is. If you have more than one drive on a cable then one needs to be master and the other the slave *Unless* you have them set as CS (Cable Select) in which cane the end (3) is the master and the middle (2) is the slave and the master slave jumper on the drive makes no difference.

I may be misunderstanding your question but are you sure it's not referring to your CD drive? Since I removed my DVD drive I've been getting "no hard disk detected!" messages on start-up that go away when I hook the DVD drive back up.

What CPU/Mobo u have ?? Kind of sound's like an SB issue.

As a test you can move the motherbord end of the cable that works to the ide header on the motherbd that doesnt work and boot up. If it boots up at least you know that ide port also good. if it doesnt then your motherbd may be on its way out.

a ide cable typicall has
1-----------2----3
1: motherbd end.
2: slave drive
3: master/single drive

I've seen where the master/slave jumper on the drive can work loose or not make good connection. Take it off the drive and give it a slight squeeze with a pair of pliers and put it back on.

Remember if you have one drive on a cable you need to look up what the drives "Single" setting is. If you have more than one drive on a cable then one needs to be master and the other the slave *Unless* you have them set as CS (Cable Select) in which cane the end (3) is the master and the middle (2) is the slave and the master slave jumper on the drive makes no difference.[/quotemsg]


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A/
In descending order the original configuration was:-

1. CD /DVD Drive
2. CD /DVD Drive
3. Hard disk

*(Please note I have or had TWO CD /DVD Drive)


B/
In descending order the current configuration (which works) is:-



1. Hard disk**
2. CD /DVD Drive
3. Empty (Nothing connected)

**(Please note Hard disk is set to MASTER).


In A/ Hard disk is not recognized BUT computer works (except fpr no sound).


B/ Hard disk is not recognized AND computer does NOT boot/work.



I have also run a QUICK TEST test and an EXTENDED TEST using Western Digital's Data Lifeguard Diagnostics for Windows tool on my hard disk which is a Western Digital Model Number WDC WD800BB-00JHC0 80GB. The hard disk got PASS in BOTH tests so the hard disk is working perfectly.


I think the problem may be the IDE cable is faulty or the jumper shunt may not be making proper contact
with the pins (as you suggest).



Thank you for your informative and helpful reply.

Popatim,


CORRECTION!!


In descending order the original configuration was:-

1. CD /DVD Drive
2. CD /DVD Drive
3. Hard disk

*(Please note I have or had TWO CD /DVD Drive)


B/
In descending order the current configuration (which works) is:-



1. Hard disk**
2. CD /DVD Drive
3. Empty (Nothing connected)

**(Please note Hard disk is set to MASTER).


********************************************************************************

In A/ Hard disk is not recognized AND computer does NOT boot/work.


In B/ Hard disk is not recognized BUT computer works (except for no sound).

Is there any difference how the 2 cd/ dvd-drives are connected ? and are there any differences on the cables ? If you connect 1 cd/dvd with the hdd you have to connect the hdd first and cd/dvd second

Basically, we need to know how you have each of the 3 devices jumpered. Once you figure that out, putting them into proper places is easy.
A single IDE ribbon cable has 3 connections.
1 end goes to the motherboard. The other end is where the disk jumpered "master" goes, the center is where you connect the disk jumpered "slave". I never use (used) cable select, as it seems to cause problems with some drives. I always jumper "master" or "slave". A ribbon cable that has only 1 drive connected, set the drive to master and put it on the end of the cable leaving the center connection open. Then go into the BIOS and select which "master" drive is the boot drive. (if you have 2 drives as master, which you will have if you have 3 drives in the system)

If your data cable has 3 connections on it

IDE Channel 0

MOTHERBOARD <--> BLANK <--> HDD jumper as master

IDE Channel 1

MOTHERBOARD <--> CD jumper as slave <--> CD jumper as master

if it only has 2 connections

IDE Channel 0

MOTHERBOARD <--> BLANK <--> HDD jumper as master

IDE Channel 1

MOTHERBOARD <--> CD jumper as master

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My yellow IDE ribbon with a red line down the edge has 4 connections and 1 connection goes to the mother board which makes 5 connections in all.

Current working configuration:

1. Hard Disk
2. DVD
3. Motherboard
4. Not connected
5. Not connected

The above configuration works but the hard disk is not recognized in BIOS but is recognized in Windows Device Manager.

******


My original configuration which did work and stopped working because the BIOS does not recognize the hard disk and the computer does not boot to windows.


Original Configuration which did work and does not work now was:


1. CD/DVD
2. CD/DVD
3. Motherboard
4. Hard Disk
5. Not connected


I don't why my original configuration stopped working but I think it may have something to do with IDE cable at connection position 4. In the original configuration the hard disk jumper at connection position 4. was set to master and worked but then for some reason stopped. In the current configuration it is also set to master but at connection position 1. and it works. As I say I am coming to the conclusion that there is a fault in the IDE cable at connection position 4. Is it possible for an IDE cable to fail at one position and work at the others? I am going to try another IDE cable to see if my computer works as it it did in the original configuration i.e. with the hard disk at connection position 4.




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The main question is:

Why has the computer BIOS stopped recognizing the hard disk at IDE connection position 4 and why is the BIOS still not recognizing the hard disk at IDE connection position 1 - athough the hard disk works perfectly (tested by Western Digital Lifeguard Disk Diagnostics tool for Windows) and also recognized by Windows XP in the Device Manager?

Okay. I think the problem is solved. I don't know what I did but the hard drive is now recognized in the BIOS as the master on channel 2 (whatever that is) and the CD/DVD is the slave.

Now I just have to find out where my sound went.


Thanks to all for the help.