HDD problem

[boofhead]

Some jobs go easy but many give the most annoying time-consuming problems..
I am trying to make up a computer for my daughter so she can go on line (and that part is working OK) but I have XP Pro running on an old HP computer. The main HDD would not let me format it, even though it said it worked, but never mind, it took the XP program over the top of the original W98 and some of the original programs now do not need to be re-loaded, but I have a new Hitachi 160G HDD I want to add as second (slave) drive. No matter how I set the jumpers, when it is on the cable it does not let the computer boot. All I get is a blue screen with a flashing cursor. The computer will not boot with the Hitachi CD in the drive and I cannot make it run to load the drivers or whatever it does. The system sees the CD but will not run anything on it, no auto load or nothing. I tried a couple of other old drives and some work, some do not. I figure if I format the Hitachi drive on another computer it might have a shot at working, but does anyone have experience of this and some help for me? If not for any other reason but to save me from pulling out the little hair I have left?
Another funny thing it does as it tries to entertain me is that I have two memory sticks (133 MhZ) one is 128 and the other is 512. If I put either in, the memory is reported correctly but if I put both in, either slot, it reports only 384 Mb. I assume the slots are limited to 256 max, and I cannot find a selection in the BIOS to change that. Help with this would also be appreciated.
Wish I knew the answers to these and other problems, it would save the blood pressure for my medical, which is due this month...

[ORAC]

The first possibility is that the PC BIOS either does not have autodetect or it is not set. So, making sure the current HDD is set to master, set the Hitachi to slave on the same cable, start the PC and enter the BIOS. Make sure the Hitachi is detected either use the auto facility or by manually entering the settings (they are on the HDD label). Once it is detected save the settings and exit.

If that works and you still cannot see the HDD in Windows it will be because it is not formatted. Go into Disk Management and form the disk.

If the PC cannot detect the HDD it could be a cable fault. Disconnect the present HDD, set the Hitachi to master and then go into the BIOS and go through the detection process again. If it detects it, replace the cable (ideally with a UDMA 80 pin cable).

Not sure about the problem with the CD. HDD do not need drivers and I cannot understand where you got it from or what it has on it, except perhaps utilities for people with older machines which have a limit to the HDD size. Regardless, it should not boot the machine. Put it in another machine and browse it using My Computer - right mouse click - Explore to see what is on it.

For the memory sticks, let me know what happens when you put the 512Mb in, check the size, then add the 128mb and check the size of each of them. Does the 512Mb stay at 512Mb and what does the size of the 128Mb show as?

[Coconutty]

boofhead :

A couple of simple things to try :

As well as setting the jumpers on the new Hitachi drive have you checked the jumpers on the exisiting drive ?

Some Hard disc drives will require a jumper in a certain position, or maybe no jumper, when they are set as the Master drive with NO slave, and then need a different jumper setting when they are the Master with a Slave present, or even two jumpers if the Master is an ATA drive and the slave isn't - there are all sorts of combinations so check the labels on both drives which should say what is needed.

Check to make sure you are connecting the drives to the correct location of the ribbon cable - the Master should be connected to the plug on the end - often coloured black, with the Slave plugged into the middle connector - often coloured grey.

Also check the TYPE of IDE cable you are using and the type of Hard drive - for example your Master might be an Enhanced IDE ( EIDE ) using a 40 conductor IDE ribbon cable, while the new Hitachi could be an Ultra ATA and might require the 80 conductor version of the ribbon cable - both types will physically plug into the Motherboard and drive.

Check the drive manufacturers web sites to make sure they are compatible with each other.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d129/coconut11/Coconutty.jpg

[BOFH]

Coconutty said:
As well as setting the jumpers on the new Hitachi drive have you checked the jumpers on the exisiting drive ?

Some Hard disc drives will require a jumper in a certain position, or maybe no jumper, when they are set as the Master drive with NO slave, and then need a different jumper setting when they are the Master with a Slave present, or even two jumpers if the Master is an ATA drive and the slave isn't - there are all sorts of combinations so check the labels on both drives which should say what is needed.

A very good piont. I know that IBM drives always wanted to know what else was around on the cable.

If you start to wilt, set the Hitachi to master only, your original HDD to master only and use the CD-ROM's cable (which I assume is on your second ATA bus) for the Hitachi. You'll at least know whether the drive is viable and can then debug the CD drive's config.

Re your RAM issue, please look up the motherboard's manual - you should get the model number from the boot screen or from the board itself - and see which combinations are palatable.

BOFH

[Saab Dastard]

Boof -

an old HP computer

What is the actual model of computer, and how old is it? I know that a computer c. 2000 or older might not be able to recognise a drive larger than 80 GB. Or may recognise it but only at a capacity less than 80 GB.

The memory thing is interesting - it is quite possible that the system can only use a maximum of 512 MB RAM, in 2 x 256 DIMMS. Just because the 512 MB DIMM is reported correctly at boot time doesn't mean it would actually work, or all be addressable! I have seen a HP system report correctly that a system has 1.5 GB RAM, but then fail to boot an operating system - the max. supported RAM was 1 GB.

You should find definitive answers to all your questions on the HP support site - search for your PC model or serial number. You may have to hunt around a bit, but the information will be in there - somewhere! You should certainly establish what the max DIMM support is.

SD