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Thread ID: 38224	2003-10-01 01:40:00	New HDD problem	Curly (487)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
179443	2003-10-01 01:40:00	Around a week ago I purchased 2X Maxtor 6E040l0 40 Gb 7200 RPM HDD's. The first installed with no problems into computer number 1. I have the following problem with the second computer. The new drive is detected as the primary slave, which is what it is set for. I save the CMOS settings, the computer commences to boot but stops with the message "Disk boot error - Insert a boot disk and press enter ", or words to that effect. If I unplug either the power or the data cable to the new primary slave (the new drive), the computer boots fine. Put the cables back and the disk boot error returns. I have replaced the data cable with a brand new one but no change. The problem computer is a Athlon Slot A 775 Mhz CPU, a Tyan S2380 K7 motherboard, 230 RAM and runs Win ME. I cannot think of anything else to try - any advise?	Curly (487)
179444	2003-10-01 01:55:00	The new drive must be in the boot priority queue in BIOS at a higher level than the system drive. Its finding it first, and recognising it has not got a bootable OS on it, hence the message. When you unplug it, its no longer in the queue and the system boots as normal. Put it down below the system HDD in the boot order.	godfather (25)
179445	2003-10-01 01:58:00	>> .... > The new drive is detected as the primary > slave, which is what it is set for. I suggest you remove the new HDD and check the jumper setting and make sure that it is set to 'Slave'. If it is set to 'cable select', make sure that both your HDDs (old and new) are connected to the correct connector. You may like to check the jumper settings of you old HDD as well. Good luck.	bk T (215)
179446	2003-10-01 02:15:00	And if they are both set for CS, make sure you have a CS cable. There's one wire cut in the cable to one of the drive connectors. A standard IDE cable has all the wires, so CS won't work.	Graham L (2)
179447	2003-10-01 02:24:00	> And if they are both set for CS, make sure you have > a CS cable. There's one wire cut in the cable to one > of the drive connectors. A standard IDE cable has > all the wires, so CS won't work. Graham, how do we differentiate a Standard IDE cable and a CS cable? Cheers	bk T (215)
179448	2003-10-01 02:35:00	Look for the missing wire. (Hint: it isn't there. :D) I haven't had much to do with them, but often they seem to use the middle connector for the MB connection, and the two ends for drives --- I would expect one to be marked "master" and the other "slave", but maybe my expectations are too high. :-( If in doubt, I would try changing the drive jumpers to normal MA and SL. If it worked like that, I would leave it like that. :D	Graham L (2)
179449	2003-10-01 03:19:00	Thanks for such prompt replies. GF not sure I understand. My origional HDD with the Op system on it, is set to the primary IDE channel and has it's jumpers set to master. The new drive is set to slave on the primary IDE channel, no jumpers fitted. BIOS detects the fact that my smaller origional drive is the master and that the newer 40 gig drive is the slave. In the screen that allows one to choose boot order, I have HDD1 set to first boot, a CDROM as second boot and a floppy as third boot. There is another couple of boot order settings, but these I have set to none. Of course I am assuming that the boot setting HDD1, relates to my origional smaller drive, set to primary IDE/ master. The new 40gig HDD is not specified as a boot drive at all, as I wish to use it for other things Is there something I am missing ?	Curly (487)
179450	2003-10-01 03:24:00	Forgot to reply to other posts :-) New drive is set by no jumpers to slave and cable select is not set on any drives. Starting to wonder if I have a dud. Thanks for the replies.	Curly (487)
179451	2003-10-01 03:54:00	It certainly looks as if both drives on the interface are trying to work at the same time . :-( And that can't work . Try booting with a floppy, or a CD rescue disk (and select the command mode, not the install :D) . Try FDISK /STATUS . That will show you what MS thinks the disks are . Then DIR C: , and DIR D: .	Graham L (2)
179452	2003-10-01 04:49:00	It gets worse :-( Minimal booted via floppy to a:, fdisk/status reports only c: and this is despite the second HDD being detected during POST !!!!!!! a:>dir c: looks OK a:>dir d: = Invalid drive specification While in minimal boot :- Scandisk c: worked OK Scandisk d: = Scandisk cannot examine drive D Although it will be a pain in the U know what, think I might take the brother to the difficult drive out of this computer and install it in the wifes computer. If all is well, then guess it will point to a faulty drive. However I will wait to see if others reply with other options once they get home from work, have dinner, grab a cold beer and come into PF! :-)	Curly (487)
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