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Thread ID: 86060 2008-01-02 03:34:00 FreeAgent Pro problem??? MPG (8302) Press F1
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626612 2008-01-02 03:34:00 Hi

I shouted myself a 500GB FreeAgent Pro external drive with a view to backing up my C drive. I allowed the software to load and now I am unable to access my desktop machine. When I boot it, I get a black screen with a message that asks me to insert the correct media and press any key to continue. Help!

Some background - the Mb is an ASUS P5WD2 Premium and the OS is XP Home SP2 fully patched. Most of my data files are stored on 2 250GB Seagate ST3250823AS drives configured as RAID 1 (drive 0). The OS, other software and some data files are stored on an 80GB Hitachi HDS728080PLA380 drive (drive 1).

I am aware that the people who built this machine had some problems setting up the disks and I am not entirely sure what the final configuration was. I note that Belarc Advisor tells me that the Hitachi (C Drive) is set up as a SCSI Disk Device.

I presume that the FreeAgent software has changed a setting somewhere along the line. My PC store is presently closed for the holidays. I would appreciate any help in recovering from the temporary (?) disaster.

Many thanks in advance for any assistance.
MPG
MPG (8302)
626613 2008-01-02 04:07:00 Unplug the USB drive and then start the computer, it may be trying to boot from the USB drive.

If that is the case then you need to go into the bios and change the boot order.
gcarmich (10068)
626614 2008-01-02 04:12:00 Comments withdrawn..... Sorry about that. Scouse (83)
626615 2008-01-02 04:48:00 Thanks gcarmich for your help. Unfortunately, your suggestion does not solve the problem I should have mentioned that I had already unplugged the USB drive.

I have just fired the machine up again to double check what is going on. The message I get (to be more precise) is: "Reboot and select proper boot devide or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key". I presume that this indicates that on boot up the machine is not seeing the C drive (for whatever reason).

I have also checked some of the bios settings and note that it says:

1st IDE master Pioneer DVD-RW
1st IDE slave Not detected
3rd IDE master ST3250823AS
3rd IDE slave ST3250823AS
4th IDE master Not detected
4th IDE slave Not detected

No mention here of the C drive (i.e. the Hitachi drive)

When I look at the Boot Device Priority, it says

1 1st floppy drive
2 ST3250823AS
3 Pioneer DVD-RW

Again, no mention of the C drive

I tried changing the boot drive priority using the +- keys and it seemed to simply cycle through the 3 listed. Clearly I need to change one of them to the Hitachi drive. I am not sure how to do that.

Thanks again
MPG
MPG (8302)
626616 2008-01-02 04:53:00 Is the one thats meant to be there a SATA?? If it is, check its cable.

If its not connected straight from the PSU the molex adapters are pretty flimsy. And the wires can come out.
Speedy Gonzales (78)
626617 2008-01-02 05:30:00 Could the Hitachi drive be connected to the Silicon 3132 Contoller, if so is the contoller enable in the bios. gcarmich (10068)
626618 2008-01-03 00:15:00 I have a lot of trouble with SATA connectors. Always check them after you have completed any work in the box.

If your Hitachi C: drive is IDE it should be on IDE1 as master (if you have an 80 wire cable you can use "cable select")
mzee (3324)
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