BIOS Not Detecting IDE Drives...

[Chieftain459]

I just finished putting a new computer together--Pentium 4 processor, EPoX 5EGA+ motherboard, no OS yet...  I've got a Maxtor hard drive, an old floppy I salvaged out of a different computer, and 3 CD drives--two salvaged, and one new (LiteOn CD-RW).  I've got the hard drive on the Primary Master IDE port, and the LiteOn and one of the others on the  Secondary IDE, one slave, one master.  I haven't plugged in the third CD drive.  BIOS detects the hard drive, and will detect a CD drive, if it's on the Primary slave, but it won't detect anything on Secodary.  I have already checked the jumpers on the CD drives multiple times, and ensured the drives are getting power.  Secondary IDE is enabled in BIOS, but nothing picks them up.  I'm at a complete loss.  Can someone tell me how to fix it?

[Raptor]

Make certain that:

• ATA/IDE flat ribbon cables are properly connected
  
• All power connectors are firmly seated.
  
• The ATA/IDE cable for the secundairy channel is not faulty.
  

Why install an older Floppy Disk Drive? Might as well buy one new and eliminate any possible problems in that area due to outdated hardware.

[Chieftain459]

I just haven't gotten around to it--and besides, this computer has turned into a money pit enough already--the less money I have to spend on it anymore, the better.  I've tried using 5 different IDE cables, they've all had the same result.  The cables are firmly seated, I make sure of that every time.  From what I can tell, this is an unusual circumstance--I know several people have had problems with secondary IDE devices, but the problem is usually solved by fixing a jumper setting, or replacing the cables, or something simple like that, or enabling secondary IDE in BIOS.  Unfortunately, all of those solutions have proven useless to me.

[merlin_2]

To many drives.......try the norm....one f/d one h/d..one cdrom drive and go for there!imaho.

[Chieftain459]

Though I could do that, I know for a fact that I can do more.  I seriously doubt that there'd be three IDE ports on the motherboard if I was only meant to use one.  Surely there's something else I can do than limit myself to one of each drive.

[merlin_2]

Why not try what i suggested......nothing to lose!only time......which is in short-supply.......