Bad Motherboard or Something Simple?

[Windows98]

I recently decided to add another hard drive to the computer and add another CD Drive. When I did the installation. The Primary Drives were not being detected. Then I removed everything and left it back to how everthing was and it still not being able to detect it. All the jumpers have been set correctly on the  motherboard and on the devices themselves.

I replaced the cable, reseted the COMOS and tested the Hard drive and CD Drive. They work but the motherboard is not decteting them. The secondary ones seem to work.

My Problem:

Detecting IDE Primary Master     None
Detecting IDE Primary Slave       None
Detecting IDE Secondary Master    Western Digital
Detecting IDE Secondary Slave     CREATIVECD4020E

[Windows2kguy]

I've had a similar problem in the past and my problem was that I didn't have the master-jumped drive on the master plug on the cable and vice versa.  Double-check those cables and jumpers and good luck.

[Windows98]

I have checked the cable and even replaced the cable. The settings on the drive seem to be set poperly because they are shown if I have it on secondary but when I hook it up on the primary side it is undetectectable. There doesnt seem to be dust on it. and the pins doesnt look damage or bent. It just suddenly lost connection. I even checked to see if it was loose and it is tightly in.

[Windows2kguy]

You are changing the jumper so it's set for master when you put it on the other part of the cable, right?  Some motherboards are really finicky about that.  The other thing to check is to see if the CMOS/BIOS is set to recognize/auto detect drives.  Sorry if you've already done that, but I'm pretty much out of ideas here.

[Windows98]

I think they are set correctly they appeared for about a min before the computer just crashed. after the restart it shows none again :-/ I guess something must be loose but everything is tightley in.

[dl65]

Windows98.....How about by telling us the following ......

 Primary Master     What type of device .....??
 Primary Slave       What type of device .....??        
 Secondary Master    Western Digital ( HD ?? )
 Secondary Slave     CREATIVECD4020E ( CD drive )

Your using the flat ribbon type IDE cable ??
 
Please list the jumper position used for the primary master device......
master , slave or C/S    and which plug on the IDE ribbon , the end or the middle ?

Please list the jumper position used for the primary slave device........
master , slave or C/S    and which plug on the IDE ribbon , the end or the middle ?

Please list the jumper position used for the secondary master device......
master , slave or C/S    and which plug on the IDE ribbon , the end or the middle ?

Please list the jumper position used for the secondary slave device........
master , slave or C/S    and which plug on the IDE ribbon , the end or the middle ?

What is the make and model nuber of the motherboard?

What is the output wattage of the PSU ?

dl65  

[Windows98]

I set the computer to the Following
Primary Master     Maxtor HD
 Primary Slave       CDROM        
 Secondary Master    Western Digital ( HD )
 Secondary Slave     CREATIVECD4020E ( CD drive )

Yes I am using and IDE cable. I usually plug in the farthest one on the motherboard. The Middle are the Hard drives and the short end is connected to the CD Drive.

The Maxtor Hard Drive has the jumper setting set on MA
The CD ROM has it set to Slave
The Western Digital Hard Drive has been set to Master (middle that says MA) there are 5 pins dunno why
The Creative CD has been set to slave
*There all place verticle*

I know these jumper settings work becuase If I plug the same excat devices on to the slave side the computer picks it up. If I plug it back to the Primary side it is undetectable.


Motherboard is P2XBL Ver 2
Power Supply is 250W

[Michael]

Test the HDD and CD-ROM drive on another computer and you'll figure out whether the device or the mobo is at fault.

[majosi]

I had the exact same thing happen when I got a second hard drive yesterday. I had both drives set to cable select, so I assumed the problem was somewhere else. I switched one to master and the other to slave, according to where they were on the IDE ribbon, and my system recognized both and booted normally. I suggest you check your master/slave settings on the hard drives. Good luck.

[Windows98]

I check the settings, and brought a new cable. The devices work seeing as they are being detected on the Secondary Side. The Primary Side is still not picking up anything. If it does pick up  after a while when im installing Windows it will crash. When I restart the computer the drives are gone again. Only my Primary Side is dissapearing. The secondary Side seems fine. The Pins on the motherboard are fine. The cable is brand new. I hope its not the motherboard everything was fine untill I added devices to secondary side. Even with the secondary devices gone it still wont detect the Primary devices.

[dl65]

 Windows98......   Ok , here's what I am seeing  


[highlight]Primary Master     Maxtor HD [/highlight]
Primary Slave       CDROM          
[highlight]Secondary Master    Western Digital ( HD ) [/highlight]
Secondary Slave     CREATIVECD4020E ( CD drive )

Try putting the Maxtor HD ( jumper setting to  Master ) and
Western Digital HD ( jumper to Slave )  ........ then put them both on the same IDE cable ...... and use the primary slot on the mobo.

CD ROM  ( jumper to master )  and
CREATIVECD4020E ( jumper to slave ) ........ then put them both on the same IDE cable ...... and use the secondary slot on the mobo.

I think if you do it that way things should be ok

dl65  

[Windows98]

It is the motherboard The jumper settings seemed to work fine. I was so excited when it displayed thre devices. but when I gave it a little bumped by putting back the cover I got all these Hard Drive Errors. Then I hit Ctrl+Alt+ Delete to restart and they are all listed as none again. I even pushed the Cable and its tight in. *sigh* oh well things break eventually But thanks to everyone that help.