Computer Hope

Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: Kobrasys on April 24, 2014, 03:25:18 PM

Title: Dell Latitude C810 Primary hard drive : None Fixed optical drive : Not Installed
Post by: Kobrasys on April 24, 2014, 03:25:18 PM

H Guys,

Need help with this one. Got three Dell Latitude C810 Laptops and all three are coming up with the same message.
Primary Hard Drive: None
Fixed Optical Drive: Not installed.

I am very comfortable around computers / laptops  and thought I knew my way around them until now.

The hard drives are all brand new 40GB IDE hard drives that work fine on other laptops (tested them). The laptops have the HD adapters fitted before I installed them in the laptops. Even bought three replacement adapters - just in case. Did not make any difference.

When the units power up, they go through POST, spend ages on the splash screen and the error messages come up.

The HD and Optical Drive is not registering in BIOS.

I read somewhere to take out the battery, unplug laptop from mains and hold power botton for 30 seconds or so. Tried that no luck.

Also read somewhere to have the Caps, Num and Scroll keys all on in or before going into BIOS and do the Alt+E, Alt+F and Alt+B. The Alt+B combination was supposed to be held until the laptop reboots itself. Held them down for almost a minute and nothing happened. Laptop did not reboot. The Alt+F did reset the Laptops Bios to default setting and dates, and nothing more. They still did not register the HD or Optical Drive.

I have swapped out HDs, DVD ROMs, with or without battery, Swapped out RAMs - ram memtest on another laptop. They all came back okay.

This is really thrown me and I'd realy appreciate some assitance.

Cheers guys.

KS

Title: Re: Dell Latitude C810 Primary hard drive : None Fixed optical drive : Not Installed
Post by: patio on April 24, 2014, 03:57:57 PM

Dead CMOS batteries ? ?
May be worth trying replacing 1 at least to see...

Title: Re: Dell Latitude C810 Primary hard drive : None Fixed optical drive : Not Installed
Post by: Computer_Commando on April 25, 2014, 11:14:07 AM

I know this machine.  What is generally called the CMOS battery, they called the Reserve Battery.  It is a group of rechargeable lithium's shrink wrapped together.  You can find replacement batteries, some are 2-pin & some are 3-pin.

Battery is located under the palm rest, see p.20
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_latitude_laptop/latitude-c810_Service%20Manual_en-us.pdf

Over time, they tend to corrode the circuit board where the connector attaches.  You may have to buy the whole palmrest to get the circuit board & Reserve Battery.

Title: Re: Dell Latitude C810 Primary hard drive : None Fixed optical drive : Not Installed
Post by: patio on April 25, 2014, 11:19:41 AM

CC...kind of similar to the old cordless phone batteries ? ?
I haven't seen them for a long time.

Title: Re: Dell Latitude C810 Primary hard drive : None Fixed optical drive : Not Installed
Post by: Computer_Commando on April 29, 2014, 12:18:57 PM

(http://i13.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/f7/36/e3db_2.JPG)

Title: Re: Dell Latitude C810 Primary hard drive : None Fixed optical drive : Not Installed
Post by: strollin on April 29, 2014, 01:38:28 PM

Maybe an obvious question but you didn't mention it so, are the jumpers set correctly on the hard and optical drives to indicate Master/Slave?

Title: Re: Dell Latitude C810 Primary hard drive : None Fixed optical drive : Not Installed
Post by: DaveLembke on April 29, 2014, 02:40:57 PM

Quote

Maybe an obvious question but you didn't mention it so, are the jumpers set correctly on the hard and optical drives to indicate Master/Slave?

*NOTE* This is a laptop so that doesnt apply, as its determined by the main board. Drives should be installed with no jumpers added.


So all 3 laptops have same issue?

Title: Re: Dell Latitude C810 Primary hard drive : None Fixed optical drive : Not Installed
Post by: patio on April 29, 2014, 05:45:05 PM

Spinning down the rabbit hole now...

          Meanwhile he has yet to return.