My new WD 500Gb internal drive isn't recognized by the BIOS I think.

[Lee43]

My computer is a Gateway eMachine model T5048 with Windows XP Media Center Edition.

I installed a new internal WD 500Gb EIDE hard drive to replace the original 160Gb that came with my eMachine. I used the original Recovery Disk to install XP on the new drive.  The install went fine until the very end, after it completed,  when a small error window popped up telling me "Drive Not Found!" with an OK button to click on. (I took a picture which can be seen at http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4725/img7419dh.jpg ).
How can it copy the whole OS onto the drive, and then tell me Drive not found? Shouldn't it have told me that at the very beginning??

So after I clicked the OK button, the next window that popped up was saying something about MBRInst and showed options. (Here is a pic of that screen http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3428/img7420w.jpg )   That made no sense...maybe somebody could explain that to me?

When I rebooted, all I got was a black screen with a blinking cursor in the top left corner of the screen. I had to do a forced shut-down. I tried three times to install Windows that evening and kept getting the same Drive not found error at the end.  I finally gave up and reconnected the original 160Gb drive to get up and running again. And btw, I plan to put the old drive back in as a slave drive after I get Windows installed on the new master drive.

I recall seeing something about the BIOS on older systems (mine is 3-1/2 years old) not recognizing any hard drive larger than a certain size. If that's true with my T5048, does anyone know the largest sized hard drive that my system will recognize?  Can my BIOS be updated to fix this?  I tried emailing eMachine's support about the BIOS but they didn't help me and said I had to pay for it...at rediculous $$$ prices...I think not!

I might have to partition the new drive. But the problem is, I have no clue whatsoever on how to partition a drive!  I've never done it before. If I need to do this, could I please have the step-by-step instructions on how to do that?

I'd be ever so grateful for any and all help to get this new drive to work.  Thank you so much!

[EEVIAC]

How can it copy the whole OS onto the drive, and then tell me Drive not found? Shouldn't it have told me that at the very beginning??

If you look at the screen where you got the error, Windows still have 34 minutes left to complete the installation.  This basically means it was never installed.  All you did was go through the initialization process, before receiving the error. 

The most likely cause for the error is that you have not correctly hooked up the new drive, because the installation setup obviously cannot find the drive.

Are you properly observing jumper setttings for the drive ? ?  Does the drive show up in the CMOS after you install the drive ? ?  Do you know how to enter the CMOS to check ? ?

I recall seeing something about the BIOS on older systems (mine is 3-1/2 years old) not recognizing any hard drive larger than a certain size

If your system is only 3 1/2 years old, you don't need to update your bios to get the system to recognize all of your hard drive.  48-bit LBA support was added to computers around 2001, which basically means your computer bios will recognize ALL of your drive.

[BC_Programmer]

I installed a new internal WD 500Gb EIDE hard drive to replace the original 160Gb that came with my eMachine. I used the original Recovery Disk to install XP on the new drive.

Recovery Discs for specific machines can be VERY picky about the hardware they will install on. The fact that you changed the drive indicates that the error might be referring to the fact t hat it cannot find the drive it was designed to install on.

 far-fetched? Yes. Sort of makes sense.

Anyway, the second error you get is directly a result of the first. Since it failed to get a drive, it didn't pass this "MBRInst" program a drive name, and it appears to be a program that when not passed understandable parameters displays a help screen.

Personally, I would think your best bet would be to get a actual OS install disc, rather then using the recovery disc.

[Salmon Trout]

If you look at the screen where you got the error, Windows still have 34 minutes left to complete the installation.

It doesn't say that at all.



It says:

Time elapsed:
34:33
Time remaining:
Less than one minute

So the Windows install has gone practically all the way. I think this is an MBR problem.

[EEVIAC]

It doesn't say that at all.



It says:

Time elapsed:
34:33
Time remaining:
Less than one minute

So the Windows install has gone practically all the way. I think this is an MBR problem.

whoops      my bad   

[Computer_Commando]

Why not download the WD Acronis True Image and clone the entire 160 to the new 500?
http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en

[Salmon Trout]

Why not download the WD Acronis True Image and clone the entire 160 to the new 500?
http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en

Best idea so far.

[Lee43]

Are you properly observing jumper setttings for the drive ? ?  Does the drive show up in the CMOS after you install the drive ? ?  Do you know how to enter the CMOS to check ? ?

Thanx for your reply EEVIAC.  The jumper pin is still at the cable select factory setting and it is properly connected to the end of the cable. And yes, CMOS does see the drive.

If your system is only 3 1/2 years old, you don't need to update your bios to get the system to recognize all of your hard drive.  48-bit LBA support was added to computers around 2001, which basically means your computer bios will recognize ALL of your drive.

I am so friggin glad you told me that.  I have been trying relentlessly to get support at emachines.com to give me that answer about my bios recognizing this drive but them people kept persistently trying to get me to pay big $$ before they'd lift a finger to help me..all cuz my system isn't under the warranty anymore.

[Salmon Trout]

emachines are famous for their lousy customer support.

[Lee43]

Recovery Discs for specific machines can be VERY picky about the hardware they will install on. The fact that you changed the drive indicates that the error might be referring to the fact t hat it cannot find the drive it was designed to install on.

Thanx for your reply BC_Programmer.    How is that possible?  I always thought that hard drives, no matter the brand, were nothing more than like digital cabinets to store data into...I'm sorry but I just can't get my head around that one..

Anyway, the second error you get is directly a result of the first. Since it failed to get a drive, it didn't pass this "MBRInst" program a drive name, and it appears to be a program that when not passed understandable parameters displays a help screen.

What exactly is this MBRInst all about anyway?  I've tried typing it in the Start > Run box but got no result back. I also dropped to DOS and typed it at the command prompt and got no result there either.  Or is this just some kind of internal command that's done only during the installation process?  Thanx again.

[Lee43]

It says:

Time elapsed:
34:33
Time remaining:
Less than one minute

So the Windows install has gone practically all the way. I think this is an MBR problem.

Thank you Salmon Trout.  I was going to point that out but thought not to..    Why do you think it's a Master Boot Record problem when it's a brand new out of the box drive. If it is an MBR problem, what can I do about it?   I don't know anything about it (I just learned tonight what MBR stood for) but I thought that kind of thing only happened to old drives.   Thanx again.

[EEVIAC]

http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso

Click on the link..  Download the file and burn it to a CD with Image Burn.

Download Image Burn and when you run it, select "Burn Image to Disk" to burn the file to CD.

Boot off of the CD and press "R" when prompted to do so, at the menu.  Select "1", press enter, to select which Installation to repair.  Enter your admin. passowrd, press enter.  You'll then be at a prompt...  Type  cd \  to get to the root directory, then type:  fixmbr

Accept the prompt to allow the Recovery Console to repiar the Master Boot Record, remove the disk and reboot the computer...



EDITED by mistake, I meant to quote myself and modified instead..   

[Lee43]

Why not download the WD Acronis True Image and clone the entire 160 to the new 500?
http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en

Thanx for your reply Computer_Commando.    Cloning would normally be a great idea but it's not such a good one in my case.  My 160 drive is so ridiculously bloated and overloaded with programs and junk that over the last year or so, it's become a really sluggish system.   It's time for a fresh Windows install on a new drive to get my system running fast like it were new again.  I'd still have the same bloated slow computer if I cloned it.  I should have mentioned that cloning isn't an option in the original post.   Thanx again.

[Lee43]

emachines are famous for their lousy customer support.

That is the understatement of the year!!  Those people wanted me to pay for one-way shipping my system to them, and then pay $199 and they'd install the drive and send it back.  What a friggin rip-off!   

[Lee43]

http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso

Click on the link..  Download the file and burn it to a CD with Image Burn.

Download Image Burn and when you run it, select "Burn Image to Disk" to burn the file to CD.

Boot off of the CD and press "R" when prompted to do so, at the menu.  Select "1", press enter, to select which Installation to repair.  Enter your admin. passowrd, press enter.  You'll then be at a prompt...  Type  cd \  to get to the root directory, then type:  fixmbr

Accept the prompt to allow the Recovery Console to repiar the Master Boot Record, remove the disk and reboot the computer...

Wow, thank you EEVIAC for sharing that info with me.  I'll do that for sure...tomorrow though...I gotta crash.  I'll let ya know how it went.   Thanx again!