Hard Drive not working

[Dimples]

Hey all,

Hoping I can get some feedback on an issue that I am having with one of my computers.  I am not sure if it a hardware problem or Operating system problem. 

Here it goes... I recently just combined two computers so I will be using the faster computer for my daily use stuff.  I combined two of my three hard drives (80g) each into this computerand that one is working beautifully.   When I attempted to put the original computer back together with the original hard drive, something went wrong and I can't figure out what. 

Here's the scenario.  I hooked the cables back to where they originally were on the hard drive, only difference is that my second 80g is no longer there, it was the slave anyways.  When I turn the computer on it goes through the black screen that shows my RAM and video card, etc it freezes at the very next screen.  I am unable to get into any of the menus by pressing the F2 or F10 key.  The scree just freezes up and when I turn the comupter off manually, it immediately turns off, there is no shutdown time period.  Reading through other forums, I do hear the beep on initial start up but I can't get any farther. 

Anyone have any ideas on this?  Did I hook it back up properly or could this be a possible Operating System issue?

Thanks for your help...

[jtfitzgerald]

I doubt its an OS problem considering its freezing at BIOS. Im thinking...maybe something isnt plugged in right or somethings overheating due to fan malfunction. Though I did have a similar problem to this with two sata hard drives, for some reason when one of the drives were removed the other one failed to work, or when the CD Drive was undone the drive failed to work. Try plugging your other hard drive that you took out back into your computer and see if that works.

[soybean]

So, you previously had two hard drives in the "original computer"?  Is that right?  Did you make any changes to it besides pulling a hard drive out of it? 

Are you absolutely sure the hard drive now in the "original computer" is the one with Windows on it?  Is it now configured as master or single drive, instead of slave? 

Did you previously have two hard drives in the "original computer" connected to one data cable?  Which connector on the cable is the single hard drive now connected to, the one at the end or the one in the mid-section of the cable?

[Dimples]

I originally bought the computer with one hard drive in it and upgraded it with the help of my computer geru friends to having two hard drives.  It has been working well like this for two or three years now until I took out the second hard drive.  Let me note that this original hard drive has always had the operating system on it and has always been the master and the other has been the slave, the second hard drive has been for storate only.  To answer your question is it set for master, I did double check the master slave setting on the hard drive and it is set up for the master function.  As for the cables, the data cable is connected to the end connector (not the middle part of the cable) to the hard drive and the power cable is connected at the end of the cable as well.  The only thing that I can think of as being different is the CD rom and Hard Drive cable has been switched but I have tried them both in the different slots.  Does that help any more??

[soybean]

What make and model is that hard drive?  Does the jumper settings diagram also show a setting for Single?  If so, you might try that.

[Dimples]

Unfortunately, being at work, I am unable to check that information right now.  The computer is a gateway so I would assume that the mother board is a gateway motherboard.  As for the hard drive, I believe it is a Western Digital.  I will check and reply later tonight.  Thanks for the help so far.

[Dam1an]

Couple questions for ya. 

Are you completely unable to acess your Bios or are you only pressing the F2 or F10 keys after it freezes in hopes you can get farther in the boot sequence?

Try pressing the F2/F10 (whichever is to enter setup for your mobo) as soon as you boot up and keep pressing it, to the point of getting beeps for reaching keystroke limit.  If you are still unable to get into your Bios, your problem is not the hard drive.  Something is wrong with the Bios itself or the chipset on the mobo.  If it was anything else you should get an error message from your mobo, not a freeze up.  You should, theoretically, be able to plug in just a video card, monitor, keyboard and powersupply to a computer and be able to access the Bios. 

Not much you can do for it if you can't even get into the Bios.  Clean it out real good with air duster and cross your fingers, or as a risky last resort before replacing the mobo you could try a Bios flash. 

The good news, even if all this fails, mobos aren't that expensive compared to the rest of the major components.  between $40-$70 for mid-range mobos.

Good luck 

[Dimples]

Thanks Dam1an.

You are correct that when I press F2/F10 constantly from when I start to boot, nothing happens.  I will try to flash the bios as a last resort but I look on it as an excellent opportunity to update the Mobo, Processor and Ram.  Thanks for your feedback and wish me luck.   

[soybean]

F2 and F10 are not the only keys used for accessing the BIOS.  Here's a good reference: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

[soybean]

Not much you can do for it if you can't even get into the Bios.  Clean it out real good with air duster and cross your fingers, or as a risky last resort before replacing the mobo you could try a Bios flash. 

Well, Dam1an, were you going to tell him what to do if he did get into the BIOS?  What was the point of just getting him into the BIOS?

[street1 (RIP)]

What does it do if the hard drive ribbon cable
and the power plug 4pin to the hard drive are
left unplugged when you boot?

Can you get to the BIOS then?

Remember Bios flashes with the same hardware
you been using are rarely needed.

[Dimples]

I have unplugged the ribbon strip and tried turning on the computer.  Same thing happens, the screen freezes up after displaying the video card and RAM information.  I am not even sure if it gets to the hard drive before it freezes.

[patio]

I really wish people would stop suggesting a BIOS flash for machine issues...it is rarely, and i mean rarely the solution and can render a perfectly good machine useless.

Think of this before posting.

patio.