Added 2nd hard drive now computer won't boot

[bonart41]

Hey Guys,

Got a weird problem. I've added a 2nd hard drive which is a Maxtor
Diamondmax 80GB which is identical to my 1st hard drive. Since I've
added this 2nd drive my system powers up for about 4 seconds them dies
without even reaching POST. If I power it up then hold the reset button
for a couple of seconds it will start but it seems to be hit and miss
and can sometimes take 6 attempts to get it going. I have checked all
power connections and they are fine and have swapped all the IDE cables
to no avail. I had a spare 10GB Seagate drive which I swapped with the
2nd drive and it powers up fine without changing anything except the
hard drive. All the BIOS setting seems OK and I have ensured I have the
Master & Slave settings correctly configured.
Anybody have any suggestions? The drive had some data on originally but
I have now formatted it and it's clean and formated as a extended
partition but still won't boot with both drives connected. If I unplug
the power on the 2nd drive (leaving the IDE connected) it boots every
time, replace it with the 10GB again it boots every time. After 3 hours
I'm at a loss and am rapidy loosing the will to live.
As in the classic film "Help me OB1, your my only hope"

Thanks,

Bonart

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

Hey Guys,

Got a weird problem. I've added a 2nd hard drive which is a Maxtor
Diamondmax 80GB which is identical to my 1st hard drive. Since I've
added this 2nd drive my system powers up for about 4 seconds them dies
without even reaching POST. If I power it up then hold the reset
button for a couple of seconds it will start but it seems to be hit
and miss and can sometimes take 6 attempts to get it going. I have
checked all power connections and they are fine and have swapped all
the IDE cables to no avail. I had a spare 10GB Seagate drive which I
swapped with the 2nd drive and it powers up fine without changing
anything except the hard drive. All the BIOS setting seems OK and I
have ensured I have the Master & Slave settings correctly configured.

It really doesn't sound like these settings *are* correct, though, from your
description. If you swap the drives does it boot w/the erstwhile '2nd' drive
connected (and the real one disconnected)?

Anybody have any suggestions? The drive had some data on originally
but I have now formatted it and it's clean and formated as a extended
partition but still won't boot with both drives connected. If I unplug
the power on the 2nd drive (leaving the IDE connected) it boots every
time, replace it with the 10GB again it boots every time. After 3
hours I'm at a loss and am rapidy loosing the will to live.
As in the classic film "Help me OB1, your my only hope"

Unless you're referring to some new advance in feminine hygiene product
technology, or Korean beer, I think you mean Obi-Wan !

 

[DL]

You've used the Maxtor disk checking utility?

 

[JS]

Download Maxblast to test the drive, use it to create a boot floppy or CD,
then remove your good drive a leave the questionable drive connect and boot
using maxblast and test the hard drive.

http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/M...tware Downloads/ATA Hard Drives&downloadID=57

JS

 

[Bonart]

It really doesn't sound like these settings *are* correct, though, from your
description. If you swap the drives does it boot w/the erstwhile '2nd' drive
connected (and the real one disconnected)?

Unless you're referring to some new advance in feminine hygiene product
technology, or Korean beer, I think you mean Obi-Wan !

Wow that was quick. DL & JS I will try the Maxtor drive test but I
don't think it's faulty as I used to use this 2nd drive as my Vista
tester and used to switch which drives booted 1st through the BIOS and
it seemed to be fine then. Even if I disconnected the 1st drive it
would boot to Vista fine.

And Yes Lanwrench you are right, it was my typo, It should be Obi-Wan.
LOL

 

[JS]

Master Boot Record issue maybe?

JS

Wow that was quick. DL & JS I will try the Maxtor drive test but I
don't think it's faulty as I used to use this 2nd drive as my Vista
tester and used to switch which drives booted 1st through the BIOS and
it seemed to be fine then. Even if I disconnected the 1st drive it
would boot to Vista fine.

And Yes Lanwrench you are right, it was my typo, It should be Obi-Wan.
LOL

 

[Plato]

hard drive. All the BIOS setting seems OK and I have ensured I have the
Master & Slave settings correctly configured.

Perhaps your pc likes to use cable select.

 

[Ron Sommer]

Why did you format as an extended partition?
What did you use to format?
--
Ronald Sommer

: Hey Guys,
:
: Got a weird problem. I've added a 2nd hard drive which is a Maxtor
: Diamondmax 80GB which is identical to my 1st hard drive. Since I've
: added this 2nd drive my system powers up for about 4 seconds them dies
: without even reaching POST. If I power it up then hold the reset button
: for a couple of seconds it will start but it seems to be hit and miss
: and can sometimes take 6 attempts to get it going. I have checked all
: power connections and they are fine and have swapped all the IDE cables
: to no avail. I had a spare 10GB Seagate drive which I swapped with the
: 2nd drive and it powers up fine without changing anything except the
: hard drive. All the BIOS setting seems OK and I have ensured I have the
: Master & Slave settings correctly configured.
: Anybody have any suggestions? The drive had some data on originally but
: I have now formatted it and it's clean and formated as a extended
: partition but still won't boot with both drives connected. If I unplug
: the power on the 2nd drive (leaving the IDE connected) it boots every
: time, replace it with the 10GB again it boots every time. After 3 hours
: I'm at a loss and am rapidy loosing the will to live.
: As in the classic film "Help me OB1, your my only hope"
:
: Thanks,
:
: Bonart
:

 

[Bonart]

Why did you format as an extended partition?
What did you use to format?

JS - Thats what i'm thinking, MBR issue.

Plato - I have tried Cable Select

Ron S - It was a primary but is now a extended. The partition was
deleted and formatted with Computer Management.

 

[Bonart]

Well, Unable to sort this one out. I even flashed my BIOS to no avail.
Brought home a Samsung 80GB drive & a Western Digital 250GB hard drives
from work tonight and the both worked first
time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think 4.1/2 hours and getting nowhere is enough for this one.

Thanks Guys

 

[Bonart]

Well, Unable to sort this one out. I even flashed my BIOS to no avail.
Brought home a Samsung 80GB drive & a Western Digital 250GB hard drives
from work tonight and the both worked first
time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think 4.1/2 hours and getting nowhere is enough for this one.

Thanks Guys

False Alarm. The same problem has returned over the weekend where it
now struggles to boot on 1 drive even after stripping it to barebones.
Cleared the CMOS and run failsafes to no avail. In the end I took both
original hard drives to a friends who runs a similar spec to me and it
booted first time, every time which leads me to suspect it's the hard
drive controller failing, hence a new motherboard. I'm on the lookout
for one where I can use all my old kit (2yrs) so I don't have to invest
in new SATA drives, PCI-E's & DDR2 memory as until now this machine has
been fine.
To be continued.........................

 

[Timothy Daniels]

False Alarm. The same problem has returned over the weekend where it
now struggles to boot on 1 drive even after stripping it to barebones.
Cleared the CMOS and run failsafes to no avail. In the end I took both
original hard drives to a friends who runs a similar spec to me and it
booted first time, every time which leads me to suspect it's the hard
drive controller failing, hence a new motherboard. I'm on the lookout
for one where I can use all my old kit (2yrs) so I don't have to invest
in new SATA drives, PCI-E's & DDR2 memory as until now this machine
has been fine.
To be continued.........................

I forgot the original thread, so I might as well ask: "Did you try a new
lithium battery in the motherboard?"

*TimDaniels*

 

[Bonart]

I forgot the original thread, so I might as well ask: "Did you try a new
lithium battery in the motherboard?"

*TimDaniels*

Yes Thanks Tim. I tried 2 as I was that desperate. I'm 99.9% sure the
IDE controller is failing. All will be revealled when I track down a
new M/B which is compatable with my current kit.