error reading fixed disk

[jcfalls]

I have been fighting this pc for 3 days now. I have buit a new pc. ECS
L4VXA2 mobo. I have 1gb of ram. When the system boots up the bios
detects the hdd, however when I go to the bios setup, which is set to
auto detect, before I pushed the button the drive shoes up, sectors
and the works. When I push the button to auto detect all fields go
blank, but in the boot process, if I let it go through auto process
it detects the hdd. If I boot to A: drive I get the error reading
fixed disk message when I try fdisk or format. the disk is a Western
digital and I downloaded the disk tools from their site and from the
CD it will find and run test. I took to 00 got it ready to partition
and A: will not see it. I have tried 3 different drives, some with OS
on them already, checked and changed pins, changed cables, erased
bios, took all but HDD off. Everything else work, but seeing the HDD
at the end of boot up. Anyone have any Ideas?

 

[Rod Speed]

I have been fighting this pc for 3 days now. I have buit a new pc.
ECS L4VXA2 mobo. I have 1gb of ram. When the system boots
up the bios detects the hdd,
Fine.

however when I go to the bios setup, which is set to auto detect,
before I pushed the button the drive shoes up, sectors and the works.

Not at all clear what you mean here, try again.

When I push the button to auto detect

No point in doing that since it was detected by the bios fine.

all fields go blank, but in the boot process, if I let
it go through auto process it detects the hdd.

If I boot to A: drive I get the error reading
fixed disk message when I try fdisk or format.

Those ops involve actually reading the platters.
Something is preventing that from being successful.

the disk is a Western digital and I downloaded the disk tools
from their site and from the CD it will find and run test.

I took to 00

Not at all clear what you mean here, try again.

got it ready to partition and A: will not see it.

I have tried 3 different drives, some with OS on them already,
checked and changed pins, changed cables, erased bios,
took all but HDD off. Everything else work, but seeing
the HDD at the end of boot up. Anyone have any Ideas?

What have you specified in the bios as the boot drive ?

 

[paulmd]

I have been fighting this pc for 3 days now. I have buit a new pc. ECS
L4VXA2 mobo. I have 1gb of ram. When the system boots up the bios
detects the hdd, however when I go to the bios setup, which is set to
auto detect, before I pushed the button the drive shoes up, sectors
and the works. When I push the button to auto detect all fields go
blank, but in the boot process, if I let it go through auto process
it detects the hdd. If I boot to A: drive I get the error reading
fixed disk message when I try fdisk or format. the disk is a Western
digital and I downloaded the disk tools from their site and from the
CD it will find and run test. I took to 00 got it ready to partition
and A: will not see it. I have tried 3 different drives, some with OS
on them already, checked and changed pins, changed cables, erased
bios, took all but HDD off. Everything else work, but seeing the HDD
at the end of boot up. Anyone have any Ideas?

Check jumper settings. WD drives have a seperate setting for single
drive, as opposed to master (which assumes assumes the preseanc of a
slave, at least as far as WD is concerned).

Make sure you haven't got the cable upside down (difficult to do now)
or flipped end to end, (which is very, very easy). Make sure you've got
an 80 wire cable. Blue end goes on the system board. Make sure the
cable is firmly SEATED.

All the dumb stuff that you checked once before, check again, just to
be sure.

If the setup is kosher, then look for problems with the computer
itself.

Fdisk is a obsolete tool, and may have difficulty seeing very large
drives. Is the floppy disk ok? Bad media can ruin your day, (i don't
really think it's a bad floppy disk, but....) So can bad ram, or a bad
motherboard. CHECK the motherboard, ecs is el cheapo. Look for bulging
or leaking capacitors.


What OS are you installing on this thing? It may matter, if its win
2000 or xp, you don't want to even use fdisk.