New setup POST but no HDD detection

[Bill L]

Hi all

PC Chips Skt A (M848ALU) SiS chipset (AMIBIOS)
Duron 1.8 GHz
1 512 MB RAM (PC3200)
ATI 9200 SE
Seagate Barracuda ATA100 80 GB HDD (Master IDE1)
Creative DVD ROM (Master IDE2)

Got a friends setup to work on over the weekend as the PC wouldn't POST
after he put it together (turns out that he'd covered the ENTIRE CPU in
thermal compound ... sheesh). Anyhow cleared the gloop off and the PC boots
now.

However, no matter what I try I can't get the board to detect the primary
boot drive. Things I've tried so far :-

Different 80 Pin IDE cables
Altering the jumpers Master > CSL etc.
My old Maxtor 40 GB HDD
Every dam BIOS setting I can think of!

Generally I wouldn't touch PC Chips mobo's (using a Gigabyte Nforce2 board
at the mo) and I've advised my mate to send the POS back to Ebuyer for a
refund and I'll look for something just a bit better.

But has anyone else got any ideas what's gone wrong for future reference?

TIA

BillL

 

[Peter Ives]

Hi all

PC Chips Skt A (M848ALU) SiS chipset (AMIBIOS)
Duron 1.8 GHz
1 512 MB RAM (PC3200)
ATI 9200 SE
Seagate Barracuda ATA100 80 GB HDD (Master IDE1)
Creative DVD ROM (Master IDE2)

Got a friends setup to work on over the weekend as the PC wouldn't POST
after he put it together (turns out that he'd covered the ENTIRE CPU in
thermal compound ... sheesh). Anyhow cleared the gloop off and the PC
boots
now.

However, no matter what I try I can't get the board to detect the primary
boot drive. Things I've tried so far :-

Different 80 Pin IDE cables
Altering the jumpers Master > CSL etc.
My old Maxtor 40 GB HDD
Every dam BIOS setting I can think of!

So the BIOS is set to AUTO detect on IDE-0 I take it and doesn't have a
load of manual settings for detecting on that port?

 

[GTS]

Have you tried clearing the BIOS by jumper / removing the battery?

 

[Bill L]

Not initially but I did this a.m. and still no go on detecting the primary
HDD (I tried to advise against a PC Chips MoBo - if it doesn't work it could
be free and still worthless). I've been looking at a different board and
will probably recommend he get the Abit NF7 (333 MHz FSB).

Cheers anyway

BillL

Have you tried clearing the BIOS by jumper / removing the battery?

 

[Peter Ives]

Not initially but I did this a.m. and still no go on detecting the primary
HDD (I tried to advise against a PC Chips MoBo - if it doesn't work it could
be free and still worthless). I've been looking at a different board and
will probably recommend he get the Abit NF7 (333 MHz FSB).

Cheers anyway

How about trying it on the other IDE port. Most mobos, these days,
allow you to boot from the 2nd IDE, anyway, but does it get detected on
this port. Could be the port is done for.