Old HDD problem

F

fbsnr

I have an old(ish) PC, bought in 2000, running Windows 98SE, with its
own originsal HDD, which works fine. I also have an even older HDD
which is a Western Digital Caviar 2850, which dates back to 1995, which
I kept from an even older computer running Windows 95. When I had my
old PC, I could install the old HDD as a second master on IDE2, and it
worked fine, so I used it for backups then.

I've now tried to install this HDD as a master on IDE2 on my current
(Windows 98SE) computer with the following results. Windows 98SE takes
about 3 times as long to boot up, hanging for about 30 secs at the POST
screen. Although this is eventually cleared with a single beep, it then
hangs for about another minute at logo.sys screen, although that
clears, and the boot up procedure then completes. The PC works fine in
nearly every way. My 2nd HDD [D:\] is shown on the desktop. But when I
try to click it, I get the error message "D:\ is not accessible. A
device attached to your system is not functioning.." So I go into
Control Panel, hit System,, look up Device Manager. But no conflicts
are shown, and Properties for the HDD show 'this device to be working
properly'. So I cannot use the disk in full Windows. But when I boot
into 'Safe Mode', then I can click on the D:\ drive, and use the 2nd
HDD as normal

So it appears to be a Windows driver issue.. It is printed on the old
HDD that it is 'AT compatible', but my mobo is an ATX. Furthermore my
old PC was an AT mobo, which suggests one reason why it worked ok on my
old PC. But I thought HDD controllers were backward compatible with
older ATAPI devices. There is actually a driver for this particular
device available on the Web, but I've never had to use drivers for
installing an HDD as the Windows generic ones always suffice.

Has anyone further ideas how to use the HDD in full Windows 98SE?
 
P

philo

I have an old(ish) PC, bought in 2000, running Windows 98SE, with its
own originsal HDD, which works fine. I also have an even older HDD
which is a Western Digital Caviar 2850, which dates back to 1995, which
I kept from an even older computer running Windows 95. When I had my
old PC, I could install the old HDD as a second master on IDE2, and it
worked fine, so I used it for backups then.


<snip>

since the drive is 10 years old i would not bother with it...
just backup any data you have on it...then don't use it anymore
 
S

Sleepy

I have an old(ish) PC, bought in 2000, running Windows 98SE, with its
own originsal HDD, which works fine. I also have an even older HDD
which is a Western Digital Caviar 2850, which dates back to 1995, which
I kept from an even older computer running Windows 95. When I had my
old PC, I could install the old HDD as a second master on IDE2, and it
worked fine, so I used it for backups then.

I've now tried to install this HDD as a master on IDE2 on my current
(Windows 98SE) computer with the following results. Windows 98SE takes
about 3 times as long to boot up, hanging for about 30 secs at the POST
screen. Although this is eventually cleared with a single beep, it then
hangs for about another minute at logo.sys screen, although that
clears, and the boot up procedure then completes. The PC works fine in
nearly every way. My 2nd HDD [D:\] is shown on the desktop. But when I
try to click it, I get the error message "D:\ is not accessible. A
device attached to your system is not functioning.." So I go into
Control Panel, hit System,, look up Device Manager. But no conflicts
are shown, and Properties for the HDD show 'this device to be working
properly'. So I cannot use the disk in full Windows. But when I boot
into 'Safe Mode', then I can click on the D:\ drive, and use the 2nd
HDD as normal

So it appears to be a Windows driver issue.. It is printed on the old
HDD that it is 'AT compatible', but my mobo is an ATX. Furthermore my
old PC was an AT mobo, which suggests one reason why it worked ok on my
old PC. But I thought HDD controllers were backward compatible with
older ATAPI devices. There is actually a driver for this particular
device available on the Web, but I've never had to use drivers for
installing an HDD as the Windows generic ones always suffice.

Has anyone further ideas how to use the HDD in full Windows 98SE?
check jumper settings and use master/slave rather than cable select. if
theres a cdrom attached to IDE2 that was previously a master did you
remember to switch it to slave? also if a HDDs fat table thingummy gets
corrupted that will cause the same error - try formatting the D drive
afresh.
 
F

fbsnr

Sleepy said:
check jumper settings and use master/slave rather than cable select. if
theres a cdrom attached to IDE2 that was previously a master did you
remember to switch it to slave? also if a HDDs fat table thingummy gets
corrupted that will cause the same error - try formatting the D drive
afresh.
Jumper setting for HDD(2) is on master (IDE2). CDROM is disconnected..
IThere cannot be a problem with HDD's FAT table as disk works normally
in 'Safe Mode'. It would not work at all if FAT was corrupted. I've
done a scandisk and there are no errors.
 
P

Pen

Jumper setting for HDD(2) is on master (IDE2). CDROM is
disconnected..
IThere cannot be a problem with HDD's FAT table as disk
works normally
in 'Safe Mode'. It would not work at all if FAT was
corrupted. I've
done a scandisk and there are no errors.
You need to be aware that Western Digital drives
have different jumper settings for Master(i.e. 2 drives on
the cable)
and Single, the only drive but in the Master position.
 
K

kony

I have an old(ish) PC, bought in 2000, running Windows 98SE, with its
own originsal HDD, which works fine. I also have an even older HDD
which is a Western Digital Caviar 2850, which dates back to 1995, which
I kept from an even older computer running Windows 95. When I had my
old PC, I could install the old HDD as a second master on IDE2, and it
worked fine, so I used it for backups then.

Unless you're trying to get data OFF of it, don't bother,
the drive is so old it is a very real liability to data and
if you wanted to try it anyway you should first throughly
scan it with the HDD manufacturer's utilities and windows
scandisk surface test. It is likely to have bad sectors by
now.


I've now tried to install this HDD as a master on IDE2 on my current
(Windows 98SE) computer with the following results.

Master alone or with slave?
WD drives set as "single-drive" have a different jumper
setting, specifically to remove all jumpers. If it's
currently master with slave (like an optical drive),
temporarily unplug the optical drive and remove the WD drive
jumper and then temporarily try it like that.


Windows 98SE takes
about 3 times as long to boot up, hanging for about 30 secs at the POST
screen. Although this is eventually cleared with a single beep, it then
hangs for about another minute at logo.sys screen, although that
clears, and the boot up procedure then completes.

This sounds like a jumper problem or a general drive
failure. If not the jumper, throw the drive away unless it
has vital data on it.
The PC works fine in
nearly every way. My 2nd HDD [D:\] is shown on the desktop.

How, why, is it shown on the desktop?
Perhaps a silly question but, are you sure that isn't a
drive letter assigned to something else like a removable
media device, a card reader or printer memory slot or CDROM
drive?
But when I
try to click it, I get the error message "D:\ is not accessible. A
device attached to your system is not functioning.." So I go into
Control Panel, hit System,, look up Device Manager. But no conflicts
are shown, and Properties for the HDD show 'this device to be working
properly'. So I cannot use the disk in full Windows. But when I boot
into 'Safe Mode', then I can click on the D:\ drive, and use the 2nd
HDD as normal

So it appears to be a Windows driver issue.. It is printed on the old
HDD that it is 'AT compatible', but my mobo is an ATX.

That doesn't matter.
Furthermore my
old PC was an AT mobo, which suggests one reason why it worked ok on my
old PC. But I thought HDD controllers were backward compatible with
older ATAPI devices.

It's not ATAPI, it's ATA, and it doesn't matter- is
compatible.
There is actually a driver for this particular
device available on the Web, but I've never had to use drivers for
installing an HDD as the Windows generic ones always suffice.

What exactly is this driver?
No you shouldn't need it AFAIK, but that there is a driver
at all is interesting.

Has anyone further ideas how to use the HDD in full Windows 98SE?

Do you have a flash drive, driver installed? I'd wonder if
that is doing something screwy and temporarily uninstall it
if so.
 
S

Sjouke Burry

Jumper setting for HDD(2) is on master (IDE2). CDROM is disconnected..
IThere cannot be a problem with HDD's FAT table as disk works normally
in 'Safe Mode'. It would not work at all if FAT was corrupted. I've
done a scandisk and there are no errors.
Some disks should not be connected for master,but for
single.
As it is now adding the CD as slave might make it
work also.
 
F

fbsnr

Pen said:
You need to be aware that Western Digital drives
have different jumper settings for Master(i.e. 2 drives on
the cable)
and Single, the only drive but in the Master position.
There are only 3 jumper settings shown on the disk, Master, Slave and
CS, as with all HDDs that I've ever come across. The jumper is set for
master on IDE2, where there is no other attached device. I presume that
is what you mean by Single. But, there is no such jumper position shown
on the disk. And would that explain why the disk works ok in 'Safe
mode' (and DOS) but not in full mode. If the jumper position was
incorrect, surely it would not work at all. If you can expand on what
you mean by setting for'single jumper' I'd be intrigued.
 
F

fbsnr

kony said:
Unless you're trying to get data OFF of it, don't bother,
the drive is so old it is a very real liability to data and
if you wanted to try it anyway you should first throughly
scan it with the HDD manufacturer's utilities and windows
scandisk surface test. It is likely to have bad sectors by
now.

I've scanned it (thoroughly with fix errors) in Safe Mode. No errors
found and data can be saved to HDD and restored from there without a
problem while in Safe Mode.
Master alone or with slave?
WD drives set as "single-drive" have a different jumper
setting, specifically to remove all jumpers. If it's
currently master with slave (like an optical drive),
temporarily unplug the optical drive and remove the WD drive
jumper and then temporarily try it like that.

This is rather interesting. Somebody else mentioned Single jumper
setting. I admit I have never heard of this one before, and the few
HDDs I have installed have always been installed as Masters, and any
second device on the same cable as Slave. I've not had a problem before
either, even when the 'Master' is used as a single attachment device to
a cable and set as Master. After posting this I will try your
suggestion of removing the jumper.
Windows 98SE takes
about 3 times as long to boot up, hanging for about 30 secs at the POST
screen. Although this is eventually cleared with a single beep, it then
hangs for about another minute at logo.sys screen, although that
clears, and the boot up procedure then completes.

This sounds like a jumper problem or a general drive
failure. If not the jumper, throw the drive away unless it
has vital data on it.
The PC works fine in
nearly every way. My 2nd HDD [D:\] is shown on the desktop.

How, why, is it shown on the desktop?
Perhaps a silly question but, are you sure that isn't a
drive letter assigned to something else like a removable
media device, a card reader or printer memory slot or CDROM
drive?
First of all, the drive is recognised correctly in BIOS. Secondly,
under System/Device Manager it is shown as a secondary HDD, and
reported as functioning correctly. Furthermore when I click on it in
Safe Mode, it opens up and shows the correct contents of the old backup
data on it. So it's a pretty safe bet to assume that the D:\ drive
refers to this device.
That doesn't matter.


It's not ATAPI, it's ATA, and it doesn't matter- is
compatible.


What exactly is this driver?
No you shouldn't need it AFAIK, but that there is a driver
at all is interesting.
See http://www.storagedrivers.com/drivers/49/49781.htm
Do you have a flash drive, driver installed? I'd wonder if
that is doing something screwy and temporarily uninstall it
if so.

I don't know what a 'flash drive' is, so I'm pretty sure there isn't
one installed.
 
F

fbsnr

kony said:
On 24 Jan 2006 14:12:30 -0800, (e-mail address removed) wrote:

Master alone or with slave?
WD drives set as "single-drive" have a different jumper
setting, specifically to remove all jumpers. If it's
currently master with slave (like an optical drive),
temporarily unplug the optical drive and remove the WD drive
jumper and then temporarily try it like that.
Well done! That's what the problem finally is. I have to admit I have
never heard of SD jumper settings before, so I guess one learns new
things all the time. I must use a single drive setting (pins 4 & 6).
Finally PC boots up quickly and I can see rw drive D:\ in full Windows.


Problem fixed and thanks for your help..
 
S

Sjouke Burry

There are only 3 jumper settings shown on the disk, Master, Slave and
CS, as with all HDDs that I've ever come across. The jumper is set for
master on IDE2, where there is no other attached device. I presume that
is what you mean by Single. But, there is no such jumper position shown
on the disk. And would that explain why the disk works ok in 'Safe
mode' (and DOS) but not in full mode. If the jumper position was
incorrect, surely it would not work at all. If you can expand on what
you mean by setting for'single jumper' I'd be intrigued.
For some disks single means "no jumper".
 
C

coal_brona

Hi,


In order to backup data I suppose using Disk Image tool. It can easily
and powerfuly perform the operation. This soft is included into a
powerful data tools package, Active@ Boot Disk. This is a bootable CD
that posses simply awesome tools, Disk Image among them.

http://www.ntfs.com/boot-disk.htm
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads


Top