So you think your HD is kaputt ...

[Broomstick]

The next time you think your harddisk is dead, try changing the IDE cable
first.
I had what I thought a dead HD. It started with hanging progs.
Accompanied by intermittent screeching / humming sound coming from the
CPU case (at first I thought it was one of the fan).
Then the BIOS failed to detect the HD; disk boot failure.
I was about to dismantle and return the HD, which is still under warranty,
and suddenly thought about changing the IDE cable with a spare one.
Well, the HD is immediately detected by BIOS and is working
perfectly under Windows.
So if your think your HD is kaputt, do yourself a favor and swap the IDE
cable first.
Who knows.

Have a happy day!

Broomstick

 

[RJK]

This also can happen when IDE cables are re-used. The male-female
connectors can also vary in size, very slightly, between manufacturers.
Connector "interference" (the amount, or tightness, or quality if you
prefer, of contact between male and female connectors), can be degraded by
repeated connections/disconnections. i.e. they're not a tight enough fit
and you could get a higher than normal, (compared to a "good" IDE ribbon),
resistance where you really don't want it !

regards, Richard