Unable to detect IBM HDD. Error "Disk Boot Failure. Insert System Disk"

[Steve Jackson]

I have just bought a used Maxtor DiamondMax 80GB HDD and loaded WinXP on it
inc setting an extended partition using partition Magic. I wanted to
transfer the data on my old IBM Desktar 30.7GB HDD so decided to boot from
the old HDD and set the Maxtor to slave. All jumper setting were correct.
When booting, all went through ok and I could see all partitions on all
drives as different drive letters as well as CD:ROM and Floppy disk drives.
I manually transferred the data from one drive letter to another in Explorer
so that the data now is on the Maxtor HDD.

Once I transferred all data I wanted, I then removed the IBM HDD and set the
Maxtor to Master so it could boot on its own. All ok. I then realised I had
missed off some data so decided to then set the IBM HDD to slave and leave
the Maxtor as Master (i.e. Booting Windows from the Maxtor instead of the
IBM as per the inital data transfer). It all boots up ok but I now cannot
see the IBM HDD at all. I tried setting the IBM HDD to Master and boot on
its own but get the error messgae of "Disk Boot Failure. Insert System
Disk". I checked the BIOS and it cannot detect the IBM HDD now. I have
checked all cables and all are ok because I can boot from the Maxtor HDD
with no problems.

I have had this IBM HDD for 5 years now. Can it have failed when I finished
transfering data from one HDD to another? Will I need to recover the data
from a specialist or is there anything further I can test to get the HDD
detected at all and running as a Master or slave device?

Any help will be extremely appreciated.

Thanks
Steve

 

[John McGaw]

I have just bought a used Maxtor DiamondMax 80GB HDD and loaded WinXP on it
inc setting an extended partition using partition Magic. I wanted to
transfer the data on my old IBM Desktar 30.7GB HDD so decided to boot from
the old HDD and set the Maxtor to slave. All jumper setting were correct.
When booting, all went through ok and I could see all partitions on all
drives as different drive letters as well as CD:ROM and Floppy disk drives.
I manually transferred the data from one drive letter to another in Explorer
so that the data now is on the Maxtor HDD.

Once I transferred all data I wanted, I then removed the IBM HDD and set the
Maxtor to Master so it could boot on its own. All ok. I then realised I had
missed off some data so decided to then set the IBM HDD to slave and leave
the Maxtor as Master (i.e. Booting Windows from the Maxtor instead of the
IBM as per the inital data transfer). It all boots up ok but I now cannot
see the IBM HDD at all. I tried setting the IBM HDD to Master and boot on
its own but get the error messgae of "Disk Boot Failure. Insert System
Disk". I checked the BIOS and it cannot detect the IBM HDD now. I have
checked all cables and all are ok because I can boot from the Maxtor HDD
with no problems.

I have had this IBM HDD for 5 years now. Can it have failed when I finished
transfering data from one HDD to another? Will I need to recover the data
from a specialist or is there anything further I can test to get the HDD
detected at all and running as a Master or slave device?

Any help will be extremely appreciated.

Thanks
Steve

Yes, the IBM drive certainly could have died. Any hard drive regardless
of age or brand is liable to fail at any time and that is just a matter
of fact that none of us can avoid facing. But the odds that it would
have died a natural death in that particular time span are very small so
if it truly is dead it could have been the fact that it was moved and
handled a bit too roughly.

But before you give up you might go back and check _very_ carefully how
the jumpers are set on the drive. If you were in a hurry you wouldn't be
the first person to have slipped a jumper onto the wrong pair of pins or
to have misinterpreted the vague little diagram on the drive's label.
And while you are at it you might inspect the drive's 40-pin connector
to make sure that a pin or two hasn't been mangled as this is something
that happens all too regularly. Bent pins can usually be straightened
with sufficient care. BTDT

Another fallback is to try a different cable, different IDE channel, and
different computer if it comes down to that.

 

[Steve Jackson]

Thanks for the reponse.

Its a possibility I handled it a little too roughly though I didn't drop it
or anything too drastic and it is the only time I have taken it out of its
bay since putting the PC together. I've now double and triple checked the
jumper settings - TNA. Could changing the jumper settings and setting both
HDDs as master and slave at different points cause it to die, become corrupt
at any point or just not be able to be detected anymore?

Looks like I will have to go through the data recovery route unless anyone
else has any other suggestions. Is data recovery still expensive? If so, how
much would I expect to pay?

 

[John McGaw]

Thanks for the reponse.

Its a possibility I handled it a little too roughly though I didn't drop it
or anything too drastic and it is the only time I have taken it out of its
bay since putting the PC together. I've now double and triple checked the
jumper settings - TNA. Could changing the jumper settings and setting both
HDDs as master and slave at different points cause it to die, become corrupt
at any point or just not be able to be detected anymore?

Looks like I will have to go through the data recovery route unless anyone
else has any other suggestions. Is data recovery still expensive? If so, how
much would I expect to pay?

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Yes, the IBM drive certainly could have died. Any hard drive regardless
of age or brand is liable to fail at any time and that is just a matter
of fact that none of us can avoid facing. But the odds that it would
have died a natural death in that particular time span are very small so
if it truly is dead it could have been the fact that it was moved and
handled a bit too roughly.

But before you give up you might go back and check _very_ carefully how
the jumpers are set on the drive. If you were in a hurry you wouldn't be
the first person to have slipped a jumper onto the wrong pair of pins or
to have misinterpreted the vague little diagram on the drive's label.
And while you are at it you might inspect the drive's 40-pin connector
to make sure that a pin or two hasn't been mangled as this is something
that happens all too regularly. Bent pins can usually be straightened
with sufficient care. BTDT

Another fallback is to try a different cable, different IDE channel, and
different computer if it comes down to that.

Simply swapping jumpers around should not cause problems unless a big
static voltage was built up before you touched the drive or if a solder
joint was on the verge of failing and the force of removing or replacing
the jumper pushed it over the brink. Data recovery is IMHO outrageously
expensive and not worthwhile for most individuals. I'm talking several
hundred dollars to even have a firm look at it and much more if they
actually do get anything back.

I would certainly try the drive in a different computer and with a
different cable before giving up on it.

Good luck.

 

[google]

Hi Steve,

This is Tony from Aurora Data Recovery.

Your own comment that professional Data recovery may be an option is
certainly a wise choice, but the deciding factor is yours alone, and is
probably based upon the value of the information. In other words, is it
easily replaceable such as net music, or is it difficult or even
impossible to replace.

The comment about astronomic charges by another contributor is highly
inaccurate, at least, as concerns our company. There are certainly many
data recovery companies motivated entirely by large profits, but not
all.

Beware of ANY companies using terms such as "Guaranteed Cheapest",
using post boxes or mobile telephone numbers. Be equally cautious of
ANY pay in advance schemes.

From your own description of the events surrounding the problem, I

think that a hard disk crash is most unlikely, the problem is probably
rather easy to resolve; anyone telling you otherwise is trying to make
a fast buck at your expense.

Now for the advertising part: Aurora IT Systems have been in the data
recovery business for more years than I care to admit; well over 20 in
fact. We have state of the art labs and recover data from plane
crashes, tsunami flooding, arson and deliberate sabotage. Your drive
should represent no problem at all.

I suggest that you take a look at our site:

http://www.aurora.se

And then either sent an email or give us a call. We are staffed every
day of the year and additionally have very generous discounts ( -50%)
for students and private users.


I hope that we can assist you


Tony

 

[chad]

Hi Steve,

You might try the diagnostic tools provided by Maxtor:

http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/M...By Category/Desktop Storage/DiamondMax Family

And if you need to do some data mining to get your files back, here
are some freeware data recovery tools:

http://free-backup.info/data-recovery-software.htm

If your data is still unrecoverable, you might look into Nationwide
data recovery in Miami. They charge $100-$500 for recovery with no
charge if data is not recovered. It's hard to find a better deal than
that.

Regards,

Chad
http://free-backup.info