Won't power on with HD connected

[Bill Eversole]

Hello,

I was called yesterday to look at a Celeron 1.1 GHz computer I had
built several years ago. It wouldn't power on.

I took an extra power supply along and my external HD enclosure. First
I swapped out the power supply, but no change. I noticed that there
were no lights or sounds, except the CPU fan was spinning. Next I
removed the only PCI card--an ethernet adapter, but it made no
difference. Finally I disconnected CD-ROM, floppy, and both IDE HD's.
The system finally powered up! When I plugged the master IDE HD back
in, the system quit again.

I pulled the HD out of the computer and stuck it in my external HD
enclosure...connected it to another PC with USB connector...HD spun up,
and I could read and copy files.

So, my question is, why can the HD spin up in the external USB
enclosure, but prevents PC from powering up when connected internally?

Should I just forget why, and order a new HD?

Thanks in advance.

Bill

 

[JAD]

power supply is failing in the first PC.

 

[Shinnokxz]

power supply is failing in the first PC.

.... Did you even bother to read the guy's post?

If I were you, Bill, I would just get a new drive and not really worry
about it much.

 

[BruceM]

Shorting out when you "earth" it to the case? Try running it hooked up to
the cable NOT in the case?
I love mysteries......

 

[Peter]

Hello,

I was called yesterday to look at a Celeron 1.1 GHz computer I had
built several years ago. It wouldn't power on.

I took an extra power supply along and my external HD enclosure. First
I swapped out the power supply, but no change. I noticed that there
were no lights or sounds, except the CPU fan was spinning. Next I
removed the only PCI card--an ethernet adapter, but it made no
difference. Finally I disconnected CD-ROM, floppy, and both IDE HD's.
The system finally powered up! When I plugged the master IDE HD back
in, the system quit again.

I pulled the HD out of the computer and stuck it in my external HD
enclosure...connected it to another PC with USB connector...HD spun up,
and I could read and copy files.

So, my question is, why can the HD spin up in the external USB
enclosure, but prevents PC from powering up when connected internally?

try resetting the bios.

 

[Wiley Q. Hacker]

Does any HD used internally work? You said you had two in the system. I'd
first try using the second HD as master. If that spins up, you know it's the
HD. If it doesn't you know it's either the controller or the cable. Use
another cable. If it works, you're OK. If not, get a new motherboard, I
suppose.

Good luck.

 

[JAD]

did you?

... Did you even bother to read the guy's post?

If I were you, Bill, I would just get a new drive and not really worry
about it much.

You would

 

[guess]

JAD, if you HAD read the initial post, you would have read that he DID try
another power supply!!!!!!!!!!!!

did you?

... Did you even bother to read the guy's post?

If I were you, Bill, I would just get a new drive and not really worry
about it much.

You would

 

[Mike Hollywood]

I had a similar problem once, and it was the power supply. I've forgotten
the exact details now, but what happened was the rise time of the power on
waveform altered over time, and the motherboard didn't have enough loosie
goosie to just let it go. The same power supply in a different computer
worked fine because the mobo wasn't so picky about the power on timing.

Upshot being, I'd still suspect that the power supply/mobo combo is the
culpret rather than the hard drive itself. Because the HD worked in your
external inclosure my bet is it's OK.

mike

 

[JAD]

I DON"T CARE IF HE DID, what makes you think it was any good? Did he say it
was NEW? did he verify it was a 'good' PSU? Did he say what the output was?
Did he say that it was a recommended PSU for that system?

I DID READ THE POST...you didn't and your neither did your buddy, all you
did was 'read' it.

JAD, if you HAD read the initial post, you would have read that he DID try
another power supply!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JAD]

I had a similar problem once, and it was the power supply. I've forgotten
the exact details now, but what happened was the rise time of the power on
waveform altered over time, and the motherboard didn't have enough loosie
goosie to just let it go. The same power supply in a different computer
worked fine because the mobo wasn't so picky about the power on timing.

Upshot being, I'd still suspect that the power supply/mobo combo is the
culpret rather than the hard drive itself. Because the HD worked in your
external inclosure my bet is it's OK.

mike

careful mike, your going to get the 'did you read the post at all ' routine.

 

[Mike Hollywood]

oops. i did read it, but not carefully enough.
thanks for the heads up.
mike

 

[JAD]

eh ,,,, your right it could be the PSU regardless if its a 'different' one
If the HD works in the enclosure and that has its own power source...figures
don't it?

 

[sbb78247]

eh ,,,, your right it could be the PSU regardless if its a
'different' one If the HD works in the enclosure and that has its own
power source...figures don't it?

This one seems to take a bit of thought to solve the problem, which seems to
be lacking these days.

Probably is the power supply. It may be strong enough to light up when only
the mobo/cpu/video is in the loop, but add another perripherial and it shows
the weakness.

 

[Owl]

I DON"T CARE IF HE DID, what makes you think it was any good?

Where is the alleged statement of what I thought, JAD?

Did he say it was NEW?

As far as I know, he didn't.

did he verify it was a 'good' PSU?

He did, sort of.

Did he say what the output was?

Don't pry into other peoples business.

Did he say that it was a recommended PSU for that system?

He did, but he stopped doing it.

I DID READ THE POST...you didn't and your neither did your
buddy, all you did was 'read' it.

Did you really read the post...you did not and my neither did my buddy?

 

[JAD]

like I said........find someone else......

 

[Bill Eversole]

The second hard drive boots up when the aforementioned hard drive is
disconnected. I have tried two different power supplies--the original
and one taken out of a previously working PC.

I guess the bottom line is that this hard drive won't work in this
computer and must be replaced.

Bill

 

[Peter]

The second hard drive boots up when the aforementioned hard drive is
disconnected. I have tried two different power supplies--the original
and one taken out of a previously working PC.

I guess the bottom line is that this hard drive won't work in this
computer and must be replaced.

Bill

Is that as master on same ide as problem HD (which I presume was master
device) or as slave, or is it on different ide?

 

[Bill Eversole]

The 2nd hard drive (the one that does work) was the slave on the
Primary IDE.

 

[Peter]

The 2nd hard drive (the one that does work) was the slave on the
Primary IDE.

Have you tried setting it as master or did you just disconnect the one
that doesn't work? If not, it may be worth trying it as master just to
confirm that setting as master actually works.