# secondary hard drive NOT DETECTED



## bluefire7002 (Feb 5, 2007)

okay its getting really annoying now.... 

i have a 120gb hard drive(windows xp pro) on my desktop and i bought a 80gb for my other computer (which I reformatted and installed windows professional...) i dont really use that second computer and im running out of room on my 120gig so im trying to use that 80gig hard drive as a secondary. I followed the way the jumper cables are supposed to be (for master and slave) and the secondary hard drive is not being detected... I used that secondary hard drive 1 month ago on my other computer(as only hard drive) and it worked perfect. i tried taking off the master drive off (120hd )and using that 80 gig as the master and i got a blue screen saying something about changing hard drive or something(cant remember this was like 2 wks ago sorry)... do you guys think that 80 gig hard drive just doesnt work anymore? or is it cuz i have like the most recent updates on my 120gb hd and on the 80gb its an older xp pro version? dont think thats it but thats what my friend said.....

please help... any input would be great


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## Brum (Sep 26, 2006)

Windows will not work on a different hardware setup becuase it needs to load drivers from the install disk. If your bios will recognize that the drive is there, it will work fine. Master/Slave settings are a pain in the butt. try as many diffrent setups as you can. Try making the other HDD master. Try using cable select too. The drive at the end of the cable is master and the drive in the middle of the cable is suppose to be slave.


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## Brum (Sep 26, 2006)

Just another Idea...

Did you make sure your bios is enabled to use master/slave configuration?


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## bluefire7002 (Feb 5, 2007)

Brum said:


> Just another Idea...
> 
> Did you make sure your bios is enabled to use master/slave configuration?


ahhh i never checked... shouldnt it be enable automatically? my computer is about 4 yrs old... i will have to go check... also the second hard drive is not being read in bios

thanks for helping


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## Flags (Sep 9, 2001)

bluefire: try setting both drives to Cable Select. Put the 120 on the end of the IDE cable and the 80 on the middle connector. Now the 120 will be selected as Master and the 80 will be Slave. Be certain that the connectors are inserted fully on each drive. 

You cannot take a HDD out of one computer and expect it to boot in another PC even if it has the same OS system. It is "married" to the original PC's BIOS.

I assume by "following the way the jumper CABLES are supposed to be", you mean the jumpers, because no cables are involved in the process of configuring drives. (Except in the CS configuration).

The 80 gig drive most likely works, but first we have to get it recognized.


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## Brum (Sep 26, 2006)

Flags said:


> bluefire: try setting both drives to Cable Select. Put the 120 on the end of the IDE cable and the 80 on the middle connector. Now the 120 will be selected as Master and the 80 will be Slave. Be certain that the connectors are inserted fully on each drive.
> 
> You cannot take a HDD out of one computer and expect it to boot in another PC even if it has the same OS system. It is "married" to the original PC's BIOS.
> 
> ...


Didn't I just say that?


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## Brum (Sep 26, 2006)

bluefire7002 said:


> ahhh i never checked... shouldnt it be enable automatically? my computer is about 4 yrs old... i will have to go check... also the second hard drive is not being read in bios
> 
> thanks for helping


Most of the time the slave setting is enabled by defualt, but my peice of junk wasn't 

Did the bios recognize the drive when you had it set to master all by itself though? If it didn't you might have problems with the drive. If it won't be recognized set as master all by itself, it won't be recognized set as slave to another drive.


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## bluefire7002 (Feb 5, 2007)

hey guys thanks for all your help... the hard drive was fine it was actually the stupid power connectors from the fan that did not work when i connected it to the hard drive. i had to move around all the power connectors until i got both hard drives working and the fans. but i only got my dvd drive working and not my cd drive... i guess i have to buy extension power connectors...
thanks guys


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