# Detecting IDE Drives....My comp is an idiot



## BenWasTaken (Sep 15, 2002)

ok about 2 weeks ago i restarted my computer...when it was loading up detecting the IDE drives none were found except for Primary Master....i restarted my computer about 100 times, still no dice....unplugges everything from the back then replugged, still no cigar....so i take it up to my local Computer Helper..and she plugs it in right in front of me and it WORKS!!! detects the drives and everything..so i feel like a dumb @$$...so i ask her what she thought the problem could be..she said maybe my surge protector was messed up..so i go home, hook up my computer and it works fine until today...it did the same thing when i went to restart it, It didnt detect any drives..so i buy a new surge protector..no dice...doesnt work....i unplug everything from the back and replug, doesnt work...i turn on and off the computer multiple times...doesnt work...so as im about to give up i give it one last shot..and it detects the DRIVES!!!!....anyone know whats up?


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## XbrvhrtX (Jul 16, 2002)

I had a similar prob some time ago and it was down to faulty power leads from the psu going to main board and drives...not sure if this will help you


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## BenWasTaken (Sep 15, 2002)

so i should change my power chord?


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## BenWasTaken (Sep 15, 2002)

hmm this is getting out of control..it did it again, i think its going to keep on doing more often unless i fix it......somehow


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## pthres (Jun 25, 2001)

re-seat the power cord from the psu to the mainboard
re-seat the cpu / ram
re-seat all others cards

re-seat all leads and power cords to the various drives etc

post back with results


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## griffinspc (Nov 16, 2001)

1st - this has to be an all time favorite: *Detecting IDE Drives....My comp is an idiot* You get 2 points just for that. 

In addition to the above I would suggest one more thing, download and run a drive diagnostic from the drive manufacturer if all above doesn't work.


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## BenWasTaken (Sep 15, 2002)

im not sure what you mean by re-seat...unplug then plug back in??? lol


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## pthres (Jun 25, 2001)

YES........but don't unplug the CPU, just gently press it back into it's slot ( don't unplug the cpu because you probably don't have any heatsink paste to re-apply if you take it out )

But you may take out all the others and re-seat them properly and securely.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A WRIST STRAP ( EARTH STRAP ) THEN TURN THE COMPUTER OFF AT THE MAINS BUT LEAVE IT PLUGGED IN, BEFORE TOUCHING THE COMPONENTS FIND BARE METAL ON THE CASE TO EARTH YOURSELF.


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## BenWasTaken (Sep 15, 2002)

so your saying i can electricute my self even if the computer is turned off??


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## XbrvhrtX (Jul 16, 2002)

more to the point u can damage components if not earthed


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## BenWasTaken (Sep 15, 2002)

i wouldnt trust my self doing that....unless i know EXACTLY what im doing


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## badsha (Jul 4, 2002)

Hi ! I had this problem with a computer at work ( PC Training centre ) and we tried everything , sometimes it would work but most of the time it would not. We changed the drive in the end and tried it , and this cured the problem. I think the problem might be with the drive it self as our old harddrive would work sometimes but not most of the times.


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## BenWasTaken (Sep 15, 2002)

hmmm i was looking through some system files and came across something that said turn of hard drives after 1 hour..and it was checked....i took off the check now..but could this have been what was causing it?


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## BenWasTaken (Sep 15, 2002)

nvm im pretty sure its not what was causing it...


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## BooBooLucy (Sep 21, 2004)

Okay, I also am having problems with my computer detecting the IDE drives. I boot up my computer, and it stops at "Detecting IDE drive" Can't do anything or get into the computer to do anything or run any programs. The computer company tech guys told me to unplug the power cord for 10 minutes, did that, then they said to take the BIOS battery out for 30 minutes, I did that, but left it out for 11 hours, still won't work. Changed the IDE cable, that didn't work. Now I am using my laptop, but all my files are on the desktop. Any tips here? It is only a 1½ years old, P4, 512 memory, 120 gig hard drive. This thing doesn't detect any drive.


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## ceri sheeran (Aug 15, 2003)

Hi,

Top of my list

New BIOS battery

Clear NVRAM / reset BIOS to defaults

New IDE ribbon Cables

BIOS upgrade if available

hth

Ceri


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## BooBooLucy (Sep 21, 2004)

I tried a new IDE cable, and when we had the battery out, it tested fine. Should we still get a new battery just in case? As far as 
Clear NVRAM / reset BIOS to defaults - we can't get that far. So how would you reset them. It was working fine the night before. And we are running windows XP.


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## ceri sheeran (Aug 15, 2003)

Hi

A new BIOS battery is always a good bet for this type of issue.

Take the battery out to determine what the spec is and then go out to buy it. By the time you get back the memory held / supported by the BIOS battery will have decayed. 

When you install the new battery it will have the same effect as the BIOS reset by hot-keys or motherboard jumper would have.

hth

Ceri


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## BooBooLucy (Sep 21, 2004)

OKay, I put a new battery in. Let it sit for several hours before putting it in, and it still sits at "Detecting IDE drive" Any other suggestions?


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## BooBooLucy (Sep 21, 2004)

Ok, I got my dads computer, put the hard drive in it and it does the same thing, I put my dads hard drive in ours, and everything boots up. So I am assuming it is the hard drive. Is there any way to get the data off the hard drive?


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## ohheck (Jan 5, 2003)

using your dads pc put the jumper on the back of his drive to master- probably has the letters mst mstr or similar - set the jumper on your drive to slave - 'slv' and attach it to the middle connector on the ribbon cable that connects his hard drive to the mother board- then boot- you may be able to copy and paste data from your drive to his


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## BooBooLucy (Sep 21, 2004)

OK, we figured out it was the hard drive, so we ordered a new Seagate 160 gig. It should be here on Wed. My husband talked to the tech guy who used to work for his company, and offered to help retrieve info from the old hard drive. So I am feeling pretty good right now. I only lost about a month worth of info and over 4000 songs, but it could of been worse. Now if I can just stop this new laptop from freezing up every so often while we are working on it, I will be happy.


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