Every PC owners worst nightmare! • Non-Gaming • PC Hardware • Eurogamer.net

Mike_Hunt 26 Jan 2005 21:16:55 23,524 posts
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My hard disk drive has disappeared!

It's physically there of course, but I moved it from one machine to another and they only found it intermittently, it then stopped detecting it all together. I've since returned it to the first computer, but that can't find it now either.

Nothing has changed software wise, the HDD is powering up, but I can't figure out what's wrong. It's a SATA drive if that helps with any advice.

[MH]

MikeD 26 Jan 2005 21:17:56 10,063 posts
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Is it windows xp with SP2?

because otherwise it might be mising s-ata drivers.

Mike_Hunt 26 Jan 2005 21:19:46 23,524 posts
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Both PCs have XP with SP2. It worked initally on both, which is why I'm quite concerned at the moment. Especially as it's a 200gb drive and contains all my movies, music, document, emails, everything!

[MH]

MikeD 26 Jan 2005 21:22:49 10,063 posts
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Can you return it to the old pc for a bit, to check it out?

Otherwise try knoppix and see if that recognises the drive.

Mike_Hunt 26 Jan 2005 21:26:48 23,524 posts
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It's back in the old PC - which *seems* to find it in the BIOS. The name of the drive is correct, but it's reporting the capacity to be 136gb rather than 200gb (I'm not sure if this is a failing of the bios and that it should still work). When I load up windows XP (I've got another IDE drive with the OS in this machine) the HDD isn't listed.

[MH]

Mike_Hunt 26 Jan 2005 21:28:40 23,524 posts
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Hmmm - it's listed in device manager on the old PC too. Both the IDA and SATA are there, but it's not showing up in explorer.

[MH]

MikeD 26 Jan 2005 21:29:24 10,063 posts
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Do you have knoppix lying around?

Because besides that I am out of suggestions, I'm afraid.

Dr.Haggard 26 Jan 2005 21:37:14 4,640 posts
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If it's showing on the post screen, and it's in the Windows device list, then can you access it from the command line?

Try going into Disk Management (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management, then go to Disk Management under 'Storage' in the tree). From here you can see information about each fixed drive and change drive letters etc, which might be helpful.

Mike_Hunt 26 Jan 2005 21:37:22 23,524 posts
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No, I don't.

I'm less worried now as I've managed to get it working on the old PC and all the data is fine. There seems to be an issue with the new machine.

I doubt it's the mobo or cables, as I've tested another SATA drive in there and that's fine.

[MH]

Mike_Hunt 26 Jan 2005 21:41:47 23,524 posts
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Dr.Haggard wrote:
If it's showing on the post screen, and it's in the Windows device list, then can you access it from the command line?

Try going into Disk Management (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management, then go to Disk Management under 'Storage' in the tree). From here you can see information about each fixed drive and change drive letters etc, which might be helpful.

I unplugged the IDE drive and it booted from the SATA - so I'm less worried about it being seen under windows on that PC now. I'm really trying to understand why the other PC can't see it. I wouldn't mind, but it worked last night and has suddenly stopped - it doesn't make sense.

[MH]

Whizzo 26 Jan 2005 22:31:37 44,810 posts
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If it's only seeing it as 136Gb it looks like that patch that enables bigger drivers isn't there for some reason. Seems a bit odd if it was there in the first place on the first PC but it maybe needed on the second.

Obviously the link I have is from Maxtor but I think it's just to make a registry change rather than drive manufacturer specific.

Edited by Whizzo at 22:32:06 26-01-2005

Deleted user 26 January 2005 22:37:57

I had a similar problem with a drive, it was because the secondary IDE channel was turned off in the BIOS. After changing it to "autodetect", both the BIOS and Win detected the disk correctly.

Edit: forgot to mention that Win detected the drive even when the channel was off, but only in PIO mode, which made the drive slow like s**t.

Edited by valli at 22:39:11 26-01-2005

Mike_Hunt 27 Jan 2005 10:34:45 23,524 posts
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I quick update. I flashed my bios last night in the hope that would sort it, now my computer doesn't boot.

/cries

It turns on, runs through the bios checks, starts booting windows and stops half way through. Now I'm under the impression that if you balls up the flashing of the bios then it will kill the system completely, i.e. it won't even turn on, so if mines getting all the way to booting the OS without any problems it's not bios related is it?

As for the hard disk I'm totally lost because:
A) It used to work
B) The SATARaid section of the bios detects my other SATA drive

GAH!!!

[MH]

DrCongo 27 Jan 2005 10:48:04 912 posts
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I thought the thread title referred to this.

DiscoMike 27 Jan 2005 11:02:44 570 posts
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Try going back into the BIOS and select "Load Setup Defaults" and then reboot.

Neverness 27 Jan 2005 11:07:32 1,186 posts
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Have you used TweakUI and set it so it only shows C: in explorer? Cos...ahem...thats what I did and spent ages trying to figure out why it wouldn't work.

Mike_Hunt 27 Jan 2005 11:10:52 23,524 posts
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DiscoMike wrote:
Try going back into the BIOS and select "Load Setup Defaults" and then reboot.

Yeah, I loaded the defaults, and it didn't detect my CPU (for some reason it doesn't auto-detect). I though this was causing the problem, so I manually configured my CPU and it still doesn't work.

I might be able to fix it by re-installing the OS, but that's something I obviously want to avoid.

[MH]

Mike_Hunt 27 Jan 2005 11:14:44 23,524 posts
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Neverness wrote:
Have you used TweakUI and set it so it only shows C: in explorer? Cos...ahem...thats what I did and spent ages trying to figure out why it wouldn't work.

I don't think it's anything driver/os/or software based as the bios isn't detecting it at all.

It's all very strange as I have a Maxtor 120gig drive that it picks up fine, but it won't pick up my Maxtor 200gig drive.

[MH]

MikeD 27 Jan 2005 11:40:38 10,063 posts
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Indeed, after a bios flash it wouldn't even get close to starting windows if that ahd failed, so you're safe there.

But it sounds increasingly likely that something is broken. Have you checked if ram is seated properly? All cables as well?

Nasty 27 Jan 2005 13:26:32 4,840 posts
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If its started loading up Windows and the POST has completed without any errors (ie it only beeps once if everything is OK) then its unlikely to be Hardware. Most likey either your Boot.ini or NTDETECT are jiggered.

Are you getting any error messages when its going through the Windows Startup?

Messing about with hard drives can sometimes cause the boot.ini (the file that tells the PC where windows is) to be buggered and if the backed up version has information that is different to the current setup then you'll be in trouble.

Typically, boot.ini will have a line like this,

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

This means that on the first controller (0) on the first physical disk and /Windows folder of the 2 logical partition (C

I have my Windows Installation. Plugging in the hard drive again or messing about with BIOS and hard drive settings can seriously bugger this up.

Edited by Nasty at 13:32:24 27-01-2005

Mike_Hunt 27 Jan 2005 13:30:58 23,524 posts
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Everything seems to be in securely. I'll double check though.

I don't get any errors during the OS start up, it just freezes.

If I boot up in safe mode I can see the list of files/drivers being loaded and it always freezes on the same one (I forget which).

Back to the SATA problem I've found this forum.

They're talking about the SATARaid part of the bios, and that it's possible to flash just that. I've no idea how, or even what they're talking about. I've posted and not recieved a response yet

[MH]

Mike_Hunt 27 Jan 2005 13:31:24 23,524 posts
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Nasty wrote:
If its started loading up Windows and the POST has completed without any errors (ie it only beeps once if everything is OK) then its unlikely to be Hardware. Most likey either your Boot.ini or NTDETECT are jiggered.

Are you getting any error messages when its going through the Windows Startup?

Is it possible to repair the boot.ini and NTDETECT?

[MH]

Whizzo 27 Jan 2005 13:33:21 44,810 posts
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Boot.ini is just a text file so you should be able to salvage that, NTDETECT can be just copied from the CD to the HD in the repair console.

Nasty 27 Jan 2005 13:34:37 4,840 posts
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Get someone who has windows NT, 2000 or XP to make you a NT boot disk.

It has Boot.ini which you can change to suit your PC hardware setup, NTDETECT.COM and ntldr.

Have you tried recovery console in XP. Start the machine up with the XP Cd in and boot from that making sure to stick raid drivers in that might be needed and go to the repair console and try recreating the MBR n stuff. Running a quto repair might correct any problems caused by duff files like ntldr, ntdetect, ntoskrnl etc

Edited by Nasty at 13:42:42 27-01-2005

Mike_Hunt 27 Jan 2005 13:47:02 23,524 posts
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I'll try the recovery CD first as I don't have a floppy drive.

Thanks fellas.

[MH]

Nasty 27 Jan 2005 13:49:21 4,840 posts
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If all else fails, give the fokker a good hard kick.

Mike_Hunt 27 Jan 2005 13:54:53 23,524 posts
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Been there.

Done that.

[MH]

Nasty 27 Jan 2005 14:00:37 4,840 posts
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Mmmmm Percussive Maintanence

)

Dirtbox 27 Jan 2005 14:06:27 92,595 posts
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Post deleted

Nasty 27 Jan 2005 14:11:24 4,840 posts
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/slaps forehead

I am dumb

Have you done Last known good configuration?

Pressing one of the F keys or CTRL (cant remember which) will give the option of booting up using the restore point that worked.

Again. I am so dumb.

Edited by Nasty at 14:14:52 27-01-2005