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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 05 8:20 pm Post subject: New hard drives
In modern PCs, when you install a new hard drive, the BIOS automatically recognises the drive. However, I've added an identical drive to my new PC and the BIOS doesn't recognise it. Admittedly its a SATA drive and I've not used them before, but I would have thought the BIOS would still work. Any ideas?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 05 9:13 pm Post subject:
Is the SATA controller on the motherboard? And is that the only HD in the system?

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 05 9:16 pm Post subject:

SATA controller is on the motherboard. I've tried the new disk as the only hard drive (as a direct replacement for an identical drive and as a 2nd. No jumpers these days. The PC recognises the old drive when I put it back, but not the new one.

I'm off to e-mail Dell again. I cannot find any refernce in the Dell manual about installing a new drive, but I'm sure it's there and Dell will ponit out the relevant section. I'm also sure they have provided me with all the backup CDs to re-install the disk.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 05 9:21 pm Post subject:
That is very strange, what happens if you install both? Can you get windows to boot? Do you need to fdisk the new one before it gets seen? Does the controller Bios come up with the drive details?

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 05 9:39 pm Post subject:

If I install both then bios still doesn't recognise the new drive. Both the XP install CD and the Dell setup CD halt and say there is no disk to intall on when I only connect the new disk. PC shipped without a floppy (I have my own to insert) so it's not designed to boot from a floppy. Don't get far enought to fdisk. I know why fdisk is called fdisk!!

I'm glad I picked up this old PC and I've e-mailed Dell so I'll see what they say. It just puzzels me as I've never had problems in the past.

Cheers for the help Tahir.

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