I had the issue a few days ago with my HDD dissapearing after a reboot. When the pc reboots the HDD comes up as a SUCNWUO GISECAOL#C[23.7A# # # # # # # # # It is supposed to be a Quantum Fireball CX 20 GB. It worked after I did a manual reinstall, but now it won't reinstall. And when it is called the GIS...... it is not reconized by my PC. It is in the device manager but I cannot get to it by My Computer or any where else. Any info or help??? Thanks in advance!!!! Mike

I suspect a virus on there, a troj of some kind doing this. So a virus scanner cannot see it. I have Norton 2003 and if My Computer cannot see the drive neither can Norton.... Arrrggghhhhh....

Hi Mike I would suggest you download the disk diagnostic from the manufacturers website. In your case you can try powermax at Maxtors website. (Quantum has been bought by Maxtor.) There could be a diagnostic built by Quantum before they were bought out, that may be better suited to test the drive, but powermax is supposed to be able to fully test these drives. This diagnostic needs to boot. (avoids using corrupt windows system) If the drive is testing ok then suspect windows has a problem. If a problem is detected by the diagnostic: AFTER you have run the diagnostic, then it is time to look over IDE connections and examine the IDE cable for problems. [ie. carefully remove IDE cable noting the way connections are, and then put back making sure connecters line up etc] Check the jumper on the hard drive, moving the jumper in and out of the jumpered pins to make sure it has good contact. Then rerun the diagnostic.

anenefan, Thanks, I will try this here now and see what happens. I tried Drive Rescue and PC Instpector File Recovery but both lock up the machine on trying to perform their function. I changed my IDE cable (from a ribbon to a round ATA) and that brought up the drive. But now that I click on the drive a window pops up and says: A file or directory is not reabable or accessable. Thanks for your helP!!!

Hi Oh! Sounds like there was a dry joint, bad connection, broken wire in cable or electrical interferance affecting the IDE cable. If one of the data lines is not working or only some of the time, this can lead to problems. When the new cable is used the drive is seen but the data that was written to the drive with the problem cable is found to be non sensible. PC inspector is unable to find any valid files as it locks up. I would strongly urge you to use PowerMax. If the drive (with new ide cable) does not show up any faults then have a chat with ALEXANDER GRAU who's source code is at the bottom of both Drive Recue and PC Inspector. He or his team would be interested in what sort of data on a fully functional drive could lock up the program. Eliot Authour's website On a similar note, I actually had a machine (someone else place) where the IDE cable was nobbled very carfully to remove the shielding around one of the data lines. The drive (data) has various problems. Haven't got to the bottom of that one yet.