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HDD Stops Boot

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Name: sky42
Date: August 17, 2009 at 06:03:09 Pacific
OS: XP Home
CPU/Ram: 2.4/256
Product: Dell / Dimension 2350
Subcategory: Hard Drives
Comment:

When I connect this fairly new 80GB HDD it prevents any boot activity. No bells, no whistles, nothing! I even connected it to several working computers and it prevented all activity as well. It's as if this HDD has a short in it and it won't even pass power to the computer. Usually a bad HDD will at least allow boot to occur but this one prevents all activity. Question is: is this typical for a bad HDD or do I have any options other than deep six?



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Response Number 1
Name: jam
Date: August 17, 2009 at 07:12:12 Pacific
Reply:

Is it an IDE HDD? Did you set the master/slave/cable select jumper correctly? If you attached it to a cable that already had another device on it, did you check the jumper setting on that drive as well?

Also, I see you list 256MB memory...is that correct? 512MB should be considered the absolute minimum for XP to run reasonably well...more would be better.


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Response Number 2
Name: jam
Date: August 17, 2009 at 07:15:01 Pacific

Response Number 3
Name: OtheHill
Date: August 17, 2009 at 07:24:11 Pacific
Reply:

Connecting the 80GB drive on a cable by itself may allow the computer to boot. If it doesn't show up in the POST screens at start up then either the drive is defective, the cable is defective, the jumper is set wrong or there is a problem with the hard drive controller. If the hard drive controller has previously been in use you can eliminate that as a problem.


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Response Number 4
Name: DAVEINCAPS
Date: August 17, 2009 at 22:35:16 Pacific
Reply:

The only thing I can add is with IDE drives, if the cable is on backwards that sometimes can happen. The cable should be keyed so it only goes on one way. Otherwise, as already mentioned--bad drive or bad cable.


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Response Number 5
Name: sky42
Date: August 21, 2009 at 05:07:20 Pacific
Reply:

Thanx to all for your input, but as I said in my post, when I connect this HDD to a computer, absolutely nothing happens when I depress the on switch. It's as if the computer had no power to it at all!.


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Response Number 6
Name: OtheHill
Date: August 21, 2009 at 07:28:09 Pacific
Reply:

You didn't detail HOW you are connecting it. The drive probably is toast. That said, try connect ONLY the molex power connector and see if you still get the same results.


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