Computer Help? Please?

[hyphenate]

I have a fairly new computer, bought back Dec. 2006. It has a 200GB hard drive. Before it died, I had had a 160GB hard drive installed in my old computer, but the old computer died before it got put into use. So I was going to put the old hard drive into the new computer as additional space--I do a lot of TIVOing, so my present hard drive is almost completely filled.

Well, installing it was easy enough, though the new hard drive has a different controller type, so I couldn't attach it to the same cable. I used another, regular ribbon cable instead and connected it. Then I started the computer, Well, the older drive began to load instead of my regular drive, and then stopped in the middle of loading, saying it was missing a file, so it couldn't load all the way. I managed to start in Safe Mode, but it really didn't help--the older drive has Win98 on it, while the present system is XP. (I won't go over to Vista until all the bugs are worked out-and no heckling from the Mac crowd, either!)

I went into the setup and tried to check out the priority loading, and I noticed that the present hard drive is on the "third channel" while the older drive is on the "first channel." I tried to switch the loading from the older drive to the newer one, but it wouldn't change for me. I tried several times, and it still wouldn't change.

I disconnected the older drive again, and have been looking for a solution to this the latter half of the day, with no luck at all. I called HP, who made my newer computer, but they said it was out of warranty, and if I needed tech support, it would cost me $159. :wow: For that kind of money, I could buy another hard drive (if I had it to begin with!)!!!

Anyhow, anyone around here able to help me?



**on edit: made booboo--corrected

[RoyGBiv]

1. Quick guess ...

Sounds like your 200GB drive is a SATA drive and the newer an older PATA (IDE) drive.

If that's correct, based on what you said, you've got the SATA drive plugged into the wrong SATA port, namely the third. It needs to be in the SATA 1 port.

This is actually motherboard/chipset dependent, but commonly if no other drives are attached, the system will boot if you have the SATA drive plugged into either 1 or 3, but the addition of the IDE drive is confusing it. My mobo, an ASUS A8N-E, for instance works exactly like this. If two operating systems are installed on two separate drives, for the OS on any SATA drive to boot, the first SATA port has to hold the OS.

You might be able to control this in the BIOS, however ... look for something about the order of the hard drives, not just boot order. I can set boot order (CD/DVD ... Floppy ... then a hard drive) and I can also set the order the hard drives are checked for an OS. However, as mentioned, if I have an OS on a SATA drive, it has to be in the first port.

[hyphenate]

4. Thanks--that makes sense.

I will try to see if I can do some research on that tomorrow and see if I can find out if that's the problem. Very much appreciated!

[NJmaverick]

6. While I haven't worked much with SATA

his statements sound pretty good to me

[NJmaverick]

2. It's been awhile since I learned all the hard drive stuff

or used it, for that matter. I will also say that I am not sure how the different controlers factor into the equation. Now in the old days one HD had to be the master and the other the slave. There were usually tiny DIP switches that changed that configuration. What I suggest is you look at the make and model of the old HD. Google it, and see if you can find instructions that show the settings to make it a slave drive. Change the settings to slave. Then in start up, you need to enter the BIOS and make sure the new drive is the first one picked for boot up.

See how that works.

[hyphenate]

3. Actually

this is something I took care of before it went into the computer. The older drive has the master/slave pin on the back, and it was set for slave. But you did make me think--since the newer hard drive was installed, it might not have the "master" pin set on it. Thanks--I will check that tomorrow.

[NJmaverick]

5. Let me know how you make out

Hopefully I can be of some assistance

[hyphenate]

7. An update to my helpers

The present hard drive is, indeed, SATA, and the older drive is definitely PATA (IDE). Managed to find converters to change the connection of the PATA to SATA, and have ordered them. It'll be at least a week, maybe more for me to get them (I ordered two, because I have another older drive, which used to be my main drive on the older computer) so I should be in good shape, storage wise, when they get installed.

Thanks for your help, and keeping me from deteriorating into an old techie whose fondest memories were of DOS and IRQ and DMA conflicts. :)