[kh1000]

I have booting issues with my computer. Currently I have only one primary hard drive (WD Caviar IDE 80GB) running on XP. My computer screen blacks out and freezes after it checks the RAM when booting up. I can boot to BIOS when I disconnect the hard drive. When the hard drive is connected, I can't even boot to BIOS. The computer basically freezes when it tries to detect the IDE drives.
My friend and I also tried switching the IDE cables but the computer still won't boot. I'm not sure if its dead but I think the HD is still functioning. I also tried using the same hard drive in my external USB enclosure. When I connected it to my other computer, it wasn't even recognized. On the other hand, I could still hear the HD spinning. Any help or ideas would be really helpful. Thanks

Edited by kh1000, 13 June 2007 - 03:13 PM.

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if the machine been running fine before hand I would do the following:

Try booting off of it in your other (or any other) computer and see if you get the same problem. If so, you may have to chalk it up as a loss. If you can't boot off of it you can always try to connect it as a secondary drive (a non boot Hard drive) so that you could try to recover some data.

There could also be some bootable regen software that might help you but I don't think you'll get that far since you can't get past the Bios.

Goodluck

Edited by relmore, 13 June 2007 - 03:33 PM.

[relmore]

if the machine been running fine before hand I would do the following:

Try booting off of it in your other (or any other) computer and see if you get the same problem. If so, you may have to chalk it up as a loss. If you can't boot off of it you can always try to connect it as a secondary drive (a non boot Hard drive) so that you could try to recover some data.

There could also be some bootable regen software that might help you but I don't think you'll get that far since you can't get past the Bios.

Goodluck

Edited by relmore, 13 June 2007 - 03:33 PM.

[kh1000]

Actually I just found out more about what happened to my computer. I was gone for three weeks. During that time, my brother switched the hard drives with his computer. He replaced mine with his but had trouble booting my computer. It said that it couldn't find previous settings and recommended restarting in safe mode. He tried starting in safe mode twice but it wouldn't work. Then he put my HD back into my computer but didn't check to see if it booted properly. It was when I came back that I started having problems. Before I left, I had no problems with the computer.

[vally]

If the computer freezes after the ram check then it means that it is stuck wile checking the hard drive.
Try and change the jumper on the hard drive (master or slave) and see if it helps you to recognize the that hard drive in the bios.
Here is a link to explanation on how to connect the jumper

http://askbobrankin....hard_drive.html

When you connected the external hard drive did the computer recognize that there was a usb device connected?
Is the hard drive ticking or running as usual.

[kh1000]

I tried that already with the jumper and it still freezes. When I connected the HHD as an external, the computer didn't even recognize any USB device. I could hear and feel the hard drive spinning but not any ticking.

[vally]

Try connecting the hard drive 2 youre brothers computer as a slave hard drive (not via external hard drive) and see if the bios can recognize the hard drive.
If you're lucky maybe it will work when the operating system boots and then ...

[kh1000]

I just have a question on that. My hard drive has an OS installed in it. Will that create a conflict since there will be two hard drives with an OS?

[vally]

This will not b problem. The computer will boot from the first hard drive in the computer and the second hard drive will be recognized as a data disk.

First we need to know if the bios can recognize the drive even before the operating system boots

[kh1000]

My brother's computer did recognize the hard drive and it seemed fine. I was able to access everything in the hard drive.
When I put it back in my computer, the bios still doesn't load up or recognize the HDD

[vally]

Try and reset the bios.
Disconnect the computer from the power.
Take out the battary (it is silver and flat) and wait for about 5 min. then put it back. Connect the hard drive and c what happens. (It will allso tell u that thethe time and a few other things r set to default.)

[kh1000]

I already tried that but its still not booting

[vally]

What model is your mother board? Try and read it off the motherboard