Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

Computer boots but does not detect my hard drive


  • Please log in to reply

#1
anthony0261

anthony0261

    New Member

  • Member
  • Pip
  • 5 posts
My computer starts up but does not detect the Primary IDE master.
The boot screen says Auto-Detecting Pri Master .. Not Detected.
My DVD drive is detected in BIOS but it says my Primary IDE master is 'not installed'

I am running Windows XP pro with Ubuntu 7.10 and my computer has AMIBIOS.
I do not know whats wrong as the computer was working fine a few hours earlier.
Any help would be much appreciated thanks
  • 0

Advertisements


#2
Adrenalin

Adrenalin

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 451 posts
Hi anthony0261,

If the PC was working fine, and now it doesn't, something must have happened. Either the drive jumpers were changed or the drive might have failed all together... Could be a possibility. The cable could have also come loose from a slight knock or something... If you know how to open up the case and check, then that would be my first guess.
  • 0

#3
anthony0261

anthony0261

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 5 posts
Hey Adrenaline, I have opened it up and made sure all cables are secure but the computer still won't start properly.
  • 0

#4
Adrenalin

Adrenalin

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 451 posts
Hmmm,

I see you dual booting with Windows and Linux, people that can do that normally are not new people to w PC so I am going to do something dangerous, assume... I am going to assume you have tried another IDE/SATA cable? Other than that, i am all out of ideas...

Here's a few ideas from google,
  • The drive is not configured / plugged in properly.
  • The BIOS needs to be adjusted to detect the drive.
  • A cable connecting the drive to the rest of the computer may be damaged.
  • The hard drive controller on your motherboard may be damaged.
  • The master boot record on the drive is damaged / the head has crashed on the drive.
  • The drive might be dead.
Let me know maybe we can just try to eliminate one probability at a time and work from there
  • 0

#5
anthony0261

anthony0261

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 5 posts
I haven't opened the computer before it stopped working so I don't think it's a physical problem, thanks for the list of possibilities, I've tried to detect the drive in BIOS but it doesn't seem to work, is there a way to fix the master boot record?
  • 0

#6
Adrenalin

Adrenalin

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 451 posts
Um,

yeah there is, but I wouldn't be the one to give you that kind of advice. I stay well away from my MBR most times. Tampering with that if you don't know what you doing could cause MAJOR problems...
  • 0

#7
anthony0261

anthony0261

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 5 posts
Well, I found out that the hard drive had died, its pretty old so I'm going to get it replaced.
  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP