Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
• Use a different power connector to the hard disk and make sure it is the only device
connected to that branch.
• Clear the BIOS settings. If the above three did not bring it back:
• I'd look at next trying a different IDE cable.
• If that didn't help, try slaving the drive to another hard disk. The big problem in the way you
described the failure is that there is no communications between the hard disk and the IDE
interface. However, if your new master drive does not autotype (even when by itself), look into
getting that old drive onto a different IDE interface (like a different machine).
New master did autotype but still can't see the old drive? During power up, use the fat end of a
screwdriver to gently tap the outside of the suspect hard disk. Sometimes the arm gets stuck
and a gentle tap will free it.
From: Salvatore Valela
I saw this problem once before. The monkey b virus will take a piece of your boot sector and
move it at an unspecified location on the hard drive. I would run a virus checker software
program to see if you have a virus.
From: Kim Chappell
I came across a situation where the computer would not boot from the hard drive. The drive
was making a horrible whining noise, and I was getting messages like "invalid media" or
something similar. The user had all of her e-mail stored in a PST file on the hard drive and had
never backed it up. She was frantic. This is what I did:
• I got another hard drive, loaded it up with Windows 95, and put it in the station.
• I made the original drive a slave and then booted up with the new drive.
• I then had no problem seeing the files on the old drive.
• Apparently only the boot sector was corrupted. I was lucky (so was the user).
From: mhicks
A common problem with older hard disk drives in particular, such as those found in '486 class
machines, is termed ”stiction,” a condition in which the lubricants that the manufacturer coated
the drive platter surfaces with have gummed up, eventually causing the drive spindle motor to
no longer be able to spin up the drive at power-up time. The problem may manifest itself
intermittently at first, allowing the user to get started today, by switching the computer's
power off and on again. But finally the day comes when no amount of power switch jiggling will
help. Here's a trick that just may allow you to get the drive started, and recover the data the
user refused to back up, even after weeks of obvious notice that the drive had every imminent
intention of going belly up.
• Remove the computer case ”skin,” and dismount the hard drive mechanism from its
mounting.
• Hold the drive in your hand, still connected, and turn on the computer's power switch.
• You will be able to hear and feel that the drive refuses to spin up. Most drives have logic that
delays the spindle motor start-up about a second, in order to allow the drive electronics to
stabilize, and reduce total inrush, or starting current, to the system power supply.
