Can't Detect New Hard Drive

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Gary Shepherd
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Joined: 3 May 2004 12:01 am
Location: Fox, Oklahoma, USA

Can't Detect New Hard Drive

Post by Gary Shepherd »

I'm trying to install a new Maxtor 160 gig drive but can't get my computer to detect it. I had this problem once before and can't remember how I solved it. Any ideas?

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Gary Shepherd

Sierra Session 12

www.16tracks.com
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Jim Smith
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Location: Midlothian, TX, USA

Post by Jim Smith »

Make sure the drive is jumpered correctly for Master, Slave, or Standalone.

Make sure "Auto Detect" for the channel the drive is installed on is enabled in your BIOS settings. Try "Auto Detect" manually from inside the BIOS.

Make sure the data cable is plugged in right. The red stripe goes toward the power connector.
winston
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Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Post by winston »

If it is an older computer you may have to make 2 partitions. Some older computers will not recognize that big of a hard drive.
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Gary Shepherd
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Joined: 3 May 2004 12:01 am
Location: Fox, Oklahoma, USA

Post by Gary Shepherd »

Looks like the problem was my swappable drive bay. I tried a different one and XP found the drive. I'm formatting now.

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Gary Shepherd

Sierra Session 12

www.16tracks.com
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Gary Shepherd
Posts: 2490
Joined: 3 May 2004 12:01 am
Location: Fox, Oklahoma, USA

Post by Gary Shepherd »

Looks like the problem is the 137 BG limit imposed by Windows XP. I got around it by partitioning my 160gb drive into two smaller ones. However, I have another 160gb drive installed on this machine and the entire drive is recognized. Strange.

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Gary Shepherd

Sierra Session 12

www.16tracks.com
Tom Diemer
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Post by Tom Diemer »

Gary, could that first drive be partitioned fat32? If so, it would have a 32GB limit.

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Gary Shepherd
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Post by Gary Shepherd »

Nope. NTFS.

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Gary Shepherd

Sierra Session 12

www.16tracks.com
winston
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Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Post by winston »

If the second drive is the slave then windows will recognize the entire drive.