G'Day,
I'm building a system for a mate but have an IDE prob. The mother board is oldish (GA-686LX3, PII MMX 300) and the IDE devices are very old (2 gig HDD and quad speed CDROM). All components were working well in their old boxes.

When all cables are connected the HDD and CDROM will not work at all. When I disconnect the IDE cables the HDD starts up and runs, the CDROM tray works.

I have tried a number of combos of different HDD and CDROMS, IDE cables, jumper settings etc. I have also examined the BOIS setting and put them all to AUTO. - using the primary and secondary connections on the mother board and using the master connections on the cables. setting both jumpers to master.

Any one know?

Brendan http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

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Always colour the sky blu

Hello Brendan,

Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif Forums!

Hard to say what BIOS settings have been messed with in the past. I would suggest clearing the CMOS and getting back to the default settings...kinda starting from a clean slate, so to speak! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif Then, see if you can get a boot.

BTW, What are you using for RAM?

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May all your dealings in life be win/win!


Whyzman
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Reserved for Punishing Humor...A Pessimist's blood is always B-negative!

Also on some of the older IDE devices it is possible to connect the cable backwards (because it wasn't keyed), the stripe on the cable is pin 1, which should be closest to the power connector...drive end, hope fully the MB is marked as to which endis pin 1 (I've seen connectors oriented both ways.... http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif )


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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

Thanks for your quick responses.

Whyzman, I have already returned all CMOS settings CMOS to default. I am using 256MB SDRAM EC133. The RAM is passing the RAM check OK.

MJC, I have the diagrams for the MB and there is no confusion. Likewise, despite their age, the devices I have are clearly marked as well. Even if I had the cable around the wrong way, I have tried all possible combos of connections with a number of cables.

Interrestingly, when I boot with cables connected no IDE device works. While the system is running, I disconnect the IDE cables, and both devices start up. If I reconnect, they stop. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

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Always colour the sky blue

This is strange...

HDD should be cabled to primary. Plugged in to the end of the
cable.

CD-ROM should be cabled to secondary. Plugged in to the end of
the cable.

What's your floppy drive been doing during all of this?

Have you tried running the HDD without the jumper on the back.

How 'bout unplugging one IDE device at a time?

It's trying to lead towards faulty IDE header/controllers on
the Mboard.

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....How long is a minute... depends on which side of the Bathroom door you're on. ......
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What kind of cables are you using?

Should be 40-pin 40 wire (I had a 2GB hard drive that would not detect on an 80-wire cable) not the newer 80-wire ones...also go with the shorter 18inch (45cm)


If you have another drive around to try that would help to narrow it down to the controller or the drive. If it turns out to be the controller you could work around it by adding in a card (like a Promise ATA66 card), that would also give you the benefit of being able to use a larger hard drive...
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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.


[This message has been edited by mjc (edited 02-19-2002).]

Originally posted by Brendan:
While the system is running, I disconnect the IDE cables, and both devices start up. If I reconnect, they stop.


Um, I don't think that's a good idea. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/confused.gif

You have probably fried the IDE channels on the motherboard.

Just a thought.

Good luck.

BB 66


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This space reserved for highly intelligent observations and witty remarks.

"Once I thought I made a mistake, but turns out it was the other guy."
Myself

Ranchdog,
I have done all the cabling as you state. Floppy Drive has been working fine through out. I have also treid process of unplugging one at a time. Same results. ie. the device that is unplugged powers up and the device that remains plugged in stays dead. You maybe right about the IDE header controllers. But both were working previously?

MJC,
I am using the old cables that were conected to the devices in their old machines. I have four old devices, hence four old cables, I have tried them all. Same effect. Will try the IDE controller card.

Thanks gents,
Brendan.



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Always colour the sky blue

Okay, this gets a bit bizare,
As suggested by all geeks, I inserted an IDE controller into an ISA slot. I then connected one HDD to one of the IDE ports on the card. Leaving both slots on the MB blank.

When I turned the computer on the HDD spun over with the IDE cable connected. A first! But then the whole system went dead just after the the single BIOS beep.

I disconnected all devices and cards and still could not power up. I then disconnected the power supply on the motherboard so I could test it with my volt meter. It was producing five volts at various wires. I then reconnected the power supply to the mother board (with no other devices connected) and the system powered up. But once again, after the system beep it went dead.

Now with everything disconnected the system powers up for six seconds and goes dead. I have eliminated shorts by placing MB on cardboard etc.

Does anyone if this could possibly be a power supply prob or is it a stuffed MB? Is there anything peculiar about powering up an ATX MB? Why would it go really bad just after connecting an IDE controller card to the ISA slot? Why oh Why?

I am now more bemused than annoyed!

Hmmm... Brendan.



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Always colour the sky blue

Hmmm....at this point anything is worth a try...and I think the power supply would be the place to start.

That could even explain the original problem...flaky power supply couldn't handle the draw for both powering the drive and the IDE channel (yeah 2 different voltages but still coming from the same unit...).

When you tested the poser supply did you have it connected to the motherboard?

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

Ahoy there,

I have tried a new and definately working power supply and the motherboard still goes dead after six seconds. There is nothing connected to the MB and I have it sitting on cardboard. Should an ATX MB do this or should I assume that it is stuffed and send it where dead MBs go? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

Unless there are any peculiarities about ATX MBs I would have thought it would stay powered up until turned off. Note that I do not even have a switch connected to the MB. It powers up as sooon as I turn it on at the main power - then goes dead. A switch connected makes no diff... does not work.

Cheers, Brendan.

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Always colour the sky blue

Sounds kind of like a short on the motherboard...or one of the PCI cards..so, pull all the cards and see if it still powers up without using the switch. If it does then probably the board is toast or something is not connected correctly (if you have a manual make sure that the location the switch plugs into is wired correctly).

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.