Aopen ax34 ide problems

[mindtrick27]

I have an old ax34 with a celeron 633 with 256mg ram. The problem i am having is that nothing will detect on the primary IDE controller, but has no problem detecting on the 2nd controller. I have reset the bios, and have upgraded it, but still can't detect anything on the primary. Just wondering if this is board failure, or maybe a setting i might of missed. Any help would be appreciated

[ski]

Make sure the Primary(IDE 1) controller is enabled in BIOS, although resetting CMOS should enable it.

If it is, then either the controller, the connector, or the cable that's connected to it may be bad.

Check the connector for any bent or broken pins.
If any are bent, then you may be able to straighten them with a pair of needle nose pliars.

If the pins are ok, then try a different IDE cable.

If a different cable does not help, then the controller may be bad.
You can install a PCI IDE controller card to work around it(or broken pins).

[mindtrick27]

Thanks will try when i get home from work. I know its not the cables, for the simple fact that the same cable that works on the secondary does not work on the primary. Never even thought to look at the pins. Again, thanks :)

[saphalline]

I know its not the cables, for the simple fact that the same cable that works on the secondary does not work on the primary.
Don't be so quick to judge! I just finished fooling around with this on an older Compaq. I tried (and eventually succeeded) in adding another hard drive to it, but the trick was in the cable. The stupid primary IDE controller apparently doesn't like IDE cables with more than one device connector (both original cables only had one device connector) and it took many hours of trying all possible permutations to figure this out. Of course, it didn't help that the Compaq's BIOS has absolutely no useful configuration options! :mad:

[mindtrick27]

Well, checked the pins on the board last night. No bent or missing pins. There's no real sign of the primary burning out or anything. But i will try and use an ide cable with just one connector on it tonight when i get home. Thanks again for all the help.


PS: If that doesn't work, anybody know a good site to find a cheap IDE controller card?

[ski]

Look for one on pricewatch.
There are cheap ones there, but Promise is probably the best.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Found my ide controller 'dumpster diving'... :D Haven't used it yet and it has a single ended ide cable. I wonder if it will recognize and more importantly utilize a dual (master/slave) ide cable.

Mindtrick,
Have you got a link to the .pdf manual for your mobo? Sometimes settings choices are so obscure it is easy to overlook just one selection and the whole shooting match goes up in smoke.

Did you try to autodetect while in BIOS per ide connector? What I do if detecting in BIOS doesn't happen, is to try (remaining in setup) trying to see how many cylinders and platters a HDD has or if the the BIOS recognises and identifies an optical drive etc... Have you ever had both controllers operational or is this a second hand motherboard? Was the controller working prior to the newer flashing?

You may want to try one component at a time if you have several so a 'barebones boot' or BIOS component ID one at a time with no others connected may be in order prior to sending the mobo 'the big boot in the sky'. :eek: