I really need some help with my computer!

[admeister]

I'm having some trouble at the moment, my computer won't boot up, it gets stuckat the part where it is detecting IDE primary master. It seems like the prob must be with my HDD, I haven't had it for all that long though, so this sucks. :( I recently bought some new memory for my computer, which had been working fine up to the point that this problem began. I didn't do anything different on my computer, when I booted it up one day, this happened and I was stuck (and still am). Can anyone help me with this? I would really appreciate it.

Thankyou.

[Whyzman]

Welcome tohttp://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif Guide!

Often when adding RAM other things inside the computer get bumped around and need to be snugged up. I would suggest making sure all connections, especially IDE cables and SATA are fully onto their connectors...

[Jiggy]

You could also try and run a hard diaognastic test just to be on the safe side.

Links to Hard Drive Utilities - Click me (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29081).

Post back here and let us know what happens.

[Spearball]

Make sure that the connectors are in the places where they are supposed to be and that your bios is set correctly . Also, What do u mean exactly by " It gets stuck"?

[admeister]

I now know that the HDD is fine, it looks like the BIOS is to blame, so I am told. I originally had a similar problem when i first tried to use my 40Gb HDD in my old computer. It looks like something has happened to the BIOS, so I need to re-update it, and hopefully that will fix it. :)

[ski]

If you determined that the HD works ok by installing it on another system using a different IDE cable, then use that same IDE cable with the problem HD in the original system.
If it now works ok in the original system, then the original IDE cable is bad.

If it does not work in the original system with a different IDE cable, or it worked in a different system with the original IDE cable, then make sure that the IDE 1 controller is enabled in BIOS.
If IDE 1 is enabled, then make sure that IDE 2 is enabled, and see if the system boots up with the HD connected to the IDE 2 channel(Disconnect all other drives on IDE 2).
If it works on IDE 2, then IDE 1 is bad. You can replace IDE 1 by installing a PCI IDE controller card.

[admeister]

I've tried it with different cables, no luck there. I don't think there is anything about IDE 1 or 2 in my BIOS setting, perhaps you are talking about a newer type of motherboard, mine is a GABX-2000, quite old. When I first got the HDD, I had a similar problem, the motherboard was too old to support a HDD of 13GB or larger. Now I have this problem, it seems like something has happened to the BIOS, I'm having a bit of trouble updating my BIOS..

Thanks for your help so far. :)

[Rick]

On Many older mother boards
You have to set a jumper on the mother board to allow the bios to be updated.
The Doc's for the jumper setting and location

if you don't find a jumper
Then check in the bios for a setting
"Allow Bios update" make sure it is enabled before using the update

Did you install an overlay to allow the system to access the large hard drive ?

[Sylvander]

"When I first got the HDD, I had a similar problem, the motherboard was too old to support a HDD of 13GB or larger. Now I have this problem"
So your BIOS only supports HDD's of up to 13GB?
And how big is the HDD?
And how did you resolve the problem?
Usually this is resolved as follows:
You either:
a. Set the "Capacity Limitation Jumper" on the HDD or...
b. Use the HDD manufacturers' utility floppy to "set the HDD size" to match what the BIOS can see.
Then when you use the utility to partition & format the HDD it automatically installs DDO software that allows the BIOS to address the full capacity of the HDD.
If such an arrangement was in force and anything went wrong with it, that might cause the problem.
Normally the adjusted HDD will report its size to the BIOS as being exactly what the BIOS can see.
If the HDD is now reporting its full size to the BIOS, the BIOS may not be able to cope.

See also http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/comp/hdd/fail_BootDetect.htm

[admeister]

Originally, I did use an overlay, but then I managed to get it working by installing the latest BIOS for the motherboard. At the moment I' having trouble updating it again, I can't even boot up my computer at the moment.

[Sylvander]

So it completes step 7 but cannot complete step 8 in the following?
And you can boot from a floppy or CD?
How did you eliminate the DDO?
Did you zero-fill the HDD before a repartition & reformat?
Use Killdisk = www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm to zero-fill the HDD [if that's ok].
Killdisk will display your HDD, its details & partitions [if it can be seen].

A typical and successful startup sequence
1. Start of Boot Troubleshooting Walkthrough
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/index.htm
2. Yes: The system power supply is functioning
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/power1.htm
------------------------------------------------------
You should hear a single short beep at about this point indicating the successful running/completion of the POST. Some PC’s beep much later, possibly as late as just before step 12.
------------------------------------------------------
3. Yes: Something is being written to the screen during boot up [This may be only a flashing cursor]
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/video1.htm
4. The video BIOS message is displayed on the screen for a few seconds and then clears from the screen, or more messages display under it
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/vbios1.htm
5. Yes: The system BIOS startup screen is appearing
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/bios1.htm
6. The memory test completes successfully
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/ram1.htm
7. The BIOS accesses the floppy drives and the boot continues
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/seek1.htm
8. The system is able to autodetect IDE devices successfully
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/auto1.htm
9. The system is not Plug and Play compatible, has no Plug and Play devices, or has PnP devices but identifies them properly
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/pnp1.htm
10. Boot sequence is A: before C: (floppy disk first)
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/seqAC.htm
11. The floppy disk makes a noise and the light comes on
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/fd1.htm
12. The floppy disk light goes off and the hard disk light comes on as it starts booting
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/fd1hdd.htm
13. The hard disk boot process will continue here, if you want to follow it.
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/hd1.htm
14. The system continues booting from the hard disk and the message "Starting MS-DOS" or "Starting Windows 95" is displayed
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/hd1os.htm
15. Operating System Loaded From Hard Disk. The system has found a boot sector on the hard disk and is now starting the load of the operating system. The hard disk is working. You have successfully completed the hardware part of the boot process. Any problems encountered after this point should be diagnosed by looking for a more specific problem with a component, or under the section that contains run-time error messages.

These will also be useful perhaps.
How to make a “Smart Boot Manager” floppy
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41498
This makes it easier to boot a chosen [as displayed] drive [particularly the one holding the EBCD].

How to make an EBCD bootable CD
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41485
This has a number of useful utilities included including the backup program "Image" [for DOS, by Terabyte] & "File Manager".

[Sylvander]

See also http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/comp/hdd/fail_BootDetect.htm