Can't remove my HD

Dardarian · 05-24-2008, 08:03 AM

Hi everyone,

I have two hard disk in my pc. C and D. A while ago the C drive started making really strange rattling noises and it crashed. Luckily I have most of my data backed up on another computer so no problems there. Since the C drive is now useless I decided to install windows on the D drive, I did that yesterday and so far no problems, I'm running windows from the D drive now.

The problem is my C drive is still making strange noises (even though I'm not accessing it or anything, the drivers are also uninstalled). I opened up my pc and disconnected the C drive from it's power supply. Since I run windows from my D drive now I thought it would not be a problem, but when it is disconnected I almost immediately get a " Disk not found " error when I boot. :S Can anyone tell me how I can disconnect it properly without getting the error? Does it have anything to do with the whole ' primary slave, primary master' thing going on with the different drive in a computer? Please help!

Thanks in million in advance! ;)

JohnthePilot · 05-24-2008, 08:20 AM

It could well have. Check that your operational drive is set as master and that the boot.ini file in C: shows it as drive 0.

Dardarian · 05-24-2008, 08:27 AM

The D drive is set as secondary slave and the C is set as primary master, but my bios doesn't seem to allow me to change it. When I disconnect C and remove D from the 'secondary slave' slot and use the 'auto detect HD' function in the primary master slot it won't find the D disk :S

E: my boot.ini (on D) shows the D drive as disk(0)rdisk(1) and the C drive as disk(0)rdisk(0)

JohnthePilot · 05-24-2008, 08:29 AM

You will need to change the jumper on the hard drive.

EDIT: You should also have your OS on the primary master.

Dardarian · 05-24-2008, 08:32 AM

So if I open my pc up again and I adjust the jumper on D so it's like the one C, and then I remove the power from drive C, everything should be fixed?

JohnthePilot · 05-24-2008, 09:06 AM

It should be. Try it. The jumper setting should be shown on the hard drive.

Dardarian · 06-07-2008, 05:54 AM

Ok so I disconnected the power to drive C and I tried the jumper on drive D in every single postition (both with the jumper horizontal and vertical) but when I turn on my pc it doesn't boot, it doesn't even get to the 'primary slave, master etc' screen. It just freezes on 'detecting drives'

The only way I can get my pc to boot is to keep the C drive connected and set the jumper on D to make it the slave :S What am I doing wrong?

Dardarian · 06-10-2008, 09:46 AM

bump!

JohnthePilot · 06-11-2008, 12:46 AM

Sorry. I've been away for a couple of days. I'll see if one of my colleagues can shed more light on this.

**Deleted090308** · 06-11-2008, 08:30 AM

Hi,

What brand/model is the D drive?
Replace the ATA ribbon cable.
Disconnect the HDD with the C: drive.
Make the D: drive HDD master.

Then:
Start the computer with the Windows CD.
At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to select the repair option.
You will have to enter the Administrator password - if none, just press <Enter>.
The Windows installation will be detected - usually called "1" >> select that.
In the recovery console - type bootcfg /rebuild > press <Enter>.
The drive will be scanned and you will be asked to:
Add installation to boot list? Press Y.
Next prompt: Enter Load Identifier: > type Windows XP > press <Enter>.
Another prompt: Enter OS Load options: > type /fastdetect > press <Enter>.
Take the Windows disc out.
Type Exit > press <Enter>.

05-24-2008, 08:03 AM	#1 (permalink)
Dardarian Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 24 OS: XP	Can't remove my HD Hi everyone, I have two hard disk in my pc. C and D. A while ago the C drive started making really strange rattling noises and it crashed. Luckily I have most of my data backed up on another computer so no problems there. Since the C drive is now useless I decided to install windows on the D drive, I did that yesterday and so far no problems, I'm running windows from the D drive now. The problem is my C drive is still making strange noises (even though I'm not accessing it or anything, the drivers are also uninstalled). I opened up my pc and disconnected the C drive from it's power supply. Since I run windows from my D drive now I thought it would not be a problem, but when it is disconnected I almost immediately get a " Disk not found " error when I boot. :S Can anyone tell me how I can disconnect it properly without getting the error? Does it have anything to do with the whole ' primary slave, primary master' thing going on with the different drive in a computer? Please help! Thanks in million in advance! ;)

05-24-2008, 08:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
JohnthePilot Manager, TSF Articles Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cheltenham, near Wales. Posts: 30,788 OS: XP Home SP3, PCLinux, Vista Home Premium SP1 My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Can't remove my HD It could well have. Check that your operational drive is set as master and that the boot.ini file in C: shows it as drive 0. __________________ Submit New Articles Here If you feel that TSF has helped you please make a donationand help to keep the forum free Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon Folding@Home - Team 85015

05-24-2008, 08:27 AM	#3 (permalink)
Dardarian Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 24 OS: XP	Re: Can't remove my HD The D drive is set as secondary slave and the C is set as primary master, but my bios doesn't seem to allow me to change it. When I disconnect C and remove D from the 'secondary slave' slot and use the 'auto detect HD' function in the primary master slot it won't find the D disk :S E: my boot.ini (on D) shows the D drive as disk(0)rdisk(1) and the C drive as disk(0)rdisk(0) Last edited by Dardarian; 05-24-2008 at 08:30 AM.

05-24-2008, 08:29 AM	#4 (permalink)
JohnthePilot Manager, TSF Articles Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cheltenham, near Wales. Posts: 30,788 OS: XP Home SP3, PCLinux, Vista Home Premium SP1 My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Can't remove my HD You will need to change the jumper on the hard drive. EDIT: You should also have your OS on the primary master. __________________ Submit New Articles Here If you feel that TSF has helped you please make a donationand help to keep the forum free Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon Folding@Home - Team 85015 Last edited by JohnthePilot; 05-24-2008 at 08:31 AM.

05-24-2008, 08:32 AM	#5 (permalink)
Dardarian Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 24 OS: XP	Re: Can't remove my HD So if I open my pc up again and I adjust the jumper on D so it's like the one C, and then I remove the power from drive C, everything should be fixed?

05-24-2008, 09:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
JohnthePilot Manager, TSF Articles Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cheltenham, near Wales. Posts: 30,788 OS: XP Home SP3, PCLinux, Vista Home Premium SP1 My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Can't remove my HD It should be. Try it. The jumper setting should be shown on the hard drive. __________________ Submit New Articles Here If you feel that TSF has helped you please make a donationand help to keep the forum free Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon Folding@Home - Team 85015

06-07-2008, 05:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
Dardarian Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 24 OS: XP	Re: Can't remove my HD Ok so I disconnected the power to drive C and I tried the jumper on drive D in every single postition (both with the jumper horizontal and vertical) but when I turn on my pc it doesn't boot, it doesn't even get to the 'primary slave, master etc' screen. It just freezes on 'detecting drives' The only way I can get my pc to boot is to keep the C drive connected and set the jumper on D to make it the slave :S What am I doing wrong?

06-10-2008, 09:46 AM	#8 (permalink)
Dardarian Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 24 OS: XP	Re: Can't remove my HD bump!

06-11-2008, 12:46 AM	#9 (permalink)
JohnthePilot Manager, TSF Articles Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cheltenham, near Wales. Posts: 30,788 OS: XP Home SP3, PCLinux, Vista Home Premium SP1 My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Can't remove my HD Sorry. I've been away for a couple of days. I'll see if one of my colleagues can shed more light on this. __________________ Submit New Articles Here If you feel that TSF has helped you please make a donationand help to keep the forum free Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon Folding@Home - Team 85015

06-11-2008, 08:30 AM	#10 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: Can't remove my HD Hi, What brand/model is the D drive? Replace the ATA ribbon cable. Disconnect the HDD with the C: drive. Make the D: drive HDD master. Then: Start the computer with the Windows CD. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to select the repair option. You will have to enter the Administrator password - if none, just press <Enter>. The Windows installation will be detected - usually called "1" >> select that. In the recovery console - type bootcfg /rebuild > press <Enter>. The drive will be scanned and you will be asked to: Add installation to boot list? Press Y. Next prompt: Enter Load Identifier: > type Windows XP > press <Enter>. Another prompt: Enter OS Load options: > type /fastdetect > press <Enter>. Take the Windows disc out. Type Exit > press <Enter>.