Hard drive works as back up but not as master

imagine12 · 08-18-2008, 02:41 AM

So I took out my old hard drive western digital out of my old computer emachine and i put it in another computer dell optiplex which has a seagate for some reason my western digital only works as a back up local drive D and i want it to be the master and i tried switching the wires from master and slave. When i do that it gives me a blue screen.

Tumbleweed36 · 08-18-2008, 04:59 AM

How do you have it hooked up? A Western Digital drive, if alone on the ribbon cable must have all jumpers removed.

imagine12 · 08-18-2008, 05:53 AM

I have the master cable part going into my western digital and the other one going into the seagate and the power ports plugged into both.

Tumbleweed36 · 08-18-2008, 07:00 AM

If two drives are on the cable, the master drive (jumpers set so) goes on the end of the ribbon cable. The slave goes on the middle connector with jumpers set to slave.

If you have WD alone on the ribbon cable, remove all jumpers and place it on the end of the ribbon cable. With the Maxtor, if it is alone on a ribbon cable, then set the jumpers to master and place it on the end of the ribbon cable.

imagine12 · 08-18-2008, 07:14 AM

What I have done was. Put the western digital on the end(master0 and the seagate on the middle (slave). it doesnt not work a blue screen comes up. But when i reverse the seagate and western digital. it shows the seagate as my local disk C and my western digital as D and i want the opposite of this.

Tumbleweed36 · 08-18-2008, 09:19 AM

Set them both to cable select and see if that works for you. C drive normally has the OS On it, so do you have an OS also on the WD drive? That information might be very helpful to us. If so, then go to the bios and make sure that in the Boot Menu, that the proper hard drive is listed First to boot in that area.

imagine12 · 08-18-2008, 01:41 PM

THe seagate local disk C has windows media center and my western digital has windows professional

Requimatic · 08-19-2008, 01:35 AM

I'm pretty much repeating everything Tumbleweed has said thus far.

As he said, your C: drive usually has the OS on it, so whichever drive has your OS on it (or the OS you want to boot to), make sure it's on the end of the IDE cable, and the other drive on the "middle" connector. Set the jumpers on both drives to cable select.

Before booting your machine, make sure all connections (IDE [both to the drive and your motherboard], power) are secure.

Now, boot your machine and go into the BIOS. Look for the "Hard Disk Boot Priority" (or similar) setting, which should list all installed hard drives there. Make sure the drive you want to boot to is on the top of that list. If it isn't, follow the instructions and place it at the top of the list, then save and exit BIOS, and let the system reboot.

I don't know that this will work for you, but if you haven't tried this already, do so. If it gives you a blue screen with a STOP error, write down the code and look it up on Microsoft's website.

Worst case scenario is that the drive your trying to boot from has had its boot sector damaged, and without specific software, will no longer be able to boot an OS, but should still work for secondary storage.

**kodi** · 08-19-2008, 02:43 AM

Quick question; Do you know what a jumper is on a Hard drive and do you know how to set it to either Master or Slave (it is not the position on the IDE cable)

imagine12 · 08-20-2008, 12:30 AM

Oh I guess not. I thought it was the position on the IDE cable. And I'm not entirely sure I'm new to this hard drive stuff.

**kodi** · 08-20-2008, 01:48 AM

On the end of the drive there are pins similar to the ones in the attachment (they are on an Optical drive but they are similar set the little plastic jumper in the correct position, if you are still not sure don't be afraid to ask because the drive won't work till we get them set right.

imagine12 · 08-20-2008, 09:58 PM

I'm still not quite sure. And I can't find a hard drive boot sequence in Bios.

**kodi** · 08-20-2008, 10:24 PM

Let's get the jumpers right and then worry about the BIOS or Boot order last.
Have a look at the attachments below and you will see where the jumper is located, there are usually three positions MA or Master, SL or slave and CS or cable select use tweezers or needle nosed pliers to take the jumper off and place it in the correct position. The positions should be marked somewhere on the drive.

imagine12 · 08-20-2008, 10:45 PM

Okay. I am pretty sure i have the western digital on dual master and the seagate on slave.

**kodi** · 08-21-2008, 12:40 AM

Next step
Are you trying to use the operating system that was installed on the Western Digital that was installed in the emachine, if you are it won't work because the operating system is trying to find the hardware that was installed in the emachine and when it can't it gets confused and stops working.There are a couple of options available to you if you want the operating system on the WD and the Seagate as a slave with no operating system and just used as storage.
Post back with what you want to do

imagine12 · 08-21-2008, 01:10 AM

I want to use the WD from the emachine as the master and the seagate as a slave.

imagine12 · 08-23-2008, 09:48 PM

Hello Anyone?

**kodi** · 08-25-2008, 09:30 PM

You should have it set up with both drives on the same cable.
The WD should be on the end with the jumper set as master
The seagate should be in the middle with the jumper set to slave
If you have it set up this way boot the machine and enter BIOS and see if both drives are recognized, while you are in the bios you need to find the boot priority or boot order (it is usually on the second screen) when you find it set the CD as first boot and the WD hard drive as second.
If you can't find it you need to tell me what Motherboard you have or Make and model computer you have.
If you have set the boot order correctly insert your XP disc and restart your computer and reinstall XP
Good luck with it

imagine12 · 08-25-2008, 09:48 PM

Hmm I can't find the boot order I have dell opti plex gx 260

AquariusFX · 08-25-2008, 10:29 PM

It won't work. It will always give you a blue screen because it's different hardware.
Unless you do a repair installation on it.

08-18-2008, 02:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Hard drive works as back up but not as master So I took out my old hard drive western digital out of my old computer emachine and i put it in another computer dell optiplex which has a seagate for some reason my western digital only works as a back up local drive D and i want it to be the master and i tried switching the wires from master and slave. When i do that it gives me a blue screen.

08-18-2008, 04:59 AM	#2 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,456 OS: XP Professional	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master How do you have it hooked up? A Western Digital drive, if alone on the ribbon cable must have all jumpers removed. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread.

08-18-2008, 05:53 AM	#3 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master I have the master cable part going into my western digital and the other one going into the seagate and the power ports plugged into both.

08-18-2008, 07:00 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,456 OS: XP Professional	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master If two drives are on the cable, the master drive (jumpers set so) goes on the end of the ribbon cable. The slave goes on the middle connector with jumpers set to slave. If you have WD alone on the ribbon cable, remove all jumpers and place it on the end of the ribbon cable. With the Maxtor, if it is alone on a ribbon cable, then set the jumpers to master and place it on the end of the ribbon cable. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread.

08-18-2008, 07:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master What I have done was. Put the western digital on the end(master0 and the seagate on the middle (slave). it doesnt not work a blue screen comes up. But when i reverse the seagate and western digital. it shows the seagate as my local disk C and my western digital as D and i want the opposite of this.

08-18-2008, 09:19 AM	#6 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,456 OS: XP Professional	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master Set them both to cable select and see if that works for you. C drive normally has the OS On it, so do you have an OS also on the WD drive? That information might be very helpful to us. If so, then go to the bios and make sure that in the Boot Menu, that the proper hard drive is listed First to boot in that area. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread.

08-18-2008, 01:41 PM	#7 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master THe seagate local disk C has windows media center and my western digital has windows professional

08-19-2008, 01:35 AM	#8 (permalink)
Requimatic Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 97 OS: 98 SE/2000/XP SP3 My System	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master I'm pretty much repeating everything Tumbleweed has said thus far. As he said, your C: drive usually has the OS on it, so whichever drive has your OS on it (or the OS you want to boot to), make sure it's on the end of the IDE cable, and the other drive on the "middle" connector. Set the jumpers on both drives to cable select. Before booting your machine, make sure all connections (IDE [both to the drive and your motherboard], power) are secure. Now, boot your machine and go into the BIOS. Look for the "Hard Disk Boot Priority" (or similar) setting, which should list all installed hard drives there. Make sure the drive you want to boot to is on the top of that list. If it isn't, follow the instructions and place it at the top of the list, then save and exit BIOS, and let the system reboot. I don't know that this will work for you, but if you haven't tried this already, do so. If it gives you a blue screen with a STOP error, write down the code and look it up on Microsoft's website. Worst case scenario is that the drive your trying to boot from has had its boot sector damaged, and without specific software, will no longer be able to boot an OS, but should still work for secondary storage.

08-19-2008, 02:43 AM	#9 (permalink)
kodi Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 7,370 OS: Windows 7-Ultimate 64 Bit My System	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master Quick question; Do you know what a jumper is on a Hard drive and do you know how to set it to either Master or Slave (it is not the position on the IDE cable) __________________ Brian

08-20-2008, 12:30 AM	#10 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master Oh I guess not. I thought it was the position on the IDE cable. And I'm not entirely sure I'm new to this hard drive stuff. Last edited by imagine12; 08-20-2008 at 12:32 AM.

08-20-2008, 09:58 PM	#12 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master I'm still not quite sure. And I can't find a hard drive boot sequence in Bios. Last edited by imagine12; 08-20-2008 at 10:00 PM.

08-20-2008, 10:45 PM	#14 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master Okay. I am pretty sure i have the western digital on dual master and the seagate on slave.

08-21-2008, 12:40 AM	#15 (permalink)
kodi Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 7,370 OS: Windows 7-Ultimate 64 Bit My System	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master Next step Are you trying to use the operating system that was installed on the Western Digital that was installed in the emachine, if you are it won't work because the operating system is trying to find the hardware that was installed in the emachine and when it can't it gets confused and stops working.There are a couple of options available to you if you want the operating system on the WD and the Seagate as a slave with no operating system and just used as storage. Post back with what you want to do __________________ Brian

08-21-2008, 01:10 AM	#16 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master I want to use the WD from the emachine as the master and the seagate as a slave.

08-23-2008, 09:48 PM	#17 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master Hello Anyone?

08-25-2008, 09:30 PM	#18 (permalink)
kodi Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 7,370 OS: Windows 7-Ultimate 64 Bit My System	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master You should have it set up with both drives on the same cable. The WD should be on the end with the jumper set as master The seagate should be in the middle with the jumper set to slave If you have it set up this way boot the machine and enter BIOS and see if both drives are recognized, while you are in the bios you need to find the boot priority or boot order (it is usually on the second screen) when you find it set the CD as first boot and the WD hard drive as second. If you can't find it you need to tell me what Motherboard you have or Make and model computer you have. If you have set the boot order correctly insert your XP disc and restart your computer and reinstall XP Good luck with it __________________ Brian

08-25-2008, 09:48 PM	#19 (permalink)
imagine12 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 17 OS: xp	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master Hmm I can't find the boot order I have dell opti plex gx 260

08-25-2008, 10:29 PM	#20 (permalink)
AquariusFX Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 148 OS: XP SP3 / Vista SP1 My System	Re: Hard drive works as back up but not as master It won't work. It will always give you a blue screen because it's different hardware. Unless you do a repair installation on it.