[Edward 12345]

My desktop PC was working on a 60GB hardrive running windows xp home edition. I recently found a spare 20GB one from another machine and connected it up to my computer, changing the jumpers on the original hardrive (which had xp OS ) to master and changing the 20GB one to the slave. I also made sure the ide cables were correctly connected and started up my PC. The bios detects both hardrives with them in the right order (xp OS one as the master) however it then goes to a screen giving me the options to start windows in safe mode, start with last working configurations or start windows normally. Which ever option I click it restarts the computer, and the same problem happens again. I then tried taking the 20GB hardrive out and just putting the original 60Gb one in how it was, but it still does the same thing.
Ive tried putting the windows xp installation disk in and booting it , however it gets to the "press f6 to install third party ... drivers" and then when the message dissappers nothing happens and it just freezes. Ive also tried using a ubuntu 8 live cd to access the hardrives but when that boots it goes to a black screen and says a lot of writing and the last line is "kernel panic - not syncing: attempted to kill init!".
Please help me as I can't use either hardrives, or use it how it was before I added the second hardrive, as windows doesnt boot and when I insert the install CD it freezes.

 

[Tumbleweed36]

Re: Added second hardrive, now neither boot up

Just double checking, do you have the master on the end of the ribbon cable? If you don't, you should have. Do you have an 80 connector cable and not one of the old 40 connector cables?

Also, go in to the bios setup menu and make sure in your boot area that you have settings correctly set:

Boot Order:

CDRom - 1st
Floppy - 2nd
Hard Drive - 3rd (boot drive)

Then, scroll on down to the Hard Drive Priority and make sure the boot drive is listed FIRST.

Note: Don't forget to save before you exit.

 

[Edward 12345]

Re: Added second hardrive, now neither boot up

Ive checked the cable and it is an 80 connector. Ive got the master drive on the end of the ribbon and the slave in the middle. They have the jumpers on correctly. I went into the bios and made the Boot Order:

CDRom - 1st
Floppy - 2nd
Hard Drive - 3rd (boot drive)- its called hardrive 0?

I then went into CMOS and it shows the 60gb one (with XP OS on) as the master and the other drive as the slave. When I boot the computer up it gets to a screen saying:

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this.

If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked.

If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if you aren't sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows
Normally.

Safe Mode

Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)

Start Windows Normally"

which ever option I choose it just reboots the PC and I then come to the same message?

BTW: Ive tried just connecting the 60GB one up on its own like it was before I added the 20GB slave and it doesn't work either. The windows XP installation disk also freezes when it gets past "press f6 to install third party ... drivers", so I never get to the Welcome to Setup part.

 

[Edward 12345]

Re: Added second hardrive, now neither boot up

Ubuntu wont start up either but it allowed me to do a ram test and it came up with over 200,000 errors. Could it be that ive damaged the ram whilst removing the hardrives or from static (eathed myself every 5mins) and is whats causing the problems?

 

[Edward 12345]

Fixed !!!

Ive fixed it !!!! Through doing the ubuntu memory test, it turns out that one of the memory sticks had come loose when I removed the hardrive. I put it in correctly and now the windows Xp installation disk runs. Ive descided not to repare the hardrive, and am currently installing a fresh copy of XP. Now both hardrives work together in the same machine. Thankyou anyway for your help Tumbleweed. :wave:

 

[Tumbleweed36]

Re: Added second hardrive, now neither boot up

Hey, glad you got it up and going. Don't be a stranger on here now, stick around and enjoy the forum.