SCSI drive just stopped working ??? Help !

[Dunga Bee]

Here is the story...

My computer is just sitting here today doing nothing. Then I fire up Outlook Express and it just hangs while starting. So, I reboot and the computer stops booting Win2K half way through. Eventually, after booting in safe mode, Win2K tells me my swap file is missing. My swap file was on my D: drive, which was my SCSI drive.

My drive config is:

C: WDC 2.1 GB IDE
D: HP 9.1 GB SCSI on an Adaptec PCI Controller Card
E: 32X CD ROM
F: CDRW

Now, my PC just does not report drive D and it is not in the Device Manager at all. I put the swap file back on C: so the computer will boot, but what happened to my drive ??? Is it DEAD ???

Any ideas ??????

TIA,
DB

[Jon]

Is the controller showing up?

[Dunga Bee]

Yes.

The controller appears alive and well. In fact, I even removed it and restarted Win2K and it was back.

It is just the drive that seems to be MIA.

[Jon]

Could just try another power line and make sure the transfer cable is still terminated etc. Check all the jumpers (they do jump off! I've seen this!).

If you have a second system you could try transferring the adapter and drive over to it to see if it at least will get detected.

It's really strange to me though...the whole thing. In my experience with dying SCSI drives, they;ve always died a gruesome death...grinding to a hault, bearings flying loose into the drive mechanism at 15,000 rpm and tearing things to shreds. Maybe that's just me though.

Is it a very old drive?

[Dunga Bee]

Thanks for the help so far. :)

Well, my secondary system is awaiting a new CPU (should be here Wednesday...), so trying that is out at the moment.

The drive is probably a year or 2 old. It is from an HP server that was unused.

But, I did notice a couple things.

1) The terminator is in OK. It is actually part of the cable.
2) Tried a different power cable and no luck
3) Tried a different plug on the SCSI cable and no luck
4) When the machine is booting, the light on the drive makes a sound like a cricket, but very quiet. Maybe like it is trying to spin up ?? No clunking or anything like that.

I was using power savings on the drive because the machine was on 24/7 folding but the drives were seldom used.

Any other ideas ???

[Dunga Bee]

Well. I called and the drive was still under warranty. GREAT!

But, I still want to get the data off the drive...that's a problem since the drive does not work.

So, just for grins, I decide to plug in the drive one last time to try it. Power the computer up, gently bump the drive against the CPU case and VIOLA...it spins up...UNBELIEVABLE !!!

So, I get all my YATTA of the drive and put it on the new drive and format the old drive and ship it back.

WHEW !!! That was close.

Happy Ending :)

Thanks for all your help and advice all.

[Yodums]

Originally posted by Dunga Bee
Well. I called and the drive was still under warranty. GREAT!

But, I still want to get the data off the drive...that's a problem since the drive does not work.

So, just for grins, I decide to plug in the drive one last time to try it. Power the computer up, gently bump the drive against the CPU case and VIOLA...it spins up...UNBELIEVABLE !!!

So, I get all my YATTA of the drive and put it on the new drive and format the old drive and ship it back.

WHEW !!! That was close.

Happy Ending :)

Thanks for all your help and advice all.

Thank god for waranties..

heh

Good job for kick starting that thing :)