Epox 8kha and IDE problems

Puting together a new system, and Im using an epox 8kha and a 40gb 7200rpm WD harddrive. It took 8 hours to format this harddrive! it started off fine, doing 1% like every minut or something I wasnt counting, but it slowed WAYYYY down. Finaly at like 80% it completly stoped and gave some kind of error about the harddrive. I boot up to see whats up, and it doesnt see the harddrive. I power down then I re-seat the IDE cable on both ends and it recognizes the harddrive, and it partitions at a normal speed at the begining, but by the second determining drive integrity it was going wayyy slow again. While it was determing drive integrity and still working, I held in the cable with my hand and it goes back to normal speed. I notice that when I let go of the cable it slows down and the LED blinks on and off, but when I hold it in its always lit. Also I have to hold it in where the IDE cable conects to the mobo, not the harddrive. I switched IDE cables and its the same thing. Also I am on the newest bios for the 8kha. Ill go try puting the harddrive in the second IDE slot and see what hapens, but has this ever hapend to anyone and did you just return the mobo or what? Do you think epox would let me return this? Thanks in advance.

Just an update... same problem in IDE slot 2... I should add that as soon as I stop pushing in the cable its instantly noticble... so something is probably just making a bad conection...

Just me thinking again... its in the middle of a format right now but I cant remeber if large HDD block is enabled or disabled, and what should this setting be on? I am pretty sure I remeber it being enabled, but how do I find out if my system can use this feature or not? What other bios setings would effect this? This system is not overclocked, and just in case something might effect it I will list the full specs of it...

Epox 8kha
40gb wd 7200rpm HDD
1.4ghz athlon
SB 5.1 whitebox
Powercooler gf2mx 400
16x10x40x Liteon CD-RW
56k modem
sony floppy drive (btw im using a win98 boot disk to format if it matters)

Im sorta stuck but Ill keep screwing wi9th it if you guys get any ideas let me know, thanks!

Ok this is really wierd but it is just hinting mroe and more that it is a conection problem rather then a bios setting but its running fine in IDE slot 2 right now its at 50% and still running fine... I will see if it will install windows on it now and I will keep you guys updated.

Geez, i had no such problems...

So what is this about pushing the cable in? It works better then?

Also, the default bios would have no prob. with your drive unless you changed something, and I can't imagine what.

If I were you, and it isn't something with the cable, I would go back as far as I can. Default the Bios. Re-partition the HD and then try to format. Something went bad early, as is shown by the time it took to format...That is not normal.

Also, is this a good HD? Try the above, but make sure it is a good HD if you can with another machine.

My thoughts.

Let me know if I may help further.
Eric

Just saw your update, which came while i was posting my last.

Anyway, that does sound like a connection prob. keep us updated.

Ill try the harddrive on my other epox mobo, I really like the mobo I think this just might be a freak thing, if it does this on my system which is practicly the same one then it has to be the harddrive. Ill keep you guys posted.

I put the harddrive on my working system and there was no problems. I want to screw around with bios options to see if it can fix the problem... what kind of ones do you think might effect this? Also where should the jumper for the harddrive be right now its on cabel select, and its on its own cabel. I dont have a different harddrive to test on this system right now but I will see if I can borrow one from a friend, becuase Im not in the mood to reformat any of my harddrives. If you guys have any ideas of like bios options or something that might fix this let me know, thanks.

uninstall and VIA drivers u got and use the ones from the CD, 432 shoudl work , if not try 435's