Can't install this Hard Drive

[flounder43]

I just got a new Western Digital (my first mistake) 20 gig HD and am trying to install it in an old P. Pro 200. The problem is that it is so old that it won't recognize a drive bigger than 8 gigs or so. Anyway, this isn't usually a problem, as all you need to do is run an overlay or ezbios install program...right?

It was never a problem before with Maxtor drives. But this HD just will not work. The computer won't recognize it at all, so I can't even use the install program.

I also tried to get this thing to install on an old pentium system, same problem.

Any ideas?

 

[repo man11]

This is probably an ATA-100 drive? I've heard that they don't work very well, (or maybe at all) with ATA-33 controllers. I've used ATA-66 drives, up to 30 gigs, on older ATA-33 boards, but I think the answer might be an ATA-100 controller card. Has anyone out there used an ATA-100 with an ATA-33 controller successfully?

 

[flounder43]

That is an interesting idea. I know that I have used Maxtor ATA 66 and 100 drives on ata 33 motherboards, but never with WD. I think that I am going to swap it with a Maxtor in another computer...

 

[JaY_III]

I have used a ATA 66, 100, 133 on a ATA 33 controler with no problems at all.
HDD are backwards compatible and defualt to the slower mode if the conroler doesnt support the same one as the HDD...
but then again all the drives I use are MAXTOR....

Flounder, you tried PRE FORMATING the HDD on another computer to see if that helps it pick up? (just no larger than 8.4 gigs or it still wont pick up for sure)

And what about MANUALY entering the HDD settings (CYL, Heads, ect.. ) in the BIOS if you have just been using the AUTO detect.... If might not be seeing the correct info.

 

[It_The_Cow]

Go to WD's site and download their diagnostic program. Run it and see what is wrong. When something similiar to your problem happened to me, it was an internal problem

 

[repo man11]

The manual option is definitely worth a try. As far as the 8 gig limit, that shouldn't be a problem if you have the most up to date BIOS. I used my Maxtor ATA-66 30 gig on an old Asus P55t2p4, and the original BIOS could only "see" 8 gigs. But the most up to date bios for that board allowed me to use all 30.
Thanks Jay, it's good to know that ATA-100's and up will work with older controllers. I fool with older stuff alot, and I've been worried that the newer drives would require a controller card.

 

[flounder43]

I have tried manually entering the specs as well, no luck.

I now have tried it in three different computers, all old rigs that I am trying to get up and folding. A pentium, a p. pro, and a celeron. I am going to give it a try on my main system and see if this HD might be bad...

what a pain is the a$$, should've stuck to Maxtor.

 

[Bull]

Well I don't think buying a Western Digital hard drive is a mistake myself. I definitely wouldn't take a Maxtor over them. (Just my opinion). All my at 100 hard drives work on my older boards without a problem. Go to Western Digitals site and they have utlilities to help you out with configuring it for your system.

I try to be open minded about other hard drive makers. Not everyone has the same experiences. I have tried Seagate IBM and Western digital and I feel the WDs are one of the best for price and performance.

My 2 cents.

 

[flounder43]

I put it in my main Athlon system. It works there. However, it now has a very annoying delay on boot up whereby the computer seems to be trying to detect the drives. It never did that before. I did set up the bios correctly.

This WD is making me mad. I think Best Buy might be getting a return tomorrow...Maxtor here I come!

 

[flounder43]

Sure enough, I plugged the Maxtor back in, no delay on boot up. I did a full drive transfer, and it seems to work fine outside of the boot delay.

What is up with this drive?

 

[Tebore]

This may sound stupid but did u double check the jumpers, WD has like 3 jumper settings for master and 3 more for slave. WD has a normal Master, The 2GB Master, and a OEM Master. It took me 2 hours to solve ur kinda problem on a 20 and 6.4 WD i have.

 

[repo man11]

The jumpers are weird compared to Maxtor's. Mine confused me, when I set it to master, and my Maxtor to slave, no problem. I pulled the Maxtor, and it couldn't find the drive. I'm used to my Maxtor, which when it is set to master, doesn't care if there is a slave or not. Not so with the WD. I had to reset the jumper when there was no longer a slave drive, or it wouldn't work.

 

[Ridenow]

No no no no. Been there, done this.

On the WD drives there is another set of jumpers on the back next to the master/slave set. The older computers can not recognize the 20GB. When the "special" jumper is set it makes it into 10 2GB drives that the older BIOS can handle.

WD may not be the best choice, but it is better than a Maxtor any day.

Edit: It is on this page, but hidden in some techese. It is "alternate settings"
http://support.wdc.com/techinfo/general/jumpers.asp

 

[flounder43]

No no no no. Been there, done this.

On the WD drives there is another set of jumpers on the back next to the master/slave set. The older computers can not recognize the 20GB. When the "special" jumper is set it makes it into 10 2GB drives that the older BIOS can handle.

WD may not be the best choice, but it is better than a Maxtor any day.

Edit: It is on this page, but hidden in some techese. It is "alternate settings"
http://support.wdc.com/techinfo/general/jumpers.asp

LOL, silly me, I thought I could use the "master" setting when I have only one drive on the cable...

I moved the jumper to the so called "single" drive setting, and it works now. The drive actually has nice labels for master, slave, and CS. No mention of "single" single setting on the drive.

GRRR, I wasted 8 hours on this. I hate WD.

Also, if you use EZ-Bios, you don't need to split the drive into 2 GB sections...that I did know.

 

[repo man11]

Glad you got it. I allways feel a little weird bringing up obvious things, some people get offended easily, and I've read enough of your posts to know that you know your stuff Flounder. But we all overlook things from time to time,(like the time I overlooked putting my heatsink back on!) and it's nice to be able to come here to get some help.

 

[flounder43]

Glad you got it. I allways feel a little weird bringing up obvious things, some people get offended easily, and I've read enough of your posts to know that you know your stuff Flounder. But we all overlook things from time to time,(like the time I overlooked putting my heatsink back on!) and it's nice to be able to come here to get some help.

Thanks for bringing it up. I didn't so much overlook this as I had never heard of this before. I thought master meant master, end of story.

I guess we all learn something every day!

Makes me wonder about my other WD drive, wonder if I got that one right...Seems to work ok, hmmmm.

thanks again

 

[Ridenow]

Also, if you use EZ-Bios, you don't need to split the drive into 2 GB sections...that I did know.

I am glad you got it.

I am a hardware person and dislike EZbios, I would rather use the jumpers.

My opinion is that having to fiddle with the settings is preferable to having a drive that you know will fail within a few years.

 

[Ridenow]

Glad you got it. I allways feel a little weird bringing up obvious things, some people get offended easily, and I've read enough of your posts to know that you know your stuff Flounder. But we all overlook things from time to time,(like the time I overlooked putting my heatsink back on!) and it's nice to be able to come here to get some help.

I totally agree. This is a great place to check our work. All of us goof or have a forgetful day. I once had to ask how to set refresh rates in Win98. Not blatently simple, but I should have known.