Probs. with new comp.

This thread doesn't have really anything to do with modding, although the case my new comp has will be modded in the future...hopefully NEAR future. IM a somewhat amatuer computer builder and have a few bugs that I'm hoping some of you may know how to fix.

1. I have 2 hard drives: an IDE Maxter 40 gig, and a SATA 3 g/s Western digital 120 gig. I can't get my comp to read my western digital at all. I can't locate it anywhere on the computer exception for bios. Before I got all my drivers from my motherboard driver cd installed, i did see the sata 120 as a hot-swap device such as a jump drive, but now it doesnt even appear there. Any idea on how to fix this, please reply. Im in desperate need of help especially since im unfimiliar with sata.

2. For some reason, my Video controller (VGA Compatible) driver will not install. When i try i get this error: "The NVIDIA Setup program could not locate any drivers that are compatible with your current hardware. Setup will now exit."

Sorry this is more of tech support rather than mod support, but i just need help, so if you have any off the top of your head, could you please share? thnx in advance.

what kind of video card do you have?

actually I fixed my graphics card problem, but thanx anyways zues. I had a wrong driver on the driver cd...:S. But I absolutely cannot get my sata to work, thats my only prob right now, any input on that would be greatly appreciated. It just reads as a hot swap drive, but its no where to be found except in the safely remove app. ty

you have to define the IDE as master or slave.

http://www.64bits.se/guider/pcbyggarskola/sata.jpg

see the 2x4 pins on the lower hd with a black thing connecting 2 pins? you'll have to do the same with your. look on the drive to see what pins that should be shorted for desired funcion.

I kinda need more info on what you mean by, "can't find it anywhere". Does this mean that its just not showing up in my computer or its not showing up in device manager also? If it isn't showing up then yeah, check the jumpers for slave and master. If all that is well and it is showing up in device manager (even if it isn't showing up), then it needs to be formated for the comp to recognize it. Here is how to go about doing that:

1.Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.

3. In the console tree, click Disk Management.
The Console tree may look like this:
Computer Management (Local)
Storage
Disk Management

In the RIGHT Pane you must see your drives and partitions .

You may be able to Partition and Format your Second HDD if you like.

after you do all that it should show up in my computer. I hope this helps you out. Good luck!!! :)

When I said, "I can't find it anywhere", I meant its not on device manager, my computer, or anywhere. But I think I'll try the jumper thing right now, im just slightly confused on how to go about doing this because my hdd didn't come with a manual or anything like that, so if you have any knowledge about which pins to put the jumper on, that would help.

Also, I have tried the format part with the console tree but no luck, all that shows up is my 40 gig ide and my dvd burner/player. But thank you anyways on that part, nice incase I didn't know. Well, I'm dling starship troopers demo right now cuase on my old pile it didn't work worth s***. So after that, I'm gonna try the pin idea out, thnx alot guys, ill report with results later....

Also, anyone know the release date of starship troopers for the U.S.? Kinda off subject but I'm a big fan of SST and i can't find the release anywhere except for october 26 which is i believe for the U.K.

ty in advance agian.

It usually says the jumper settings for the drive on the sticker on top of the drive itself.

ive been messing around with the jumpers and i havent had any luck yet. Oh, there is one annoying thing thats happening. When i first installed my os, i tried it on my sata. It didn't fully install because i needed drivers. So each time the system starts up it asks which xp id like to use since xp is on both of the hdd's (only partially installed on the sata). anyone know how to just completely wipe it? the only way
i know how is to just format a hdd so you just have the os on it, but how do you just make it a clean slate?.

Ranken, ill take a look at that, thnx. ive tried all the combinations i believe tho, but it cant hurt to take a look. Thnx again guys, been very helpful.

If you want Xp to only boot to one install, Edit your boot.ini file (it's a hidden file on the root of your main boot disk IE. c:\) Just delete the line that is not your boot drive , there numbers controller 1, disk 0,parttion1 Etc. Etc. Also the are listed in the file the same as one the screen...So if you pick the first one to boot into Xp delete the 2 line.


Good luck,
Crazybillybob


Ps. You'll have to do this even if you format the SATA drive.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rankenphile

It usually says the jumper settings for the drive on the sticker on top of the drive itself.

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yep. have been on all hd's
could try and get the Model name and go to www.maxtor.com and see if you can find anything.

oh and on the boot thing, only plug in the IDE drive and install, get all the updates for everything, specially any sata drivers for the motherboard.
then you can plug in the other drive and use Partition Magic (v5 on 2 diskettes?) or some other program to clean the drives ;)

Thnx all. Its getting to close to a Lan tourny tho, and I'd like to have everything up and running asap, so last night i ordered a 200 gig ide, and im just sending these 2 drives back. thnx for all the help though, just that right now im runnin out of time for installing a buttload of games, patches, practicing/getting use to the games themselves. So again thanks, but maybe some time later in the not so near future, ill attempt sata again. Its so damned confusing though, cause I installed all of the sata updates, my 2 friends havent had any problems with theirs at all, and it wont even read. But owell.

P.S. I did take it out and look at the sticker, it said it didnt need a jumper to be primary/slave, so everything was set right. Just didnt work out i guess.