Some HDD help?

Windows will not pick up my 40gb drive. I have tried it as Master and Slave on both IDE cables. The thing is, it actually DOES power up, cos I hear it start up, AND if I touch it it is humming and vibrating, but it will not be detected.

I tried using a Windows 98 Bootable cd, and obviously I got:

"Windows has detected that drive C does not contain a valid partition" etc, BUT when I go to FDISK it says "No fixed drives present"......I can't partition it.

System Specs (if necessary)

Celeron 900mhz
Radeon 9200SE
256 ram

*I have tried the drive in another pc, ages ago, but same thing. It was in a NON internet pc so a virus is doubtful.

Any help?

 

Yeah, your bios could only support up to a certain size HDD (10,20,30GB?) what size HDD was in it before?

I have an old PC from 1996 running a Pentium Pro and it doesn't support drives larger than 8.5GB, however I can run an old 10GB Maxtor in it fine, I just can't use it fully.

it may be your bios, or it may be Microsoft's Fdisk, I'd check and make sure your bios are recognizing the drive first, then from there download a copy of Free Fdisk - I think it may just be Microsoft's Fdisk - download http://www.23cc.com/free-fdisk/ it supports drives up to 128GB.

 

Thanks I will give it a try and get back to you/

 

or you can format it with the install cd from microsoft (if you have it offcourse)

 

Nope. Bios will NOT pick it up at all.

Another thing I just noticed is that it heats up fairly quickly too.

 

Well I triied bios and also using a PCI Raid card...nope, Raid card didn't detect it.

Oh well so I guess it is dead?

 

If it heats up fast, and the BIOS don't detect it, then its dead. If its new, send it back, if its not, well, you'll just have to buy another one.