2 harddrive

[truflip]

can i have two harddrive? i think u can.. just want to make sure.. neway.. one has to be master n the other slave? im upgrading from a 40gb to a 160, and i want to put all my files from the old HDD to the new one..

 

[IronDuke]

Yes. There are two IDE channels that take two devices each. As you have one disc which should be master on one channel you can put a second as slave. Keeping the two optical drives on the second channel as I assume they are now.

 

[Didou]

SATA drives no longer use the master/slave system. Which do you happen to be using ?

 

[truflip]

its IDE..

im using IDE cables.. its odd.. i tried it on.. but it didnt boot up.. i made my old drive the master (mainly because it has the OS in it, the new ones empty) and i made the new drive the slave... plugged them both in, and the OS didnt start up :S

i fund out my new WD 160gb is ATA/100.. while my old maxtor is ATA/133.. these two wont work together right?

 

[IronDuke]

They will work together at the slower speed. Try another cable in case you have a damaged one. Is the disc recognised in the bios?

 

[truflip]

uhmm wuts a bios? how do i check bios?

 

[sllewe]

Bios

BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System (if i can remember right ) It allows you to change very basic commands on your PC (boot order, PnP, Legacy deivces etc) To enter the BIOS it would help to know the make of your motherboard. But if i have a PC that i dont know the Brand of BIOS, i just hit all the F buttons :grinthumb When you enter the BIOS check and see if the Hard Disk is recognnized (it will say the size, interface general stuff) G'Luck

Sean

 

[IronDuke]

When you boot up after the memory is checked you have on screen for all of two seconds a prompt saying "Press Del ot enter bios". There are a few other keys used F1 is one. When you're in the bios the first page will have the date at the top and then just below are the drives the system recognises.

 

[truflip]

oh... thats bios? lol... i never knew its name.. neway.. i cant boot up anything. not even bios.. pretty much. wut i mean is the two hard drives dont work as soon as i start the PC...

 

[IronDuke]

I assume you know that both drives work on their own. Did you have another cable to try? Try swapping the cable to the channel that currently works with two optical drives. This will eliminate the possiblilty tha there is a problem with the socket you're now using.

 

[Smurf]

Have you pluged the IDE cable into the drive the right way up? I know newer cables are keyed and can only be plugged in one way but older cables could go in either way up and would stop the system from booting, sometimes showing a row of lit LEDs for the num,caps & scroll lock on the keyboard.

Try this :-

Turn off the PC
Unplug the new drive
Turn the PC on
Does it boot?

If it does turn off and connect the new drive
Turn on
Does it boot?
If it doesn't then turn off
remove ide plug
turn plug over and plug back in
turn PC back on

Obviously if it's a newer keyed cable then ignore this message

 

[truflip]

@Smurf

took the new drive out.. yes it boots.. connected the new drive in.. no it doesnt boot.. will try to turn the plug over tho.. thanks

 

[truflip]

ok i changed the IDE cables

ok i changed the IDE cables but it doesnt show the new drive in My Computer... however, when i checked the BIOS, it shows the new harddrive... how do i make it work?

 

[tdeg]

Right click on My Computer. Select Manage. On the left side it will say Logical Disk Manager or something like that. Click on that. How many drives show up there?

 

[truflip]

it shows both the drives.. even on lavalys everest.. shows the two drives.. oh yea.. i forget to mention i havent installed it using the softwares.. .its a western digital and i have to use Data Lifeguard Tools..

which drive should i use as Master? the one with more GB or less?

 

[sllewe]

You should set the HDD with the OS as the master drive.

 

[truflip]

well im planning to reformat the old harddrive neway.. (im installing XP SP2)

 

[IronDuke]

It won't show up in Explorer until it is partitioned.

 

[tdeg]

You don't need to use software to install a hdd. The software they send can be of assistance if the drives don't show up in Windows, but that is not your problem here.

To get both drives to show up in My Computer, go back to the Disk Manager and on right click on the new drive. Select Write Signature (or something like that). I think that opens a Wizard, just follow through it. I believe that will also take you through setting up the partition. If the drive still doesn't show up in My Computer, go back to Disk Manager and right click just to the right of where it shows Disk1 and select Create Partition (or something like that). That should open a wizard, just follow through it.

 

[patio]

It won't show up in Explorer until it is partitioned.

And formatted...

patio.

 

[tdeg]

And given a drive letter.

 

[IronDuke]

Very true.