HDD disappeared after format

[FreeQuest]

Hi all,
just tried to format my secondary 18.6GB HDD Towards the end of formatting, I got the message "Windows cannot complete formatting the disk". The disk was then gone from "my computer". I rebooted, and checked in BIOS, the disk was gone from the BIOS too. I have not touched anything else, hard-or-software wise;the only thing I did was this formatting. What could have gone wrong?!
Thanks for your time.

 

[SNGX1275]

Check your power cables and IDE/SCSI/SATA cable whichever the drive is using, make sure they are plugged in, replace the data cable if possible. Also may be worth downloading drive diagnostic tools from whoever the manufacturer is. If its not showing in the BIOS you have a slim chance of the diagnostic tools finding it, only other option then is another computer, if its gone there the drive is bad.

 

[FreeQuest]

Thanks a lot for your helpful comment - in the end I bought a new IDE and rearranged the case interior. Formatted the disk to NTFS this time, and spent Sunday copying data and backing up, with no problems whatsoever so I can now assume the drive+cable work.
Thanks very much for your help.