Not sure if need SATA controller, chipset, etc...

[ptg]

Hi, I have a really convoluted problem, which I think boils down to me having lost the control sector in my HDD after a format. I think!? I'll explain the sorry chain of events.

I have 2x Maxtor 6L30050 and an ASUS A8N-SLI Premium. I had an install of Vista on the machine, which was not working out for me - went to XP, but that install messed up due to the disc (not all data wrote). Went for an install of 2K I had lying around just to get something on there and in formatting the disk for this 2k install, I think I lost something.

Originally, the OS setup screen looked like this:

Cartitional (NTFS) xxxxxxMB xxxxxxMB
Unpartitioned Space 8MB

Dartitional (NTFS) xxxxxxMB xxxxxxMB
Unpartitioned Space 8MB

The 2k format I did for the (failed) 2k install was NTFS to NTFS (Vista to 2k stylee I guess?), but when looking at the HDDs in the OS setup after the 2k instal format, I then got this:

Cartitional (unknown) xxxxxxMB xxxxxxMB

Dartitional (NTFS) xxxxxxMB xxxxxxMB
Unpartitioned Space 8MB

I'd lost the first unpartitioned space on C, and it's saying 'unknown' as the file structure.

Long story short - the 2k install didn't work. I got a better copy of XP, but when trying to install this, after selecting the disk (C and copying the install files - after the reboot, a message comes up 'A disk read error occured'.

So I have no o/s on there and the HD seems unusable.

Have I broken my HDD? Or do I need to sort the MBR? Mobo, what?

Please, please, please help. I am totally stuck.

Rgds.

 

[bushwhacker]

The 6L30050 is a Sata, therefore you don't need the F6 driver.

Beside it never hurts to try.

Plus I runs A8N-SLI SE, so you can try your luck on the cd.

Try look for the IDE driver and it is should be there.

Plus, if this problem insists, you may RMA these hard drives for a free replacement if it is under warranty.

 

[ptg]

I doesn't have a CD - I ordered the machine a year ago and it came with no CDs. What files do I need? Are they online?

 

[bushwhacker]

I doesn't have a CD - I ordered the machine a year ago and it came with no CDs. What files do I need? Are they online?

I can send it to you right now, i need your email. You can pm me this.

Plus i will compress it to .zip.

Edited = I'm sure you don't need the F6 drivers but this is a worth to try.

 

[ptg]

bushwacker, I have PM'd you. Many thanks.

 

[bushwhacker]

Email sent with the instruction.

 

[ptg]

Ok bushwacker, thanks for that. In conjunction with Killdisk, that got everything back up and running. The thing is, I Killdisked both my HDDs, installed the o/s on the 1st, but now after formatting this first one to ntfs during the install process, the second (i guess) is still 'raw' and needs formatting to ntfs. How can I do this without going through the o/s install process on it? I don't want two copoies of xp on my machine!

 

[ptg]

Ok, got the answer after a bit of Googleing. Here it is in case anyone ever has the same probs:

Format Non-System Hard Drive or Partition using XP Disk Management

To open Disk Management

From the Start menu, click Run.
In the Open box, type diskmgmt.msc, and then click OK.
Select the drive or partition you want to format.
Right click the selected drive or partition.
Choose format from the list.
For more information select from the toolbar or from the right click menu.

You may not get the option to format, in which case, select 'create new partition' and format it from there...