lockout hard drive HELP!

[lbmcleod]

have a system here which keeps rebooting pc, then on boot says there is no hard drive + therefore cannot boot. Switching the IDE cables on the channels around fixes the problem, but here's the weirder part: after cables are switched, machine sucessfully rebooted, shutdown and cables switched BACK it still works! (until the next time it decides to reboot that is)

Help please!!!!

I have a Gigabyte 7DX motherboard
Athlon XP 2200
256Mb crucial DDR RAM
Fujitsu 20gb hard drive (not sure which exact model)

 

[Kuroyama]

If you have an extra IDE cable you might try permanently swapping out the one that causes these troubles. Perhaps it's in the process of dieing, and when you switch it around you just happen to jiggle the wires enough to get a weak connection.

Just a thought. When I have problems Windows usually decides to lose system files and make me re-install XP (usually when I overclock FSB too much). I'd much rather have your problem.

 

[lbmcleod]

thanks, anymore ideas?

*bump

 

[lbmcleod]

Re formatted hard drive, it also says "Trying to recover allocation unit xxxx" and then carries on a while after. Problem still occurs- different cable used. Drive is a Fujistu MPF3204AH 20GB btw

anymore ideas? Drive is quite old - does anyone think it might be dying/seen this before

 

[redbeard1]

You might read the post at the top of this forum, it talks about troubles with fujitsu drives. It sounds like that the drive is failing or the hard drive controller on your motherboard is bad. Try formatting the drive in another system.

 

[lbmcleod]

Its not the model MPG drive, so the post at the top of the forum is irrelavent. Will try formatting drive in another system though to determin if it is drive going or the HDD controller.