Hard Drive Installation Help! - DPChallenge Forums

08/06/2006 06:58:50 PM · #1

Hi!

Trying to install a WD SATA HDD. Problems arise when I try to boot up, first of all, BIOS doesnt recognixe the NEW drive, I've had a Maxtor SATA that have worked with no problem. Second, when I boot up, before the Windows XP loading screen completely shows, it crashes. I tried in safe mode, but would crash while loading the file mup.sys.

Is the drive broken? Should I get a replacement? After I disconnect the WD SATA, Windows XP works fine, so I guess I can rule out motherboard failure?

Any advice, feedback would be much appreciated.

08/06/2006 09:53:19 PM · #2

You didn't mention the size of the HD, but in order for larger drives to be recognized you will need to prep the drive with WD's Data Lifeguard Tools.

David

08/06/2006 10:27:49 PM · #3

Thanks David. Its a 400GB drive. But I can't seem to install the Lifeguard tools because XP wont let me in XP all the way in

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

08/07/2006 01:49:45 AM · #4

The version I linked to above includes a DOS version that can be used on a system with no OS installed. Download it, create a floppy with the DOS tools on it and follow the instructions that come with it.

Boot Disks if you need on to get into DOS.

David

mist

Canon EOS-60D

08/07/2006 04:54:53 AM · #5

None of the tools will help if the bios isn't picking up the drive.

Is your existing drive a SATA one, or is it IDE? If your existing drive is SATA, it's possible that it's been set up as RAID (but with only a single drive) and adding in the second one is confusing windows because it's only expecting to see the one drive of a certain size.

When you start your computer, just after the initial POST screens, you should see a "detecting drives" bit for the SATA interface, see if that gives you an option to change the config.

Bear in mind that, if you've got your existing SATA drive configured as single-drive RAID, then adding in the new drive will most likely require you to destroy the contents on the primary drive to make a new RAID set including the second one.

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

08/07/2006 07:14:46 AM · #6

That does make some sense mist. I have 2 HDDs already. One of them is IDE (used for storage) and another is SATA (used for the OS).

How do i check if its setup to be a single drive RAID? So, you're saying I have to delete the contents of my OS drive?

Thanks for the insight mist.

mist

Canon EOS-60D

08/07/2006 07:21:41 AM · #7

As I say it will largely depend on the motherboard as they all do things slightly differently.

Generally though, if you start your computer (from cold) then you will go into the series of self-tests (you may get a graphic here, in which case you will need to press some kind of key to see the actual text screen), detect your IDE drive and then start the next phase of the boot process. During this part is where the SATA bus will get scanned for drives. There should be some kind of text information as to what is detected at this stage, and possibly a button to press to configure the SATA drives. (which is what you would need.)

Depending on how your drives are set up, it *may* mean that you would have to lose your existing OS drive contents in order to add the new one. For example if your current drive is set up as single drive RAID 0, then you're stuffed unless your controller will let you have multiple different arrays (as it's unlikely that you'll be able to increase its size on the fly). However it could just be set up as a normal drive, in which case adding a new one would just be a matter of detecting it at motherboard level, then going in to windows disk manager and adding it.

08/07/2006 07:31:05 AM · #8

... also, since it's a new drive it may be useful to review the compatibility issues between 2nd Generation SATA drives and 1st Generation SATA controllers.

08/07/2006 07:51:50 AM · #9

The drive actually came with its own SATA card that can plug into a PCI port, if I used that, would that also mean that I have to delete the first SATA drive?

08/07/2006 07:53:51 AM · #10

Originally posted by Ampao64:

The drive actually came with its own SATA card that can plug into a PCI port, if I used that, would that also mean that I have to delete the first SATA drive?

No, then it would be running on a completely seperate controller -- completely isolated from the first drive.

Telehubbie

Canon EOS-40D

08/07/2006 08:22:20 AM · #11

I found some links with other people that have the same problem with the mup.sys, maybe these will help.

Not to reveal my technical ignorance here, but did you set the master/slave jumpers accordingly on the drives?

08/07/2006 08:56:16 AM · #12

Telehubbie thanks for the link.

Theres only one IDE drive, the SATAs dont have slave/master settings. (as far as i know.)

Telehubbie

Canon EOS-40D