BIOS doesn't detect hard drive

[MasterPi]

I recently salvaged an old Gateway 2000 off of a friend.
So i take it home, hook it up and viola...
-Video Card Loads
-Bios Starts
-Detects Ram
-Detects Keyboard
-Detects Mouse
-Detects Floppy
INSERT BOOTABLE MEDIA IN THE APPROPRIATE DRIVE

I was able to boot it from a Windows 98 Boot Disk created on my working computer, but FDISK wouldn't detect any harddrives either.

So i fiddled around with the cables and BIOS settings, managed to break the floppy drive, replaced it with one from another savlaged computer, get it to load and put the boot disk in the new drive. First try it corrupts my disk. I remake the disk and put it back in. Second time the disk's contents remain intact but i still get
INSERT BOOTABLE MEDIA IN THE APPROPRIATE DRIVE

So i take the harddrives out of my other crappy computer and hook those up. No response still. The three HDs ive been working with are two Maxtors (one original, one secondary on other computer) and a Quantum Fireball (Primary on other PC)

None of my friends have any idea and I've run out of things to try so someone please help.

Thanks

 

[Freestone]

Is there any kind of boot order setting in BIOS? Is there an IDE section in BIOS, and if so, is it set to auto-detect?

 

[MasterPi]

ive changed the BIOS boot order to just about every setting possible and still no results
and yes, the IDE is set to AUTO

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MasterPi

 

[wolluf]

I'm not clear - has the Gateway's bios detected any of those drives? Also - are you really connecting more than one drive at a time when you can't get one to work? I'd try each drive on its own - with bios set to auto & manual using figures from the disk. Make absolutely sure I've got jumper settings ok, IDE cable is NOT damaged, and try Primary & Secondary IDE controllers. I'd have nothing unnecessary (eg, CD drive, sound, modem, network card) connected while trying this.

 

[MasterPi]

None of them detect
The only thing that has been detected is the floppy

How do you tell if the IDE cable is damaged?

Also: Update - Original drive works with another computer

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MasterPi

 

[wolluf]

IDE cable - inspect it (for broken bits on the plastic connectors) & try it in another machine.

The drive that works elsewhere - have you tried it on its own in the Gateway? (I'm assuming there's no size problems involved - ie, drive too big for bios - as I got impression drives you are using are quite old)

 

[MasterPi]

the drive that works on another machine came with the computer

the IDE cable appears fine (and i just remembered i tried two different ones on two different PCI ports as well)

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MasterPi

 

[Freestone]

You've isolated it the Gateway, either the motherboard or the IDE cable. Try a KNOWN good IDE cable from another system, if possible, and verify that it is oriented properly at both ends of the cable when inserting it into the drive and the Gateway motherboard.

 

[MasterPi]

I dunno what was wrong but i fixed it.
I switched sw 4 (CMOS) from NORM to CLR after expirimenting with various switches and VOILA!, "Hard Drive 0 Installed Maxtor 90845D4"
I think it reset the bios in a way that was not possible from the setup or something but i dont really care now that it works

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[MasterPi]

btw, thanks for helping! 7

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MasterPi

 

[fiddlestix]

I have a similar problem and have tried all the same remedies as Mr MasterPi and yet my problem remains, bios doesn't recognise the hard drives. System is a Gateway e500. Flashed the bios, used new ide cables, tribal incantations, etc. Hard drives work in other PC. Any ideas?

 

[MasterPi]

By flashed the BIOS, do u mean did the thingy with the CMOS CLR/NORM switch or something else.

Btw, Mr MasterPi is my father.

PS: I feel your pain. I wandered around the house muttering "why wont it detect the #$%@ hard drive!" for about a month then when i finnally got it fixed i took a picture of the "Hard Drive Detected" message on the screen (twice to make sure one came out) and ran around the house hugging my family and yelling "It detected the hard drive!"

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MasterPi

 

[fiddlestix]

Yeah the cmos thingy. I can't find the clr/normal switch. Was that a selection in the bios or was it a jumper on the mobo? I'm leaning toward mobo reset with moltov cocktail.

 

[fillDferal]

hi there fiddlestix

if u cannot find switch or jumper, disconnect box from power, and remove the main board battery.

go have a cuppa then replace battery.

your cmos should be reset.

 

[fiddlestix]

OK. After I had flashed the bios, I selected "reset default values" in the bios; no change. I had reset the jumper; no change. I removed the battery and unplugged the power cord; no change. What else could I try?

Thanks

 

[MasterPi]

Mine was an actual set of switches on the motherbord that ive never seen anything like before.

If youve done everything i had then i have no idea what to tell you, sry.

Really wish i could help.

Good luck.

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MasterPi

 

[Jadedsamurai]

Make sure cable is connected to ide1 make sure cable is good then go to bios and make it either show auto on drive or you need to detect it. then check os boot files your welcome