Cant access data on second hdd

[xlh1000]

Dell Optiplex GX260.



I tried to install a second hard drive, but it does not read off it.

It detects the second drive, and it shows the folders, but when i open them, it either reads off the C drive, or nothing at all when there should be, or it shows a spybot search & destroy dialog box stating scan complete. It is like they are "blending", for lack of a better term.



The drive i installed as a slave is a Seagate 60GB ultra ata, u series 7. It is from my Hewlet Packard and it has data i need. The Dell has a Western Digital WD400 Ide.



On the second drive, i have tried both removing the jumper altogether for slave, and also tried cable select, while leaving the boot drive alone. Then i tried that combination along with setting the WD400 to dual master, and dual slave.
Is there a setting in BIOS that solves this?



Thank You,

Ron.

 

[wahnula]

Leave the WD as-is. Set the Seagate to master according to this:

...and plug into your secondary IDE, disconnect the CD-ROM temporarily if you must. If you don't have a secondary IDE port, then set the Seagate to slave. Keep changes to a minimum.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[BadBigBen]

Basically I agree with wahnula, except on one point...

the WD400 needs to be jumpered... The WD400 comes with a 5 dual pin connector, use the one DIRECTLY in the middle, this is the setting for MASTER With SLAVE present, if you place that drive on the same IDE cable... and no jumper if it is set alone...



Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[kjv1611]

Basically, xlh1000, whichever hard drive is supposed to contain your system (Windows and Program files usually) needs to be set to Master, and the other to Slave. It does sound to me like possibly the jumpers on your WD drive might not be set correctly.

On the other hand, I have seen a hard drive or two that just seemed to not play nicely with others on the same ribbon - rare, but I did see it happen. It worked fine by itself, but just didn't like being on the same ribbon cable - they were just run of the mill HDDs, at least one was a Maxtor if I remember correctly.

Another thought - you mentioned the BIOS. I'd try setting the HDD BOOT options (if available) to not even allow booting from the 60GB drive, and see if that fixes the issue as well. After all, if it's booting up and doing something, then for whatever reason, it's reading the 60GB drive as the first boot HDD.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me