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Community Newsletter: Q&A: My second hard drive is doing the peek-a-boo thing
- 9/28/07 3:22 PM
My second hard drive is doing the peek-a-boo thing
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 9/28/07 3:22 PM
Question:
Hello, I am not what you would call a computer geek by any means, but I'm also not afraid of the computer and love to learn about its inner workings. I installed a second hard drive to my new computer (second drive from my old computer, 5 years old). I made it the slave drive and reformatted it. I just wanted to use it for backing up. My problem is...sometimes when I turn the computer on I can see it as the "E" drive and I can access it. Other times I turn the computer on and it ISN'T visible to me so I can't access it. However when I use a program like Winaudit or Fresh Diagnose it shows up in there. I also have an external drive and it always appears visible. What could be going on, I need to see the drive. My computer is an E-machines T6216 with XP Home. Thank you!
--Submitted by Wendy B.
If you have an answer for Wendy, let's hear them! Click on the "Reply" link to post. Please be detailed as possible in your answer. Thanks!
Disappearing E: drive
by Busted Flush - 9/21/07 4:55 PM In reply to: My second hard drive is doing the peek-a-boo thing by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I just went thru a similar experience with the built in CD/DVD drive on my Compaq Pressario V2602XT with Window XP Home...somedays it would be there some days not....it finally was not....or it would disappear when you put a disc in.... the fix came down to a Hotfix Update from Microsoft for Media player 11 dated 3-19-2007... I unloaded that fix and the E: drive came back and things work great.... I know it's a strecth but it might be related...I have since told Windows Update not to tell me about that update...
Dave
unload a fix
by walter17 - 9/28/07 11:19 PM In reply to: Disappearing E: drive by Busted Flushi have an emachines laptop model no. W4605. i damaged my dvd-rom/cd-r drive. i thought gateway fixed it in 12/06, but after trying it 2 1/2 months later it didn't work. it would do that appear and disappearing thing. so i'm wondering if those techs did fix it or it's a windows update problem. i got tired of not having an optical drive, i bought one an external drive from wal-mart. the my computer does something weird when i plug in the external drive, the computers optical drive show's up. so i don't know what to figure and i'm scrathing my head. i went through hell with gateway getting to fix my computer and now this. what could it be? how do i unload a fix, that hotfix update. if i can eliminate that at least i know if it might be still broken or not. can anyone help?
Disappearing E Drive suggesstion
by iogt007 - 9/29/07 12:02 AM In reply to: unload a fix by walter17Your DVD drive sounds like it was improperly installed. Check your connections or take it to someone who knows how it should be connected. The connecting wires may just be loose. As far as removing the update, here is what you do: go to Start/control panel/Add-Remove programs and scroll down to the bottom to find the last update and click remove. Windows will do the rest.
Uour E:\Drive
by pain_viande - 9/29/07 1:31 AM In reply to: Disappearing E: drive by Busted FlushIt is normal, when you buy those two or fout GiG Bank; if i understand your question well. Every time you plug you USB I/O Giga Bank, you will end up with a new virtual Letter. This letter is created by your Windows, and Windows will keep this, if i may called Virtual Drive letter, in case you plug your Device, well the Drive letter, like Drive F:\ will reappear until you want to save important Files, or pictures etc... For me, i have two of those Drives. That means, i have two more Letters. EX: F:\ anf G:\. But if my answer is not what you whant, just e-mail me at gbeauchamp@travel-net.com. Hope i help you, if not, just e-mail your question,
About the hard drive.
by A.T. - 9/21/07 5:07 PM In reply to: My second hard drive is doing the peek-a-boo thing by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Ok, well. First of all, is the hard drive formatted as NTFS? Also, are the plugs to the hard drive connected properly? The reason is because I've installed second hard drives before and it's worked this way for me. I hope this works for you.
second hard drive
by flguy48tc - 9/21/07 5:20 PM In reply to: My second hard drive is doing the peek-a-boo thing by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
wendy....i too have a emachine,but i have a T6216.i have no problems with it.i installed a second hard drive also. but mine is external.it only took me a few mins to set it up, it`s great.i think thats the way you should have gone.maybe you can take back your hard drive and get a external hard drive. there so easy to set up. i think there alot better then internal hard drives...good luck
So your drive is flakey .....
by Watzman - 9/21/07 5:42 PM In reply to: My second hard drive is doing the peek-a-boo thing by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The thing that is puzzling here is the "intermittent" nature of the problem. There are not too many things that can cause that. One possibility is that the drive is bad. But let's assume, for now, that it's not.
Are you certain that you have the drive configured correctly? I'm talking about both the jumpers on the drive (master / slave / cable select) and the cable (using cable select requires a special cable). A related question, is your original drive in the new machine configured correctly? On some drives, "master is master is master", but on other drives, there is a separate setting for "Master with slave" and "Master without slave". This could be further complicated by the matter of cable select on the original drive. So the first thing I'd try is configuring the 1st drive (the drive originally in the computer before you added the new drive) as a "hard" Master (with slave if there is such a setting), and the new drive as a slave, and not using cable select (even if cable select is how the system was originally configured before you added the new drive). [This assumes that the two drives are both IDE drives on the same (primary) channel, with your optical drive on the secondary channel.]
Also, go into the BIOS and make sure that the BIOS has both drives enabled (that could be the entire problem ... there originally was no slave drive (on either primary or secondary channel) and you added a drive but you may never have enabled it in the BIOS.
Actually, as I think about this more, you have failed to provide enough information to really help us nail down the problem. We don't know if the original drive in the new machine was IDE or SATA, if it was IDE, we don't know the configuration of the IDE channels or what devices are in the system, what is on what channel, what is master or slave or cable select, or the kind of cables that you are using (40 or 80 conduct, cable select or standard). These are all of the very issues that you have to address, and that are in some way likely to be capable of solving the problem, but we need more information to suggest, with certainty, how to proceed.
I agree
by gutta - 9/28/07 9:13 PM In reply to: So your drive is flakey ..... by WatzmanIf it is a SATA drive it shouldnt have jumpers, and the HD with the OS should take presedince over the other when booting, but excellent post Watzman it is mostlikely improperly set jumpers.
I disagree
by knight10034 - 9/28/07 10:39 PM In reply to: I agree by guttaI have a SATA drive (300 Gig) in a home built with 3 IDE HD's (200 Gig, 80 Gig, 250 Gig) and 1 DVD-RW IDE. It is not nor has it ever booted from the SATA drive. In part because the Ghost image didn't work - and I conceded to my computers wish to not use it as a Primary still acknowledge the existence of the other 4 drives.
I had the same thing
by donjrtx - 9/29/07 8:04 AM In reply to: I disagree by knight10034I had built a computer (ASUS) and I bought a SATA, I installed my old IDE drives in as well. At first it would only allow the boot drive to be the IDE drive. There is a setting in the BIOS to put the sata first. This is not the BOOT setting where you only get on HD choice. This setting was in the HD area. After I changed that setting and made the SATA first....then the BOOT Order showed the SATA Drive in the list.
i dont think so
by alvirani - 9/28/07 11:30 PM In reply to: I agree by guttaif there is some prob with the jumper setting it would have shown at all its all or none basis..
but in this case the the drive shows up and disapper again ...
this is generally happening bcoz of the external drive...
as per the windows OS the newly install hard drive firstly shows up ...and it should be working fine.. bcoz the software (OS) is tested for the same.. but the main prob arrives as soon as you put and plug in or and external HDD or flash drive.. the bug activates the newly installed drive and some how hides the older one (just in the explorer) but the third prty software can access it .. means it is still active but just hidden ..
its all bcoz of the bug in the OS ... it can be patched
Agreed Again
by chinese_eggrolls - 9/29/07 1:35 AM In reply to: I agree by guttaKeep it simple as the post by Gutta, I'm replying to. Jumpers might have not properly set. Set boot up to "automatic" so it can detect. If not switch the old drive to primary, and since its smaller in capacity booting would be even faster. Check JUMPERS, then Check if PRIMARY or SECONDARY or SLAVES.
If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to inclu
by sandip_2411 - 10/8/07 10:10 PM In reply to: I agree by guttaIf you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.
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