StarDestroyer.Net BBS

I just turned the computer on and right at the start of the start up, when it does a memory test and "detects IDE drives" it said there was a "primary hard drive failure". I reset the com and got the same result. i then turned it off, left it a few seconds and turned it on again and it's loaded fine.

Should i be worried?

maybe I really don't know perhapes you should get somebody with some tech experience to look at it.

Don't know.
Since it appears to be intermittent, probably a loose IDE cable or somthing.

Try pulling out all your IDE cable connectors (ONLY ONE AT A TIME!!!! ^o^ ) and reseat them. Vacuuming out all the cat hair outta the compy while you're at it would also do good. Got new RAM/Hard Drive/GFX Card? Now would be a good time to perform that surgery while you're compy's splayed open anyway. ^_~

Back up any critical data now!

Okay, a couple of things are possible. The IDE ribbon cables could be bad, lose, etc. Check them out.

Your drive could be going dead. Most drive manufacturers have a diagnostic utility on their website. Download the appropiate one and check out your drive.

Its also possible the IDE port on the motherboard is going bad. I had one go out on my ASUS board once upon a time, but I think this is the least likely explanation.

I recently opened it up to install a new modem, could some dust or something got in then? I haven't had a repeat so i think i'll just do some back-ups.

If you opened it up to install something, chances are you unseated one of the ribbon cables connecting your hard drive to your motherboard. Unplug and reseat the connectors.

My brother's computer occasionally has that problem, but the CD-ROM drives are affect as well when it occurs. So I think the ASUS motherboard's onboard IDE controller is dying.

In your case, it could be any of the options listed above. Check the ribbons first, as that's the easiest to fix. If the hard drive is dying, that's the worst possibility. A dead IDE controller can be dealt with by picking up a PCI IDE controller card (or a new motherboard if you need an excuse to upgrade).

Well i've got a new computer for when i go to uni, i'm leaving this one at home. I don't have much technical experience (the modem was a PCI slot in) so should i just warn my parents that something might happen as chances are they wont be using this one much?

2000AD wrote:I just turned the computer on and right at the start of the start up, when it does a memory test and "detects IDE drives" it said there was a "primary hard drive failure". I reset the com and got the same result. i then turned it off, left it a few seconds and turned it on again and it's loaded fine.

Should i be worried?

First, do as the others have said and check your connections. If they are seated correctly and everything inside seems reasonably clean and dust-free, and it's still doing it, then start thinking of immediate backups. Modern computers will usually warn you when a hard drive is getting ready to die.

Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:Try pulling out all your IDE cable connectors (ONLY ONE AT A TIME!!!! ^o^ ) and reseat them. Vacuuming out all the cat hair outta the compy while you're at it would also do good. Got new RAM/Hard Drive/GFX Card? Now would be a good time to perform that surgery while you're compy's splayed open anyway. ^_~

Preferebly when the computer is off...

Er, yes..that's bad.

Either it's one of the problems they listed up there...or the boot sector is starting to die...

Either way, back it up now and get a new one if possible

2000AD wrote:I just turned the computer on and right at the start of the start up, when it does a memory test and "detects IDE drives" it said there was a "primary hard drive failure". I reset the com and got the same result. i then turned it off, left it a few seconds and turned it on again and it's loaded fine.

Should i be worried?

Damn, that sounds almost exactly like something that happened to me last year.

In my case, after a huge run-around with the tech support, I was finally told that I needed to replace the drive. Mine never actually physically failed, and I got everything backed up. But it was a huge, annoying hassel.