StarDestroyer.Net BBS

I've recently bought a new hard drive (Matrox, aye, but it was cheap, 6Y160P0 160 Gb) which doesn't seem to live with my bios at all. Running Windows XP, it registers, partly, in the bios, and in windows, but doesn't seem to be accessible in any way shape or form.

I have the feeling that I've either missed out something obvious in installing this thing, or it isn't working. So, before I take it back on Monday, I'm asking you guys if you've got any suggestions as to my mistakes.

First thing, check the jumper settings and cable connection.

Second, go into Drive Manager in your computer management and check what appears in there.

If you can, try booting to DOS based Fdisk and see if you get anything there.

If there's an update available for the BIOS, install it.

If no luck, and your BIOS should technically support this drive size, take it back.

Vendetta wrote:First thing, check the jumper settings and cable connection.

Done

Second, go into Drive Manager in your computer management and check what appears in there.

Done. It appears. But only the size, no details appear.

If you can, try booting to DOS based Fdisk and see if you get anything there.

Humm. Nothing there.

If there's an update available for the BIOS, install it.

Shall check on that.

If no luck, and your BIOS should technically support this drive size, take it back.

Right.

If Drive Manager can see it did you create a partition?

What, exactly, does 'partly registering with the BIOS' mean? Because that sure as hell sounds like a BIOS incompatibility issue with me.

Make sure you don't have two drives set to "master" on that IDE channel.

Pretty much everyone else covered everything

Check your jumper settings, make sure it's not set to Master, but Slave on that IDE, otherwise, swap it to the Secondary IDE and put it as Master, and any other drives (which would probably be a CD or DVD drive) to Slave. Make sure you have partitioned the drive with fdisk or a similar tool.

I hit one Maxtor drive which did what your saying, it ended up being a combination of BIOS problem and me not having the jumpers set right. Worked fine after that.

Usualy though, the biggest problem I get with drives, is I forget to change the jumpers to set the drive correctly, or I set the ribbon cables wrong.

If all else fails, do as you planned and return for a replacement.

I decided that, in lieu of reading all these replies, I'd post a link which most likely covers all the steps involved in installing a new hard drive, though I honestly didn't give it a complete read. Yes, I'm lazy. Now, assuming that page is correct, and I think it's long enough to be correct, if you've done all those things and you are still having problems, turn it in for another one.
Link