Pressario intermittent hardware failures
Presario 8000 (8LSXE1) Win XP, 256MB RAM
The computer is clean: no virus, worm, spyware, malware, etc. The primary HD has 42GB of defragmented space. The problem started a few months ago, when, occasionally, upon being powered on, the computer would not detect the external Iomega HDD. The problem worsened a few weeks after I installed a second hard drive, a Western digital 120GB, the maximum recommended by Compaq. The computer freezes, or reboots itself unexpectedly. Upon restarting, it finds only the CD-ROM drives and "No IDE fixed disk present", or detects everything. I also get: "Non system disk or disk error" without diskette in the A: drive. I have changed the power source to make sure the computer receives adequate power. I have disabled Windows Automatic Restart Clue: often, before the computer crashes, I hear repeated "clunky" noise. The closest I can relate it to is an old fashion hardware relay. As I unplugged the second hard drive, the computer is more stable. The computer is still under warranty and, if Compaq ever follows through, I should get a new motherboard. But I am not sure this will fix my problem. Any suggestions are welcome! Can someone recommend software to diagnostic my problem? Thanks! |
Are the original IDE cables being used? If so is the new internal HD
jumpered CS for Cable Select? HH "Franou" wrote in message om... Presario 8000 (8LSXE1) Win XP, 256MB RAM The computer is clean: no virus, worm, spyware, malware, etc. The primary HD has 42GB of defragmented space. The problem started a few months ago, when, occasionally, upon being powered on, the computer would not detect the external Iomega HDD. The problem worsened a few weeks after I installed a second hard drive, a Western digital 120GB, the maximum recommended by Compaq. The computer freezes, or reboots itself unexpectedly. Upon restarting, it finds only the CD-ROM drives and "No IDE fixed disk present", or detects everything. I also get: "Non system disk or disk error" without diskette in the A: drive. I have changed the power source to make sure the computer receives adequate power. I have disabled Windows Automatic Restart Clue: often, before the computer crashes, I hear repeated "clunky" noise. The closest I can relate it to is an old fashion hardware relay. As I unplugged the second hard drive, the computer is more stable. The computer is still under warranty and, if Compaq ever follows through, I should get a new motherboard. But I am not sure this will fix my problem. Any suggestions are welcome! Can someone recommend software to diagnostic my problem? Thanks! |
Are the original IDE cables being used?
Yes. If so is the new internal HD jumpered CS for Cable Select? Not Cable Select, but dual/slave as it is on the same cable as the master. The problem worsens with the second HD, but also occurs without it. Thanks, VM |
Compaqs ship with Cable Select IDE cables and drives attached should be
jumpered CS. With such an arrangement the end connector is the master and the niddle is slave. Make sure the drive(s) are jumpered CS. HH "Franou" wrote in message m... Are the original IDE cables being used? Yes. If so is the new internal HD jumpered CS for Cable Select? Not Cable Select, but dual/slave as it is on the same cable as the master. The problem worsens with the second HD, but also occurs without it. Thanks, VM |
Or change the data cables to the new IDE cables that were likely to have been
included in the box with the new HDD, and continue to use master/slave jumpering.... Dale |
"Clue: often, before the computer crashes, I hear repeated "clunky"
noise. The closest I can relate it to is an old fashion hardware relay." This is almost certainly a broken hard disk. -- Regards, Stuart PS remove the obvious to e-mail me. "Franou" wrote in message om... Presario 8000 (8LSXE1) Win XP, 256MB RAM The computer is clean: no virus, worm, spyware, malware, etc. The primary HD has 42GB of defragmented space. The problem started a few months ago, when, occasionally, upon being powered on, the computer would not detect the external Iomega HDD. The problem worsened a few weeks after I installed a second hard drive, a Western digital 120GB, the maximum recommended by Compaq. The computer freezes, or reboots itself unexpectedly. Upon restarting, it finds only the CD-ROM drives and "No IDE fixed disk present", or detects everything. I also get: "Non system disk or disk error" without diskette in the A: drive. I have changed the power source to make sure the computer receives adequate power. I have disabled Windows Automatic Restart Clue: often, before the computer crashes, I hear repeated "clunky" noise. The closest I can relate it to is an old fashion hardware relay. As I unplugged the second hard drive, the computer is more stable. The computer is still under warranty and, if Compaq ever follows through, I should get a new motherboard. But I am not sure this will fix my problem. Any suggestions are welcome! Can someone recommend software to diagnostic my problem? Thanks! |
HH wrote:
Compaqs ship with Cable Select IDE cables and drives attached should be jumpered CS. With such an arrangement the end connector is the master and the niddle is slave. Make sure the drive(s) are jumpered CS. I switched the jumper to Cable Select. So far so good... time will tell if the wrong jumper setting was compounding the problem... whatever the problem still is... I did not buy the HD from Compaq. Why pay $260 + tax + shipping when I can get it from a reputable company for $86! Thanks Dale too for your suggestions. VM |
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