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Presario 4180 HDD troubles



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 14th 03, 07:37 PM
Mike Calkins
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Posts: n/a
Default Presario 4180 HDD troubles

Did you use the same IDE cable in the other boxes? If not, it might be the
cable.

Otherwise, try moving the hard drive to a different power supply connector,
I'd also check all drive power supply leads for proper voltage levels. I
prefer to check the voltage levels when a drive is not plugged into the
power supply.

Between the black (ground) and yellow, it should read 12 Volts positive.
Between the black (ground) and red, it should read 5 Volts positive.

You could also try moving the hard drive to the secondary controller, or an
IDE controller card in the PCI slot.

Good luck, report back and let us know what fixed it.

Mike in Houston Sent at 1333 Central time

"Jon Pumfleet" wrote in message
om...
This ageing PC stopped seeing it's existing Bigfoot HDD after I'd been
under the hood upgrading memory. I've reseated all the connections
and still it will not see, or boot from, the HDD. I can't run CPQ
diagnostics as the compaq partition got destroyed a long time ago.
The bigfoot drive works fine in other machines. I've backed out the
memory upgrade with no effect.

I have a little utility "ide.exe" which detects connected devices, and
it tells me no devices are attached. I've tried several drives which
I know to be OK.

What's going on? Disk controller failure? Mboard? Don't understand
why it would give up slowly (seemed to work 1 time in 10, then a week
later, not at all....)

Thanks for any help anyone!



  #2  
Old July 14th 03, 08:31 PM
DEJ57
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Posts: n/a
Default

I can't run CPQ
diagnostics as the compaq partition got destroyed a long time ago


It can be run from diskette if you download and create it from the Compaq/HP
website.

Also try clearing the CMOS, and a different IDE cable, as someone else
suggested...

Dale
  #3  
Old July 16th 03, 12:31 AM
HH
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Uh, Mike, the subject line says 4180, not 4810. If so, it's a non-North
American old Non-MMX pentium box. Certainly not worth spending any $$ on.

HH

"Mike Calkins" wrote in message
. ..
Since you have other systems, I assume you have other drives. Sill the

4810
'see' any IDE hard drive in the 4810? If not, the disk controller may be
bad.

I know that this is probably redundant, but check the jumpers on the
bigfoot. First try cable select, if that doesn't work, set it for

master,
(DS) with no other IDE devices on that IDE channel.

Where are you at, Jon?


Mike in Houston


"Jon Pumfleet" wrote in message
om...
Thanks Mike -- both ideas make sense. I've tried a new IDE cable, and
run the hard drive from the PSU of the machine sat next to it. In
both cases, I get a 1790 Disk 0 error. If I run it from the secondary
controller I get a disk controller error. The machine boots fine from
floppy.

Sometimes I get no error, but the screen clears and the cursor moves
to top-left, and it stays like that. I never get a "non system disk
or disk error".

I feel I must be missing something obvious -- each component tests OK
on its own, except the motherboard & controller, but I doubt they are
the cause because the problem developed slowly, after I'd presumably
knocked/touched something.

JP





  #4  
Old July 16th 03, 02:30 AM
Mike Calkins
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Excuse me, I transposed the model number.....

As it's a 41xx series, you may have overtaxed the power supply. Try
removing cards that you may have added. (including RAM).

Good luck,

Let us know.

Mike


"Mike Calkins" wrote in message
. ..
Since you have other systems, I assume you have other drives. Sill the

4810
'see' any IDE hard drive in the 4810? If not, the disk controller may be
bad.

I know that this is probably redundant, but check the jumpers on the
bigfoot. First try cable select, if that doesn't work, set it for

master,
(DS) with no other IDE devices on that IDE channel.

Where are you at, Jon?


Mike in Houston


"Jon Pumfleet" wrote in message
om...
Thanks Mike -- both ideas make sense. I've tried a new IDE cable, and
run the hard drive from the PSU of the machine sat next to it. In
both cases, I get a 1790 Disk 0 error. If I run it from the secondary
controller I get a disk controller error. The machine boots fine from
floppy.

Sometimes I get no error, but the screen clears and the cursor moves
to top-left, and it stays like that. I never get a "non system disk
or disk error".

I feel I must be missing something obvious -- each component tests OK
on its own, except the motherboard & controller, but I doubt they are
the cause because the problem developed slowly, after I'd presumably
knocked/touched something.

JP






  #5  
Old July 16th 03, 08:21 AM
Jon Pumfleet
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Mike - yeah, I've tried other drives, all with the same results. Now
I've ruled out the HDD, the cable, the power supply, looks like it
must be the controller...which is on-board...so looks like it's time
to trash it & start again.

BTW I'm in London, England -- but it's always a fair guess with
exxonmobil in my email address that I'd be in Texas! In fact I work
daily with colleagues in downtown Houston (Fannin st.) and also the
Bell building ("Ugliest building in Houston") and have been out there
a few times...nights out on Richmond etc. Hope the storms didn't get
y'all!

Jon


"Mike Calkins" wrote in message ...
Since you have other systems, I assume you have other drives. Sill the 4810
'see' any IDE hard drive in the 4810? If not, the disk controller may be
bad.

I know that this is probably redundant, but check the jumpers on the
bigfoot. First try cable select, if that doesn't work, set it for master,
(DS) with no other IDE devices on that IDE channel.

Where are you at, Jon?


Mike in Houston

  #6  
Old July 16th 03, 07:11 PM
Mike Calkins
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thanks Henry, caught it after it was sent, and sent an update. One man's
trash is another man's treasure.
Perhaps to him, it is worth recovering / restoring.

Anyone interested in an original Compaq Portable?


Mike in Houston


"HH" wrote in message
. ..
Uh, Mike, the subject line says 4180, not 4810. If so, it's a non-North
American old Non-MMX pentium box. Certainly not worth spending any $$ on.

HH

"Mike Calkins" wrote in message
. ..
Since you have other systems, I assume you have other drives. Sill the

4810
'see' any IDE hard drive in the 4810? If not, the disk controller may

be
bad.

I know that this is probably redundant, but check the jumpers on the
bigfoot. First try cable select, if that doesn't work, set it for

master,
(DS) with no other IDE devices on that IDE channel.

Where are you at, Jon?


Mike in Houston


"Jon Pumfleet" wrote in message
om...
Thanks Mike -- both ideas make sense. I've tried a new IDE cable, and
run the hard drive from the PSU of the machine sat next to it. In
both cases, I get a 1790 Disk 0 error. If I run it from the secondary
controller I get a disk controller error. The machine boots fine from
floppy.

Sometimes I get no error, but the screen clears and the cursor moves
to top-left, and it stays like that. I never get a "non system disk
or disk error".

I feel I must be missing something obvious -- each component tests OK
on its own, except the motherboard & controller, but I doubt they are
the cause because the problem developed slowly, after I'd presumably
knocked/touched something.

JP







  #7  
Old July 16th 03, 07:12 PM
Mike Calkins
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If the controller is dead, a secondary controller may spark life into the
beastie. (Though others may feel that the beastie ought to be put out of
it's misery.)

Ahh London, you lucky dog. And yes, the storm missed us by inches.
Galveston, Surfside, and Freeport got hammered, though. 2 lives lost, so
far. So much for a day at the beach.

Good luck, Jon.


Mike in Houston


"Jon Pumfleet" wrote in message
om...
Mike - yeah, I've tried other drives, all with the same results. Now
I've ruled out the HDD, the cable, the power supply, looks like it
must be the controller...which is on-board...so looks like it's time
to trash it & start again.

BTW I'm in London, England -- but it's always a fair guess with
exxonmobil in my email address that I'd be in Texas! In fact I work
daily with colleagues in downtown Houston (Fannin st.) and also the
Bell building ("Ugliest building in Houston") and have been out there
a few times...nights out on Richmond etc. Hope the storms didn't get
y'all!

Jon


"Mike Calkins" wrote in message

...
Since you have other systems, I assume you have other drives. Sill the

4810
'see' any IDE hard drive in the 4810? If not, the disk controller may

be
bad.

I know that this is probably redundant, but check the jumpers on the
bigfoot. First try cable select, if that doesn't work, set it for

master,
(DS) with no other IDE devices on that IDE channel.

Where are you at, Jon?


Mike in Houston




  #8  
Old July 17th 03, 03:41 AM
DEJ57
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Did you try a CMOS reset, as I posted earlier that you might try?

Bang, bang, bang....

testing, one, two, three....

is this mic working?.....

Dale
  #9  
Old July 17th 03, 08:55 AM
Jon Pumfleet
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hey Dale - thanks yeah I did try a CMOS reset last night, and sure
enough, I got my hard drive back! Woohoo, BUT, now I've lost the CDROM
which is on the secondary channel.

It's my Dad's PC, he's on vacation this week, but gets back on
Saturday, clock's ticking! Thanks for your help!

Jon.
  #10  
Old July 17th 03, 08:58 AM
Jon Pumfleet
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Good tip - they're cheap, I'll see if I can get one today. I'm not
sure the compaq bios has an option to allow me to disable the on-board
controller though.

I tried a CMOS reset last night, and sure enough I got my hard drive
back, but have lost the CD-ROM (secondary controller) so something's
clearly not right. I'll check the CMOS settings (haven't had time
yet) to see if the secondary device is configured correctly (what
drive type should I use for a CD ROM? Type 65 isn't available for
selection....)

London's great but bear in mind my whole house is probably the size of
your bathroom!

Thanks Mike!

"Mike Calkins" wrote in message gy.com...
If the controller is dead, a secondary controller may spark life into the
beastie. (Though others may feel that the beastie ought to be put out of
it's misery.)

Ahh London, you lucky dog. And yes, the storm missed us by inches.
Galveston, Surfside, and Freeport got hammered, though. 2 lives lost, so
far. So much for a day at the beach.

Good luck, Jon.

 




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