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I think I borked a hard drive

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  • #1

    I think I borked a hard drive

    So I have my wife's old PC (she's since graduated to an iBook), and I wanted to futz around with it and maybe use it as a Linux box so I could play around with the OS. Well this computer dates back to the time before my wife knew of such things as anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. So it took roughly 2 1/2 years to boot to XP where everything ran slow as crap.

    Well I downloaded Ubuntu and after I tried to install by booting to CD, the computer now gives me a message that there's no boot media present. It doesn't recognize either HD as even attached, but it will still boot from floppy. I have no pretense of even trying to save the data (it's not important anyway) but what's the best way to get the drives recognized so I can format them?
    "You know, there are times when it's a source of personal pride not to be human." - Hobbes
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  • #2
    The PC is probably set to boot from CD in the BIOS and/or hard drive booting has become disabled, make sure you go into the BIOS and set boot order to 1 - CD-ROM, 2 - hard drive and 3 - floppy.

    Also, make sure the hard drive is still recognized in the BIOS.

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    • #3
      Quoth sld72382 View Post
      The PC is probably set to boot from CD in the BIOS and/or hard drive booting has become disabled, make sure you go into the BIOS and set boot order to 1 - CD-ROM, 2 - hard drive and 3 - floppy.

      Also, make sure the hard drive is still recognized in the BIOS.


      Did all of that, set it to boot on HD only, CD only, no dice.
      "You know, there are times when it's a source of personal pride not to be human." - Hobbes

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      • #4
        Is this a laptop? If so...

        http://www.breakitdownblog.com/ubunt...ge-hard-drive/

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        • #5
          No it's a desktop. It's a Gateway from when my friend worked in one of their short lived retail stores (should tell you how old it is) with some tweaks.
          "You know, there are times when it's a source of personal pride not to be human." - Hobbes

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          • #6
            When you watch the BIOS booting, there should be a bit of screen text where it shows you which drives it's seeing. Is the drive showing in that?

            If not, check your hardware. Try a new IDE cable. Try it in the other IDE socket. Check the master/slave settings on any drives connected to the same cable (CD as well as hard disk). Test the motherboard with a known-good cable and a known-good drive. Test the hard drive with a known-good cable and a known-good motherboard.

            That should tell you which bit of hardware, if any, is having issues.
            Seshat's self-help guide:
            1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
            2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
            3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
            4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

            "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

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