Question

Unaccessible slave HDD in Win XP (and Win 98)?

Asked by: ranger007

Backed up files on slave WD 20G HDD prior to reformat and clean re-install of XP on Maxtor 120G HDD.  After XP install bios detects slave, and Device Manager sees it as a generic HDD (working properly), but no letter assigned, nor is it  accessible. Not seen in Disk Management.  Checked and rechecked jumpers, changed cables, and etc.

Same motherboard, different master HDD and OS......... Maxtor 2G HDD with Win 98.  Bios detects slave WD 20,  Windows says faulty IDE controller, doesn't see HDD.  

Have 2 WD 20G HDD's - other one works fine in both cases.

Unaccessable HDD not seen by Win 95 emergency (3 1/2) start-up disk, but Win 98 emergency start-up will "see"  both C and D drives.  

Help! - would like to retrieve files on backup, if possible.

Pardon the length of question, but tried everything I can think of.

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Asked On
2004-01-30 at 08:22:09ID20868161
Topic

General Computer Systems

Participating Experts
4
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Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: sirbountyPosted on 2004-01-30 at 08:27:45ID: 10236215

 

by: CallandorPosted on 2004-01-30 at 08:57:33ID: 10236473

Best if you hooked up the backup drive to another computer that has a working IDE controller - that way, you can recover your data safely, without wondering if the controller is going to die on you.  Then you can take a longer look at why this machine is acting up.

 

by: ranger007Posted on 2004-01-31 at 01:36:17ID: 10241540

To both sirbounty and to callandor - I appreciate your prompt responses.   I suppose I was looking for a "magic bullet", or at a minimum,  a  very low-cost fix.  It will be a few days before I get a chance to try the drive in another computer, but will leave the question open until then.  I will report the result.  

Thank you.

 

by: ridPosted on 2004-01-31 at 08:14:41ID: 10242549

A win98 boot floppy usually creates a RAM drive - that may be your "D" drive.
/RID

 

by: ranger007Posted on 2004-02-12 at 18:20:00ID: 10349065

I appreciate the three responses.  I was able to try the drive in another computer and the results were the same.  Recovering the files wasn't possible (it would have been great to have them, but this is not the first information that I have lost), I have concluded that the drive was just a bad drive and plan to close this question.

Thanks again

 

by: GhostModPosted on 2004-02-16 at 22:01:01ID: 10379414

PAQd, 135 points refunded.

GhostMod
Community Support Moderator

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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