where's my hard drive

You need to set it up in your BIOS, restart the computer and when you get the screen with the ram check look for something that says press del or f1 or something like that to enter bios, press it and go to auto find hard drive (or something like that).

After you set it up boot to a floppy, fdisk the drive and format it.

(Also make sure it is plugged in right)

Compania,
  I tried what you suggested, but when I tried to set the partition on the hdd it said "verifying Drive integrity" but it didn't do anything. Before when I've done this it took like 10 seconds to verify integrity, but this sat there for 10 minutes and didn't move. I even tried it twice with the same result the 2nd time.
Mike

If FDISK is unable to verify the integrity of the hard disk, then
it is possible that the hard disk is bad(if it has been set up
correctly in bios.)

If everything else fails, try low level formatiing it.

How do I low level format the hdd?

May be the disk has a non-dos partition (this is necesary when you use UNIX for example). Using Win 98 boot disk delete the partition with FDISK (option 3), then make a partition (option 1) and after that at the prompt type format (your news drive letter): and hit enter

Example: format d:\

Please, tell us: ¿does your BIOS show your new disk?

Keep this in mind: if new disk is on the same controller as your main disk, then the new disk must be switched to slave.

Ya, viking, when I run setup the BIOS shows the slave hdd, DOS also recognizes it if I run setup, but if I don't run setup it doesn't show up in fdisk. I do have it switched to slave. I even tried it as my master and ran restoration cd and it got ready to install win98 on the hdd then said "wait, I don't recognize this hdd" LOL I'm lost. I really appreciate all your guys help though. We'll get it.

Some Hard Disk Drives from different manufacturers for some
reason will not work as Master/Slave on the same controller.

I once worked on a client's computer that had a Seagate
hard disk and a JTS Champion Hard Disk added as slave. Fdisk
would not recognize the JTS Champion Disk no matter what the
jumper setting, on the 2 disks was.

Web solved the problem by slaving another Seagate Drive to
the Master Seagate drive.

How big is that new disk??? is Ultra DMA66??? if not try disable the Ultra in setup...

That is just a bad drive all the way around.

I tried all of your suggestions now guys and am starting to agree with biard, but am still working on it. How would I go about doing a low level format on the drive? Or would this be a bad idea?
Thanks guys.
Mike

Satwa,
  Would this make a difference if I put just this new drive on the computer by itself so there was no other drive for it to conflict with?

whatboy it is a 1.6 gig Western Digital

If you want to low level format the drive you need this program:

http://www.westerndigital.com/service/ftp/dlgtools/dlgt22.exe

Thanks compmania, I will give that a try.

Low level formatting the drive will not help.  But the above WD program may at least wipe the drive free of any data.

Make sure the drive is recognized properly in the BIOS, then Fdisk, and format should take care of it.

Bad drive.

The WD 1.6G drives did have problems.  So you never know.

Yes, it will make a difference if you put the drive on the controller by itself.  Set it as master and install it on the
Primary master controller and see if when set to AUTO, if
Bios recognizes it, and if you are able to fdsik and format it.

Uh.  I doubt it.  Chances are VERY good that that drive was manufactured, oh, let's say 3 or 4 years ago, if not more.  If he just bought it, it still probably won't cary a mfgr warranty.  It will likely fall onto the shoulders of whoever sold it to him.

Oh, and did I mention that I believe it's a bad drive?

If he just bought it WD will still replace it. If they don't make the size they will give him the next biggest one.

They have a 1 (or 3 depending on bulk or boxed) year warranty.  So what you are suggesing is that if I owned a retail establishment, and I couldn't sell a HP computer, or a Diamond modem or even a WD hard drive for 5 years, once I do sell it, they will still honor the warranty?  I really don't think so.  I worked for a retail place.  99 % of the companies only validate the warranty for 3 - 6 months beyond when it would have expired had it been sold immediately after manufacture.  If someone bought something on clearance and it was fairly old, we usually sold it "As is no warranty".  Besides, even if they would replace it, what would they give him?  A 10 or 13 gig drive or whatever they still make?  I doubt it.  Besides, who's to say it was even new?  It could have been resold or "refurbished" or any number of things.  WD is not going to warranty a 5 year old drive.  But, hey, e-mail them and find out.  What do I know?

Here ya go.  You would have to go to this page and get the number to call anyway.  There is a manufacture date on the drive somewhere if it even still has the original label.  There is a 3 year warranty from the mfgr date.

http://www.westerndigital.com/products/drives/wdhdwar.html

Thanks guys. I checked out the site you gave me biard, it gave me hope. My drive was manufactured in 8/97 so I still have 7 months left on the 3 year warranty...at least that's what I understood from the info on the site. I will try all of your suggestions over the weekend. I don't work Sunday or Monday so I should have some time to work on it. And again thank you guys so much for your help.
sincerely,
Mike Haase

compmania,
  You were right. I called WD and they are issuing me a new drive. Thanks alot.
  Biard,
The drive was manufactured in 97, but has a 3 yr warranty which is good until 8-00 so it was a good think I listened to compmania and called WD anyway.
thanks guy.

thanks for tellin me to try WD tech support. For some reason I had not even thought of that. LOL

Take it easy, and thanks again.

Mike H.