Slave Drive Problems

[sakuraknight765]

Okay, here's my predicament:
My original hard drive crashed, and I'm seeking to retrieve vital information from it by making it a slave. I've already purchased a new hard drive and formatted it. In fact, I'm using it now ^^. Anyway, when I try to slave my original hard drive it won't work. The screen that comes up before you can enter BIOS or CMOS does not detect it for some reason. I have my new hard drive hooked up to the primary IDE port of my motherboard, obviously blue, and black to the main hard drive and gray to the slave. I've set the jumpers to both my new one master and slave for my old one, and to cable decide option. I have the power cables plugged in as well. What's wrong? This is very exasperating ... and I figure if this doesn't work I probably will never be able to procure the information again. It's very upsetting, and I've definitely learned to create several backups. Anyways, please help me!! I would really appreciate it!

~Thanks

 

[HAVOC]

When you said, "my original hard drive crashed." Did you mean, "Windows wouldn't boot or had OS corruption?" or did you mean, "There is a mechanical malfunction with the hardware of the drive?"
The later of the two may be your problem.

Well, you seem to understand how IDE channels work and have taken the necessary steps to connected both drives.

MAIN HDD with WINDOWS - MASTER JUMPER - TOP OF IDE CABLE
SECONDARY - SLAVE JUMPER - SECOND CONNECTOR IDE CABLE.
BOTH DRIVES - CONNECTED TO MOLEXES
MASTER / SLAVE IDE - CONNECTED TO PRIMARY IDE CONNECTER ON MOTHERBOARD.

That's correct. Sometimes you really have to take a second and third look at the jumpers on the back of the drives. The writing is very small and sometimes backwards from the way you think it is.
I would double and triple check those jumpers to make sure they are absolutely in the right positions.

Are you able to enter the BIO's of the machine? If not, then you may consider trying to clear the CMOS. To do this either remove the Nickel sized battery on the motherboard for about 5 - 10 minutes and then returning it. OR there are usually jumpers on motherboards that you can set to CMOS clear, then set it back to normal. Both will work fine. This will return your CMOS back to it's default orignal settings and may allow you to enter the BIOS.

If none of this works I would say that the slave drive or older drive is done. The only way to save DATA on that drive is by a professional DATA recovery service. Which can be expensive. But, most of them don't charge you unless they recover your DATA.

Good Luck

 

[RicoDirenzo]

If the controller chip on that HD fried, then you would have to send the drive off to a professional recovery site that has the hardware/software necessary to do that kind of recovery and it is a huge expense. If your system does not recognize the drive at all in the bios...the controller chip is fried and your in bad shape. Immediately go and buy another HD for back up. They are so inexpensive today tha it makes no sense to run a single drive expressly for the reasons you are now facing!!!

 

[jolancer]

Depending on if the hardware on that old HDD is dead or not, but....

it might not be working for you though, simply because you have the jumper in the wrong place.... but i believe you said that you put both drive's jumpers to the 'Cable Select' Option.... Instead try putting your Primary maser HDD's jumper to the MA (Master) position, and the Old secondary Slave to the SL (Slave) position...

sometimes depending on the hardware and motherboard, CableSelect doesnt work.