Windows can't find a hard drive

[Tringa]

Just finished building a PC, installed XP, installed the SATA drivers from a floppy when the XP installation asked for them and the rest of the installation completed without a problem on a 80 Gb Samsung SpinPoint P80, SATA300. The PC boots up and everything appears OK. I then installed another hard drive - 250 Gb HGST (IBM/Hitachi) Deskstar T7K250, SATA300.

The Samsung is attached to the SATA 1 header on the A8N32 SLi Deluxe motherboard and the other drive to the SATA 3 header (the graphics card covers the SATA 2 header).

The POST screen recognises both drives. The BIOS also sees both drives (but it lists the Samsung as 3rd IDE Master and the Hitachi as 5th IDE Master). The Windows Device Manger also shows both drives and says the Hitachi is enabled and is working properly.

But “My Computer” shows only the Samsung drive.

Is there something really basic that I have missed to get XP to see the Hitachi drive so I can use it?

TIA

[SirusVirus]

u tried downloaded any drivers that mite be needed for the drives? and i wouldnt think they shoud both be showing as master drives?

[EtheAv8r]

Your drive is detected by the BIOS, but it is a brand new unformatted drive so Windows won't see it until you format it.

Open Computer Management, select Storage>Disk Management and format it as a Primary partition... Put the kettle on it will probably take about an hour!

[s_kinton]

u tried downloaded any drivers that mite be needed for the drives?

Drivers!?!? I very much doubt it.....

EtheAv8r has got it in one. You need to format the drive as a primary partition before windows recognises it as a useable drive.

[Steve B]

<pedant>
logical drive
</pedant>

[Blitzen]

Your drive is detected by the BIOS, but it is a brand new unformatted drive so Windows won't see it until you format it.

Open Computer Management, select Storage>Disk Management and format it as a Primary partition... Put the kettle on it will probably take about an hour!

Thats correct.
Unless the drives are raided up, the primary drive is the only one displayed until its formatted.

[Smokey21]

Format that mofo!!!!!

[Leepox]

right click on my computer
click manage
go to disk management
you should find the other undetected disk marked as "uninitiated"
Initiate it
Partition it from there (if you need to)
format it

Fairly common imho... Dont know why windows does this, but oh well.

[Tringa]

Thanks all. Disk management started the formatting, but the PC crashed when it was about half way through.

Its got other probs not that I'll try to sort, If I don't manage it - I'll be back.

Cheers all

[ibiris]

Failing that, use Partition magic or a similar product rather than windows.

[EtheAv8r]

If a new build crashes during a drive format..... could be a 'seating' problem, or overheating CPU. Did you use the standard CPU heatsink? - if there was a protective film over the thermal paste did you remove it? Is the cooler fitted properly?

[Tringa]

Thanks Ethe.. good suggestion.

The Artic 64 wasn't seated properly. Took everything out, reseated it and the idling temps dropped from 51C to 36C, and the second hard drive formatted just fine - thanks.

[EtheAv8r]

No problem, glad to help..... if I could only suss out my USB problem.....


Ho Hum