IDE Detecting

[Horosha]

Story

OKAY! This problem, I've been working on for two days now. It all started when I bought a new video card. I installed it and it worked (that is besides the irritating buzz/beep presumably from the lack of power it needed). I was putting the computer's cover back on and, as weird as it sounds, a single floppy drive type power cable lead was sticking out of the case, and as soon as it made contact with the cover, it sparked.

The computer, which was on, resetting just after installing the video drivers, had frozen. Of course I had pressed the reset button shortly after. Not to my surprise, but rather my disappointment, it didn't even produce a video signal.

I've had experiences in the past with electronics. Such ones that after it was presumed dead, started working again. I tried my old video card with no luck. However, I did try again perhaps a day later. Lo and behold, the BIOS appeared on the monitor. Great! But now comes the main and current problem.

Problem

Everything was going as normal until the boot process reached the part where it attempted to detect IDE drives. As you might of guessed it, the cd-rom drive and both HDD's were not detected. The floppy drive IS detected however.

I have tried some tests on this computer. I've tried the following:

• Attempted to hook up the Master HDD to this computer. Disk read error I believe it was.
• Traded IDE cables
• Reset CMOS
• Used a different HDD by loading Windows onto it. Setup was unable to copy files onto for some reason.
• Used the 6 bootdisks from Microsoft. No HDD, no help.
• Using another CD-ROM Drive. Undetected.
• Used the secondary HDD from the original computer.
• Disconnected all drives but main HDD. No go

That's it. If you can offer me any more help I would gladly appreciate it! Thanks

 

[nihilist]

How the hell did it spark? I mean, those molex plugs are insulated and the plug heads usually can't touch anything causing a short.

Unless there's a break in the cable's sleaving?

Anyway, it almost sounds like a dead IDE controller, OR, that spark caused part of the PSU to die.

Your IDE controller isn't somehow disabled in the bios is it?

Do your hard drives spin up? Unscrew them from the drive cage and hold in your hand and feel.

 

[savage]

You more than likely blew your IDE Controller - they are quite sensitive and does break... Try a diff motherboard, or buy a ol-cheapo PCI controller.

I'd also check all cabling to make sure you didn't damage anything else by accident... You gotta be careful boet!

 

[Horosha]

I haven't heard of IDE controllers before. It sounds likely that's problem, I guess, but then why don't the drives work in this other computer? And yes I've felt the harddrives. They spin. The CD-ROM drive opens and closes as well.

Thanks for the help. I could always use more if anyone else has some ideas.

 

[ghalied]

try bunching up your loose cables with some elastic bands and also use a wrist strap next time round, ur safe then.

 

[Horosha]

New discovery:

HDD operates as a slave in this old computer.

Brand new HDD is NOT detected by my motherboard.

Conclusion: Probably something wrong with the motherboard.

I guess I'll be returning that new harddrive.