More problems....

[Pumpkin_Jack]

Well this sucks for me yet more problems, solve one, and another appears.

Ok so my current situation is my computer doesnt seem to reconize that my hard drive exists. Origonally i thought it was windows that wasnt working and screwed with that for 2 days but im pretty sure its my hard drive.

when i let the computer load without the windows disk in i get a "Media Test Failure"

upon trying to replace and fix windows but apon trying to reinstall windows it doesnt reconize my hard drive is there to load windows to.

What ive tried: re-installing windows
made sure all cables were good and such but no luck.

Basicallu im trying to find a way to fix my compuiter without having to buy a new hard drive and losing my current data.

[K PhaNTOM]

Did you get your computer at a flea market? You have more problem time than on-time.

[Pumpkin_Jack]

Did you get your computer at a flea market? You have more problem time than on-time.

my computer is 3 or 4 years old and i never had a problem until 2 months ago

[DougBob]

Have you had the opportunity or resource to test the drive in a known good PC to verify it's readable.

Is this a new Mobo or the old one?

[{CLR} Cobalt]

Did you replace the MB.. You running SATA drives or IDE. If you replaced the MB and trying to hook up an IDE drive sometimes its disabled in the bios. Dont know exactly what you got going. Just a suggestion.

[Pumpkin_Jack]

To DB and cobalt, i replaced the video card, i have the same motherboard, but i know thats working because a old hard drive i have(very old 100gb) works in it fine. although i dont have another working computer to test it in. Also i have a cable with a L shape to it connecting the hard drive and motherboard, it says sata on it so im guessing thats what im using. Unfortunatly i dont really have a spare computer to test my hard drive on.


By the time im done figuring out all my problems i will be a pro

[Dead...Again]

(you may have already answered this) DOes the Harddrive show up in BIOS Setup? If not, do you have another cable you can swap yours out for? Have you tried disconnecting and reconnecting the cable? If you don't have another cable to try, I would recommend buying one. They are pretty cheap. It could very likely just be a cable problem.

[Pumpkin_Jack]

(you may have already answered this) DOes the Harddrive show up in BIOS Setup? If not, do you have another cable you can swap yours out for? Have you tried disconnecting and reconnecting the cable? If you don't have another cable to try, I would recommend buying one. They are pretty cheap. It could very likely just be a cable problem.

I'll try a new cable, only problem is my local radioshack and walmart(i live in a small town) dont carry the sata cable, so i will have to make a trip into the city for it.

Let me try to explain everything in detail of what i understand and notice. I hear the hard-drive kick up like its starting but nothing is reconizing its their including bios. If i let it run without the windows boot disk in i get a screen saying....
"PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable."
and with the windows boot disk in i get no where b/c it cant find the hard drive or nothing.

The bios menu also doesnt seen to reconize the hard drive is there or not. Is there a way you can tell your computer to look for the hard drive?

[Dead...Again]

With SATA, as long as you have a good HDD and cable the BIOS should detect it automatically. Try the new cable. IF you are lucky, that is the problem. If it doesn't show up with the new cable, then you are probably SOL. Hate to break it to you..

[Dead...Again]

Oh, forgot to mention. Also, try different SATA ports on your motherboard. You should have at least 6. If your DVD ROM drive is connected to SATA, then you know that is a good port, so try that one.

[Dead...Again]

Sorry for the triple post, just thinking as I am typing...

If the DVD ROM drive is connected to SATA, then you know that is a good cable, so you can try connecting that cable to the HDD.

[Pumpkin_Jack]

my cd rom drive is connected with one of those giant ribbon wide cables so i dont have an extra cable.

Im just gonna buy a new hdd i just dont care anymore.

lastly does a new hard drive come with a new sata cable?

[WalkinTarget]

lastly does a new hard drive come with a new sata cable?

A retail drive in a box will come with a cable. An OEM drive does not have a cable. Too bad you aren't near me .. I have more extra parts than I even care to think about.

[Infamous]

if you go and buy a new HDD , you may still be SOL, there wont be an operating system on it. Now , perhaps you just get lucky, and have a bad cable, and can switch them, but buying a new HDD without making sure you have an OS you can put back on it wont help you any .

[Pumpkin_Jack]

if you go and buy a new HDD , you may still be SOL, there wont be an operating system on it. Now , perhaps you just get lucky, and have a bad cable, and can switch them, but buying a new HDD without making sure you have an OS you can put back on it wont help you any .

I have a windows disk so i should be ok.