Can a HD die with a change from flag IDE to rounded IDE ?
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Join Date: 2002-11-04 Member: 6944Members
Join Date: 2002-11-04 Member: 6944Members
<div class="IPBDescription">had an HD that died the next day I changed IDE cables</div>I have a weird situation. For the past week I have changed my mid-tower to a full one + bigger power supply + 2 fans and yesterday, I changed my flat IDE cables to <a href="http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?Sku=C184-50024" target="_blank">rounded ones</a> . I have 2 HD: one for main O/S and one for games, MP3s, backups, swap file, ...
After changing the IDE cables, I played a game for the whole evening without problems. That game is residing on that defective HD. The next day, I wanted to play it again but it said it could not find the game. I went lookign and the folder was empty. I asked a full scandisk but upon rebooting (Win-XP) it did not do the chkdsk and the drive was gone from the list of devices. I did a chkdsk on my C: just in case but no changes. Booted with my powermax 4.23 diagnostic CD and it reported problems. Phoned Seagate (support number on maxtor was pointing at Seagate) and they told me to use the Seagate tool because powermax was discontinued. I did and it reported problems plus the model, serial and version number of it was totally garbage (Windows was not even recognizing the right HD model anymore). So tonight I have to check the serial number and call them back to find out if it is still under warranty.
My question is : can a HD die because I went from flag ID (grey old ones) to <a href="http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?Sku=C184-50024" target="_blank">rounded IDE ones</a> ?
My defective HD is a Maxtor Diamond (something) 250Gb IDE internal 6L250R0 (by memory). Had it for about 4-6 years. I have no Sata connections (MSI6712 KT4V-L MB)
I read about new cables enabling <a href="http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/conf_Cable80.htm" target="_blank">Ultra DMA with 80 connectors</a> (which I belive what I have) where old flat grey ones don't. So could it be that something was not set/recognized to enable Ultra DMA and fu.. up things ?
After changing the IDE cables, I played a game for the whole evening without problems. That game is residing on that defective HD. The next day, I wanted to play it again but it said it could not find the game. I went lookign and the folder was empty. I asked a full scandisk but upon rebooting (Win-XP) it did not do the chkdsk and the drive was gone from the list of devices. I did a chkdsk on my C: just in case but no changes. Booted with my powermax 4.23 diagnostic CD and it reported problems. Phoned Seagate (support number on maxtor was pointing at Seagate) and they told me to use the Seagate tool because powermax was discontinued. I did and it reported problems plus the model, serial and version number of it was totally garbage (Windows was not even recognizing the right HD model anymore). So tonight I have to check the serial number and call them back to find out if it is still under warranty.
My question is : can a HD die because I went from flag ID (grey old ones) to <a href="http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?Sku=C184-50024" target="_blank">rounded IDE ones</a> ?
My defective HD is a Maxtor Diamond (something) 250Gb IDE internal 6L250R0 (by memory). Had it for about 4-6 years. I have no Sata connections (MSI6712 KT4V-L MB)
I read about new cables enabling <a href="http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/conf_Cable80.htm" target="_blank">Ultra DMA with 80 connectors</a> (which I belive what I have) where old flat grey ones don't. So could it be that something was not set/recognized to enable Ultra DMA and fu.. up things ?
Comments
Verify the new cable is completely plugged in (solid connection) on both sides?
Had the whole thing running with the new case+psu+fans since last Thursday. I played a few games (all games on that defective drive).
I only changed the IDE cables 2 days ago (Tuesday) and it died yesterday (Wednesday).
LOL sorry !
No
One thing I should add. I have 2 IDE rounded cables where one of them has 2 HD on it and the other, a DVD burner and CD-ROm.
So one HD died and the other one is still working on that same IDE rounded cable. Not same model but still a Maxtor Diamond something 80Gb
Once I get home tonight, I will try again and then switch to the old cable to see.
As for your question whether a harddisk can die from changing cables: No, not from that alone. If they're the right sort of cable, swapping them out shouldn't matter, assuming the cables aren't faulty. Even if the cables are faulty, the problems are not all that likely to cause permanent damage. Most of the time you'll just get a garbled signal. We're trying to figure out whether that's the case here.
Of course, if you didn't establish common ground between yourself and your computer before you fiddled with it, it's possible that you fried the drive with static. But one step at a time, let's stick to the cables for now.
Of course, if you didn't establish common ground between yourself and your computer before you fiddled with it, it's possible that you fried the drive with static. ...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I kept touching metal before and told my cat to STAY AWAY !!!
By the way, I gota say this. So far you have been the most helpfull on all contact means I have tried so far (office, tech forum at office, Seagate).
Thank you very much !
Did you returned the cables ?
Payed mine about $16Cdn
I rebooted with the Seagate diagnostic DOS tool and it was seeing it with the proper model, serial and version number. I tried doing a few tests but they failed. Then I noticed it was saying my hd had a 0gb capacity. I used the tool option to use the maximum native amount (guess its based on the LBA) and it switched it to 250Gb. I ran the short and long basic tests and they passed.
Rebooted into XP and I could see the partitions of my 2nd hd. But the actual game partition of it still said it is corrupted (and ntfs). After that I went to bed.
So tonight, I think the only thing left to do is to reformat that partition, do the other ones on that same hd or do a full low level format of the whole hd <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> I am guessing a full low level format.
I'm at the office.
What?
Ok, I have never heard of that particular one, that you cant format modern disk.
As to the drive not showing in windows, i would go to the <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307844" target="_blank">computer management too</a>l and confirm that you have assigned it a drive letter.
It is worth nothing that in vista it is possible to mount a drive unix style and thus simply have one folder be a partition or drive.
finally, chkdsk is actually very good about fixing errors on disks in windows. If it has a drive letter assigned try to access it in a dos window. and execute chkdsk /f just fer luls.
I assume, however, that Browser was referring to reinitialisation.
This feature is available in XP too. I can't say for certain, but it might have been in Win2k.
My 2nd HD was not showing in the admin disk management tool.
The chkdsk was not doing anything.
The disk was not even showing up in the bios boot sequence.
When I did manage to see it, it was throught the hd diagnostic tool but then all its infos were garbage. All diagnostic tests failed.
I switched back the old flat IDE gray cable.
Then my HD started showing up in the diagnostic tool
When I booted back in XP, the disk was there finaly with all the partitions but some were corrupted. Chkdsk did not help at all in this case (tried it 3 times).
I decided to low-level format it with the diagnostic tool.
Booted back in XP admin disk management.
Re-built the partitions.
Formatted them and copied my stuffs back (had them on DVDs from the week before, I was prepared !!!)
The only problem I have now is my Ubuntu 8.04 taking long to detect my Hds Ultra DMA2 mode (ATA/133). It does finds it but after trying the other ATA formats and sticking with ATA/33. Still working on this.
Everything is now almost back to normal (hadn't re-installed everything, just the bear minimal).
Now once my Ubuntu ATA problem is fixed, I will need to do a whole PC DVD image. This is so I do not have to go through this again next time I need to re-install.
For imaging, I am thinking either <a href="http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/index.html" target="_blank">True Image-11</a> (does Linux partitions too) or <a href="http://www.clonezilla.org/" target="_blank">Clonezilla</a> (free open source). Last time I used True Image, it was the TRUE trial version-9 (had tried the downloadable trial but because it wasn't working on the restore of the image, I gave ###### to the company and they gave me a 10 day trial of the real thing and that is when I did a real PC image but of my old config). Either I wait to get the cash to get True Image or go with Clonezilla (not 100% it will be a true workable/restorable image).