Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

System doesn't like 2nd hard drive, thoughts?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • System doesn't like 2nd hard drive, thoughts?

    Hey folks. I decided it was time to add another hard drive to my system, should be no problem, right?

    I already had four devices, though the oldest CD rom sees hardly any use, so I got a PCI IDE controller (Highpoint Rocket133), in the interests of support more devices and improving performance.

    It appeared to install fine, but after driver installation, I found that the system wouldn't load Windows. Just after the Win98 splash screen and right before the desktop, I get the following error:

    While initializing device VCOMM: Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer.

    It DOES start in safe mode. I went through a whole list of disabling everything in the startup sequence, but it still gives me the same error unless I'm in safe mode.

    Well, I thought what the heck, maybe my computer just doesn't like add-on IDE controllers. A promise Ultra100TX2 also had a weird problem, though different, last year. So, I decided to ditch my old CD rom and hook my new hard drive as a slave to the other hard drive. Guess what? Same error!

    Seems my system doesn't like this new hard drive for some reason. However, when I tried hooking my old hard drive up to the Rocket133 (new hard drive unconnected), once again I get the exact same error.

    The new drive seems to work - I was able to Fdisk and format it without trouble, and I can copy files to and from it using a Win98 bootup disk. It also shows fine in safe mode, although multiple copies seem to fail from Windows Explorer under safe mode.

    Another thing I don't get is why the system assigns drive letters the way it does. My old hard drive has two partitions, thus, C and D. However, when I connect the new hard drive, the D partition becomes E, and the new hard drive becomes D. What the ??

    Do I just need to dump this POS Win98 or am I just missing some really simple step when trying to add a new hard drive?

    Sorry for the long post, I've spent about 10 hours on this already and it's really ticking me off.. System specs at the link below, happy to provide any other information.



    Aaron Gilbert

  • #2
    I'm not sure about the rest of your question, but as for the nameing convention from memory it works on 'Primary' partitions are given names first, then the partitions in the 'extended partition' are assigned drive letters. So it takes the primary from the first drive assigns it C then the primary from the second drive and assigns 'D' then goes back to the primary extended partition and gives it 'E' and so on

    Dan
    Juu nin to iro


    English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.

    Comment


    • #3
      Ok that make sense, thanks.

      So, if I can ever get the second hard drive working at all, I should Fdisk it again and choose extended partition instead of primary partition, if I want it to be E instead of D? I assume if each drive has an extended partition, it will name the one on the master first, then the slave? At least one could hope..

      Aaron

      Comment


      • #4
        You said you added a PCI 133 controller, does the error show when it is removed? As for dumping the 98 drive, just xcopy it to the bigger drive if more space is what you really need. then take the origional drive and set it back to a single drive 8D

        so you needs to clean up drivers then doublecheck jumpers and get system to see addon card properly B4 adding the new drive
        -pickle
        Last edited by Dilitante1; 27 April 2002, 22:33.
        Better to let one think you are a fool, than speak and prove it


        Comment


        • #5
          hmmm re the large extended parition on the drive, from memory that will work. but you won't be able to make that a boot drive without repartioning it in the future.

          what was the configeration on your ide controlers when you connected it to the mobo's ide controllers

          ie primary ide master drivex
          slave cdrom
          ?
          If you had the hdd drive connected as slave with a cdrom as primary it could have done some weird stuff

          Dan
          Juu nin to iro


          English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.

          Comment


          • #6
            Here's when the error shows:

            Dilitante1-

            To answer you question, I can actually have the IDE controller installed and never get any errors until I connect a drive to it.

            I will get the error in any of the following situations:


            1. PCI IDE controller installed and any combination of the hard drives connected to it. One to each channel, new one slave to the old, etc..

            2. New hard drive connected as slave to old hard drive on primary channel of motherboard.

            3. New hard drive as master on secondary MB channel and old as master on primary MB channel (no slaves). Haven't tried reversing, but can't imagine why it would matter.


            So, essentially, I can't use the new hard drive period, except from a bootup disk or safe mode. And, I can't use the old hard drive on the PCI controller, period.

            Motherboard secondary channel has a Lite-ON LTR1610B and Lite-ON LTD163 as slave and master respectively.

            I could just Xcopy everything to the new hard drive as suggested, and ditch the old HD, but it seems just wrong to get rid of 30 GB, and it's a damn fast drive. Seems unnecessary, too.

            Aaron
            Last edited by aaroncgi; 27 April 2002, 22:56.

            Comment


            • #7
              try the new drive as primary on the second channel, just as a quick test to see how it goes.

              Dan
              Juu nin to iro


              English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.

              Comment


              • #8
                Are you installing any drivers for the controller card? I get a similar issue if the drivers arent installed and i try to boot off the controller card in Win2K Pro.
                Better to let one think you are a fool, than speak and prove it


                Comment


                • #9
                  Sasq,

                  Whoops, left out something, see #3 added above your post.

                  Dilitante1,

                  Yes, the drivers for the controller card are intsalled, in fact the card is installed right now, just has nothing connected to it. When I try to boot off the controller though, no go... One odd thing though - it doesn't seem to matter what the BIOS settings are for bootup. Even if SCSI is not one of the bootup choices, it will still try to boot from the controller.. this might be normal though...

                  Aaron

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    ok, in the BIOS, is your system set to auto-detect your origional drive? Or did you manually input the settings? Manual settings can affect the controller card function, as the system will expect the same drive in 2 places at once.....

                    .02$
                    Better to let one think you are a fool, than speak and prove it


                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yes.

                      The BIOS is set to auto detect for all the drives in my system, and as far as I can tell, it's detecting them all properly.

                      When I connect either or both hard drives to the controller card, the main BIOS bootup screen no longer reports them, but the BIOS on the card does report them (again, properly).

                      I really tend to think this is a Windows/motherboard issue rather than the controller card, given that I can replicate the problem without the card. Then again, that doesn't explain why just a single HD won't work off the card...

                      Aaron

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Highpoint anything IMHO is pure crap... wouldn't touch it with Dil's... stick! and Sasq pushin
                        "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." -- Dr. Seuss

                        "Always do good. It will gratify some and astonish the rest." ~Mark Twain

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks for the input, Greebe.

                          It still doesn't explain why I get the same problem trying to run a second HD off the motherboard.... next you'll be telling me that VIA is pure crap. I'd certainly be willing to try another IDE controller (third time's a charm?), but probably the ones that aren't crap will cost more than a new MB and processor...

                          Aaron

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Might be worthwhile checking if there is an updated bios for your mobo.
                            But first do a quick check and take out anthing that isn't needed for the pc to boot. disconect the other cdrom drives etc.
                            I notice your running a hell of a lot off a 250W power supply It might just be having trouble supplying enough juice to power everything.

                            Dan
                            Juu nin to iro


                            English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Might seem stupid, but have you tried re-installing the OS?

                              AZ
                              There's an Opera in my macbook.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X