Help with my HDD

[andyg]

I know that this isn't really a topic related to this forum but you guys and gals out there seem to know what you're doing so I thought i'd ask anyway.

I purchased a 20gig hard disk drive about a month ago in order to do some serious encoding. It's a Seagate Barracuda ATA II. I am still trying to install it a month later!

My problem is this:

When I set the jumper to limit the drive to 2.1Gig I can successfully format/partition and install software on it.

When I set the jumper to restore the drive to full capacity my PC won't even boot from my startup floppy! It just freezes at the HDD detection stage. I can't even get to dos to format it.

I have read the instructions and it says to go into my BIOS setup and enable LBA in order to install drive but I can't get into BIOS! My last PC used the CTRL ALT ESC keys together to bring up BIOS but this one doesn't. If I keep any keys pressed during startup it says "KEYBOARD ERROR"

I have a COMPAQ DESKPRO 4000, Intel Pentium II - MMX. Does anybody else have the same PC and know how to get into BIOS? If you need anymore inforation I will gladly supply it.

[Enchanter]

Most systems nowadays require that you press the DEL button in order to enter the BIOS.

Provided that your system was purchased in or after 1997, it should not have much trouble with a 20Gig drive. I have personally installed one such drive in a Celeron 300 and it works. If not, a BIOS update for your motherboard may be in order.

Basically, you need to make sure that your motherboard recognises the HD before you can proceed partitioning and formatting it. It would be an additional bonus if your BIOS can auto-set the HD so as to save you some hassle.

p.s. You left the drive alone for a month??? That's a waste.

[andyg]

I'm not sure how old my PC is. I assume it is later than '97 but that is only a presumption. I say that because it was bought second hand. The first PC was a very slow PI you see and I couldn't burn my CD's properly.

At what stage do I press the delete key since if I hold down any keys before the HDD recognition stage I am told that there is a keyboard error and have to reboot?

If I have to update BIOS, how do I do that? I have a spare PC, the PI. Is it on a chip inside? How do I identify the chip if so?

Thanks, Andy.

[Enchanter]

Upon reboot and in POST (where everything is black and all you see is white text, literally put), there should be a sentence with the instruction on how to enter BIOS or SETUP. In most cases, though, it is the DEL button. Press the appropriate button.

Tp update the BIOS, you need to go to your motherboard manufacturer site and download the appropriate BIOS update file. Be warned that a failed BIOS update (eg. a blackout in the middle of the process) will render your motherboard useless and turn it into an expensive paper weight).

From the sound of it, you don't seem prepared for the 'rites' of a hardware addition/removal, let alone a BIOS upgrade. I suggest you get someone knowledgeable to perform everything for you. It's safer than 'walking in the dark.'

[andyg]

Thanks for your help Enchanter. Got the HDD installed at last. I set the jumper connector to limit drive to 2.1GB which allowed me access to Windows 98. I then tried using Seagate's DiskWizard program that I downloaded from their website to set up the drive for me. Luckily, that worked and successfully formatted and partitioned drive as 20GB. Now I have more room to manoeuvre my files around! It's great. Thanks again, Andy.

PS: Still couldn't fathom out how to get into BIOS. When I boot up, it says F1 Boot, F11 Setup. When I press F11, it does exactly the same as F1 - ie. boots from HDD or floppy if inserted. Delete didn't work - just made a beeping sound when held down during boot up. Oh well, don't need to get into BIOS now I suppose.

[Enchanter]

Congrats on you, andyg. If it works and nothing else seems to be going wrong, there is no need to go into BIOS. After all, you don't seem prepared for the sight of it.