Problems with Hard Drive Installation

[josh]

I just attempted to install a new Western digital, 250 GB EIDE hardrive into my HP Pavillion 525C. I put the new drive in, set the jumper blockson both drive to cable select (which was the default on my original drive) connected the IDE cables and power supplies and when I booted up the computer, all I got was a black screen, no screen with the HP logo like normal just a black screen.

I then tried a master/slave ump block configuration but I got the same result. I then tried disconnecting the new drive, and just setting the jumper block to cable select on the new drive but I still get the black screen.

I called both HP and Western Digital tech support but they where both useless. (what else is new)

when I boot up the computer all the fans spin up, the lights on the CD and DVD drives blink, and the light beneth the powerbutton the I believe indicates hard drive activity turns on. Although I have not seen the light on the floppy drive blinking. I also swapped the IDE cable that was in my PC with the one that came with the hard drive.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can do? I really don't wanna have to take my computer somewhere to get it repared.

[MihaiG]

if the computer model is old it might not work... the computer might not understand 250Gb and and why would you need 250Gb?...just replace it might be the r hardrive itself

[josh]

which HD? the new 1?

I got 250 because it was a boxing day sale and was down to the price of what a 160BG would be regularly, so I figured since I was gunna spend that much on a 160 may as well get the 250, I also wanna start video edditing and stuff like that and I am down to very little space left on the original HD.

I also want to make about a 50 GB partition to put Linux on it. Also it will be good for the next few years if I want to build a new PC, I don't think I will buy a name brand again, they put to much shit in their PC's.

EDIT: and i just bought the computer last year.

[Neo]

I also had problems getting my computer to recognize my new hard drive. My computer is old and the hard drive is pretty big, 120GB, for such an old computer, so I had to set 2 jumpers on the harddrive. Try the alternative jumper settings that are usually near the end of the instructions booklet.

[Paul]

Well, I think jumper settings vary with hard drives, you have to make sure you got it right. Plus, when you hook up the IDE cables, you have to match pin 1 on the cable to pin 1 on the IDE controller. On the cable you can tell with the red stripe.

[josh]

I did try the alternate jumper settings for the new HD.

The problem isn't that it is not recognizing it, the computer does not display even the BIOS loading screen. Even though I don't recall touching my GFX card during the install I think it may be possilble that it got knoked or something, but it is still tight in its slot.

The hard drives are the newer generation so they have the little indent ontop of the cable and the drive so it only goes in one way. I did not even see a label for pin 1.

[Paul]

Check carefully if you dislodged anything. Did you apply force to any component when you put in the drive? Did you make sure u were properly grounded? (I use a ESD wrist strap, or touching the chassis while the computer is plugged in) Once my computer wouldn't start up at all, when I installed a new video card. It sounds exactly as ur situation. I opened it up, took out the processor, cleaned out some dust, then put it back on, it started up. Only there was a RAM error... so I went back and reconnected the RAM... and its now working fine.

[josh]

I did actually have a fair bit of trouble getting that metal frame that holds the drives back into the case because of the awkward design of the HP cases, now that you mention it I may have it a RAM chip or the processor fan, however there is a heat sink and a fan ontop of the processor and I don't think it wouuld have done anything more than tap the top of the fan

[josh]

THANK YOU SO MUCH PAUL!!!! I just figured I would try popping out one of the RAM chips that I may have hit and put it back in. Then just for the hell of it I hit the power button and it booted up!!!! I still have to install the new HD but now I am back up and running.

THANK YOU!!

+50 bits

[Andy]

errr wtf... as far as i noe, it doesnt matter how hard the drive is, the comp will still boot up, it mite not recongize it, but that doesnt have anything to do with it... also, make sure the red ribbon on the cable is closer to the power connector on the hdd, or else the comp will not boot

[josh]

I think it was the ram, whatever, I installed it without a hitch and now have a nice extra 250 GB hard drive. And I am not that dumb, I know that the red stripe has to be for pin 1, like I said, it is a new HD and IDE cable so it has the safetys so it only goes in one way,

[Paul]

Eh, thnx for the bits. As I said I had the same problem installing a video card. I just told you what I did, and it seems to work. What is it with those ram slots anyway .

[josh]

I dunno, just glad it is working now.

[Blade]

Andy wrote:

errr wtf... as far as i noe, it doesnt matter how hard the drive is, the comp will still boot up, it mite not recongize it, but that doesnt have anything to do with it... also, make sure the red ribbon on the cable is closer to the power connector on the hdd, or else the comp will not boot

not all cables have the red stripe. i have a round clear 100/133 ide cable and there are no markings for pin 1

[Andy]

yea.. those round cables are nice... so how do u tell then?