Is it motherboard or hard drive or bios , which is the cause of this

Quote from my friends problem
recently removed my computer drives - master and slave- when i went on holiday. I put the system back in order and recently noticed my slave drive has not shown up in "My Computer" list. I tried swapping the ribbon cables with no changes. So i swapped the position of both drives in case it was the power cable. Both are SATA so they use the same power cable. But still no changes. I removed the slave drive (F Drive) and placed it into an external caddie and booted up. It started to install driver for it and is running fine from there.

So after that, i re installed it into the PC and still no change. It simply does not exist. I have run the boot set up on startup and it is not listed there. It is simply a ghost to the PC.

Any ideas what it could be or how i could sort this issue out?

Also, in hardware profiles under show hidden drives, it is listed and clicking this states it is not connected.
Is there any solution that would help my friend solve his problem
N.B: please take that internal hard drive, instead of slave ...

recently removed my computer drives - master and slave

Both are SATA

There's some confusion from the start. There is no such thing as master and slave with SATA drives! Master and slave drives come from the old technology, EIDE (PATA) drives where you could have two drives attached to one "data" cable and one motherboard connector. With two drives on one data cable, there needed to be a way for the system to keep track of the drives, so one drive was designated as master, the other as slave. And this was determined by a jumper on the back of the drive and where on the cable the drive was connected.

But with SATA drives there is only one drive per data cable. Every drive has it own data cable and motherboard connector. So no master or slave designation is needed.

You can have more than one drive on a power cable with SATA, but that has nothing to do with master and slave - as again, no such thing with SATA drives.

The boot drive is determined by the boot order set in the BIOS.

Wonder why you need to remove HDD(s) from the computer if there is no problem.
Should let it as it is.
You are using the OLD method on OLD HDD which is EIDE (PATA).

Upon booting, go to the BIOS setting to check on the HDD(s) connection is stated or not.
BIOS normally you need to keep pressing the F2 key, immediately after you switch on the computer.

At the BIOS, check for the HDD(s) are properly identify correctly.
If you had 2 HDD(s) you need to enable or change the option on which HDD to boot up from.

AddRAM said:

Why are you using the term "Ribbon cable" ???

What do you mean the slave drive "booted up" ??? What exactly is on this drive ???

I think the OP means cable.

I think the OP means cable.

Me too. But I note many SATA cables are flat and so may appear to some as ribbon cables - or close enough to call them that.

Please read my first post, where i had just quoted my friends problem. I said in the last line that master slave drive need be taken as internal hard drive.
Now your solutions. Yes ribbon he referred as Sata cable. The probem is strange so please give the solution, by taking the problematic drive as another internal hdd. pl

Please read my first post, where i had just quoted my friends problem. I said in the last line that master slave drive need be taken as internal hard drive.

That is still totally incorrect use of terminologies. It does not matter if these are internal drives or not. There is NO SUCH THING as master and/or slave with SATA drives whether they are used in external enclosures, or if installed internally.

Proper terminology is essential to ensure everyone (helpers and those seeking help) is on the same page.

We cannot give solutions if we don't understand the problem. And sadly, you have not given us all the information we need, or have asked for. You need to help us so we can help you.

If you had swapped both SATA HDD(s) on all possible connection and position.

This may conclude that your SATA HDD do have problem, which is on the HDD itself.

Take out the HDD itself only, turn it to see the gold contact of the connector.
There is a possibility damage on the gold contact may have; dirt, any one single bar of gold contact no good.

Hence the system can read that the HDD is present, but without getting a good connection.

Use a eraser to polish the gold contact, and remove the bits away.
Just be careful, and try not to use anything to void a single gold contact.
By Polishing all the gold contact &or the faded gold contact, as it is important.
Even if 1 gold contact bar is no good, eg faded, dirty, have marking, etc. the connection is no good.

Regarding to your mentioned on "Master & Slave", i now will assume you are referring to the Motherboard
The SATA connector on the motherboard itself.
Do inspect any thing out of ordinary, by comparing to both connectors.

Next time, tell your friend not to remove and slot in, as this may damaged both MB SATA connectors &or HDD.
It is better to leave it as it is.
Even if you want to take out, the HDD must be stored inside this "anti-static bag" for protection.

Reason
I have several phones, and i tend to remove the SIM card and insert another, several times.
The gold contact on the handset itself, was damaged.
This is the same theory.
Do you remove and re-insert the SIM card.
Most do not do this, and so there is no problem.