BIOS doesn't recognize hard drive but Windows does

[windowsguy]

First post, long time reader. Hopefully someone can help me with the following:

I just recently got a hold of an older PC that I wanted to use for test purposes with Windows 7. The problem is that the BIOS on the PC does not recognize the Hard Drive. Upon startup I get the following message:

Primary hard disk drive 0 not found
Primary hard disk drive 1 not found
Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility

Now get this, although the BIOS does not recognize the hard drive, Windows 7 and XP recognize it just fine (displays the correct size and everything). I have never seen or heard of this happening before. Usually it's the opposite (i.e. BIOS recognizes the drive but not Windows).

Windows 7 displays the following error link under the "Where do you want to install Windows?" dialogue box:

Windows cannot be installed to Disk 0 Partition 1. (Show details)

Upon clicking on the error link I get a pop-up window with the following message:

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu.

Details on the computer:
Dell Dimension 8200
Pentium 4 Processor
512 MB RAM
80GB Western Digital

Also to note: the hard drive is in good working condition as I tested it in another PC. The only thing that I can think of at this time is the mobo. However, everything else works on the mobo (i.e. floppy drive, both DVD drives, USB ports).

Thanks in advance for any help. I can also provide more detail if need be.

JT

 

[Webadict]

Just taking a shotat this . . maybe a bad ribbon cable.

 

[stormy13]

Have you hit F2 to enter the bios? If not, maybe you should. Once there see if there is an auto-detect option for the hard drives.

If you have done so already, does it reset itself and display the error message on every boot? Also is the bios date and time correct and holding on each boot? If not then you're going to need to change the motherboard battery; should be a CR2032 and available anywhere watch batteries are sold.

 

[zigzag3143]

bios

First post, long time reader. Hopefully someone can help me with the following:

I just recently got a hold of an older PC that I wanted to use for test purposes with Windows 7. The problem is that the BIOS on the PC does not recognize the Hard Drive. Upon startup I get the following message:

Primary hard disk drive 0 not found
Primary hard disk drive 1 not found
Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility

Now get this, although the BIOS does not recognize the hard drive, Windows 7 and XP recognize it just fine (displays the correct size and everything). I have never seen or heard of this happening before. Usually it's the opposite (i.e. BIOS recognizes the drive but not Windows).

Windows 7 displays the following error link under the "Where do you want to install Windows?" dialogue box:

Windows cannot be installed to Disk 0 Partition 1. (Show details)

Upon clicking on the error link I get a pop-up window with the following message:

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu.

Details on the computer:
Dell Dimension 8200
Pentium 4 Processor
512 MB RAM
80GB Western Digital

Also to note: the hard drive is in good working condition as I tested it in another PC. The only thing that I can think of at this time is the mobo. However, everything else works on the mobo (i.e. floppy drive, both DVD drives, USB ports).

Thanks in advance for any help. I can also provide more detail if need be.

JT

Let me ask you a question.
Did the pc work before window 7 was installed.?
Ken

 

[windowsguy]

I have gone into the BIOS and it still shows up the message. The BIOS shows that Primary Drive 0 and 1 are unknown (the drive is installed on Primary 0 and nothing is on Primary 1). There is an auto-detect option and it is turned on.

CMOS battery is OK too, as the date and time are the same even if you unplug the computer for a while.

I'm pretty sure it's not the ribbon cable as I just tried it with one that does work and still no luck.

The thing that is really odd about this is that Windows recognizes the drive but the BIOS doesn't. So that should mean that the drive is readable, writable, viewable, etc.

Thanks for the help so far!

 

[windowsguy]

Let me ask you a question.
Did the pc work before window 7 was installed.?
Ken

I haven't been able to install Windows 7 on it yet. It gives me the error message stated above in my first post and I can't install onto the drive. It had Windows XP previously installed, however, I got the computer without a Hard Drive and put this one in instead. The HD does work, as I've tested it with other PCs it just seems like it doesn't want to work with this PC. So I guess I could answer that question with a yes and also a no, as I haven't been able to install Win 7. I also cannot install XP or Vista for that matter, although they too recognize the drive.

I guess the next step could be to try a different hard drive and see if anything changes.

 

[stormy13]

Wouldn't happen to have a cd/dvd drive on the same cable as the hard drive would you? If so spllit them up and put one on each IDE controller, and set them as master and see if the bios detects it/them properly.

 

[windowsguy]

Nope different cables. Different controllers. I also tried switching between the two cables to see if that would help and nothing changed.

I can format, delete partitions, etc via the Windows Install routine. With Windows XP I can get to the point where setup finishes copying files and then restarts, but since the BIOS doesn't detect the hard drive that's as far as I get.

 

[Webadict]

Just for fun, have you checked the jumpers on the hdd? . . . They should be set to Cable Select

 

[windowsguy]

Just for fun, have you checked the jumpers on the hdd? . . . They should be set to Cable Select

Just checked it. It was in the middle and I moved it to the far right, as it was on another hard drive I had. Problem solved, BIOS recognizes it along with Windows.

I'm kind of curious as to why the HD was working a couple days ago for my friend, unless he changed the jumper which I doubt he did. Who knows.

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Snufffed]

First post, long time reader. Hopefully someone can help me with the following:


Primary hard disk drive 0 not found
Primary hard disk drive 1 not found
Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility

Now get this, although the BIOS does not recognize the hard drive, Windows 7 and XP recognize it just fine (displays the correct size and everything). I have never seen or heard of this happening before. Usually it's the opposite (i.e. BIOS recognizes the drive but not Windows).

Windows 7 displays the following error link under the "Where do you want to install Windows?" dialogue box:

Windows cannot be installed to Disk 0 Partition 1. (Show details)

Upon clicking on the error link I get a pop-up window with the following message:

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu.

Details on the computer:
Dell Dimension 8200
Pentium 4 Processor
512 MB RAM
80GB Western Digital

Also to note: the hard drive is in good working condition as I tested it in another PC. The only thing that I can think of at this time is the mobo. However, everything else works on the mobo (i.e. floppy drive, both DVD drives, USB ports).

Thanks in advance for any help. I can also provide more detail if need be.

JT

first question. what size of HDD is supported by your BIOS..

2nd question are they SATA drives ... then you have use F6 and install SATA Drivers for the SATA HDDs.

 

[windowsguy]

first question. what size of HDD is supported by your BIOS..

2nd question are they SATA drives ... then you have use F6 and install SATA Drivers for the SATA HDDs.

1. I believe it can handle about 120GB. I just found this by doing a simple Bing search, so I could be wrong. I know it can handle at least 80GB as that's what originally came with the PC (when it was first purchased in 2002).

2. The drive is not SATA.

I actually just figured out the issue a little while ago. It was the jumper (I believe that's what it's called) was misplaced. Now it works fine, i.e. BIOS and Windows both recognize it.

I appreciate the help!

 

[BigFellor]

So, I am having the same issue as the OP, but mine is on a Dell. I wanted to put in a bigger hard drive, so I did, and Windows sees it fine and it works. So, I shut down, disconnected the Dell HD with XP, set the new one as cable select and master, booted from DVD, and .... no hard drive found to install Windows. The ONLY way this thing will see the new HD, is if I have it as a slave to the original that was in there. Any ideas?

 

[stormy13]

set the new one as cable select and master

One or the other, not both.

 

[sup3rsprt]

good catch stormy13

also consider that some hard drives don't want a jumper at all if they are the only drive on an IDE cable. Refer to the instructions that came with the drive.

 

[BigFellor]

One or the other, not both.

Re-checked the jumper, turns out I had it one slot over and wrong. Now, it is set as cable select, with the master cable (black) plugged in. I removed the old HD, left this new one in, and started. Either trying to boot from DVD, or from the HD, I now get a "NTLDR is missing, plress CTRL+ALT+DELETE to restart" error.

good catch stormy13

also consider that some hard drives don't want a jumper at all if they are the only drive on an IDE cable. Refer to the instructions that came with the drive.

According to the online instructions for this from the mfg, the only time it does not want a jumper is when it is a slave.

 

[zigzag3143]

bios

Re-checked the jumper, turns out I had it one slot over and wrong. Now, it is set as cable select, with the master cable (black) plugged in. I removed the old HD, left this new one in, and started. Either trying to boot from DVD, or from the HD, I now get a "NTLDR is missing, plress CTRL+ALT+DELETE to restart" error.

when you moved the jumper you changed the position where NTLDR (nec to boot) is. You could change the jumpers so that the drive that has ntldr is primary, and the other slave.

Or you could use bcedit to change the boot loader. Jumpers are easier.

Hope this helps

Ken

 

[sup3rsprt]

There is no slave. and NTLDR may be gone now since he removed the drive that had it.

I removed the old HD, left this new one in, and started.

BigFellor what is it you're trying to do again? You want to use Windows 7 or Windows XP? I'm confused.

 

[BigFellor]

Wanting to use Win 7. Nevermind, got it to work. I was able to boot to the DVD, and it found the HD just fine. Created a new partition, and good to go. Thanks

 

[sup3rsprt]

Great job. You did exactly what you were supposed to do.