my PC fails to recognise my HDD helppp!!!!

[hellraiser06]

Hi a;;

These days I am facing a strange problem. I have 2 HDDs
1) 250 GB WD sata 7200 RPM.
2) 40 GB WD IDE.
now, sometimes my 40 GB HDD is not recognised and sometimes the other one is not recognised and sometimes both are not recognised and sometimes they both are.PHEW :roll:
the other day I opened up my cabinet and was installing a fresh copy of XP (which I do almost daily nowadays :x ) with only my 250 gb attached, and i could hear it switching on and off every second. Obviously the installation failed. I switched off the PC started the installation from scratch and it completed this time.

after few days, I again attached my old 40 gb HDD. everythin worked fine for 3 4 days. Then one fine day, I had to install XP again and this time it was with both HDDs attached. Now my 40 GB HDD started to show up in my computer but only for about 10 15 mins after switching on my PC. then yesterday the 40 gb failed to even start up. Today the OS failed to start and said NTLDR is missing (as I installed the os on 250 GB but c drive was still on the 40 GB one). Today I installed the XP again but with only 250 GB attached so that the c drive shows up on the same HDD.
Clearly, I can deduce that the problem lies with my hdd but since it does work even if it is for 10 15 mins or sometimes for days at length, I cant reach this conclusion. Also as my 250 GB HDD was switching on and off that day shows ssomething else. And yes after facind these problems for some days, I played with power cables of SMPS and those connecting it with my HDD and sometimes it solved my problems ( although I cant remember "what problems" clearly as it was one week ago).
So, I think the problem lies with my power supply and\or the cables. Tell me if I am wrong. Please tell me where problem lies...

thx in advance.

 

[joex444]

Yea, that's certainly an odd sounding problem.

It's unlikely two drives will both independently fail at approximately the same time, so the power might be the problem.

Now, it would be a faulty PSU not an overloaded PSU. HDs draw about 10W, so everyone has 10W free.

Do you have a 2nd computer or a friend that can help you? I'm thinking you should either put your HDs in a friend's computer and see how long they work, if they do the spinning up and down thing or if they work properly. This would only show your HDs are working correctly and then you have 2 things that connect: the SATA controller and the PSU. If you have a nice friend, they'll let you use their PSU in your computer with your verified good HD. Then if that works, you'll know you need a new PSU.

Now, you said you keep installing XP. Do the installations get corrupt? That could certainly be a PSU issue.

I'm assuming if you overclocked that you have been doing all these things at stock, otherwise it's just an OC issue.

 

[hellraiser06]

Yesterday, I installed a fresh copy of XP again before giving this query. Since then, both the drives are working fine.
at first my 40 GB one would not be recognised, but then I noticed a small thing. At some other day I must have removed the jumper from my 40 GB and put it on the 250 GB. Yesterday, I put it back. Now everything is working fine, but then it did work fine a a few days back for 3 4 days before falling on me again. I hope this time they work fine.
anyways nothing is OCed and I am almost certain now that its the PSU thats faulty. Coz if the 40 GB HD were faulty it would not have even started.thats wat I think. What do u say joex444?
And thanx for the response . I thought this is a problem so peculiar that even 60 viewers didnt reply. 8)