Detecting IDE drives

[Dragstk]

I have 2 computers, that do nothing but run Folding 24/7. I was checking on them the other day, and 1 was stuck half way through a reboot. It was on the page where it does the memory count, then "detecting IDE drives", and there it sat.
So, I rebooted, same thing, stopped at "Detecting IDE drives" Opened it up, reseated the IDE cable, turned it back on, all good to go.
This morning, I find just the desktop picture. No icons, keyboard does nothing, but the mouse moves. Clicking on it does nothing. I reboot, again gets stuck at "detecting IDE drives"
So, I replace the IDE cable. Starts right up, now running good.
Anybody have any ideas as to what is happening here?

TIA;
Dragstk

The system:
Asus A7N8X Deluxe
Athlon XP 2600
ATI 9700
Fuji(something) 35 G. HD
1 stick,generic 512 memory
XP Pro OS

[Thrax]

Sounds like a faulty IDE cable..

[Dragstk]

Can a cable go bad? Is there a way to test it? The one that was in there was about 7 months old. But, I now have a never used ribbon cable in.
Thanks, Thrax

[Thrax]

Yes, cables can certainly go bad. There's no REAL way to test it without a tester that I'm sure has to exist..

But at this point, all your symptoms just point to a faulty cable.

[Dragstk]

OK, I'm thinking it's something else, other than cables.
Tried 3 different cables, got the same problem with each one. Sometimes it's boots right up, sometimes gets stuck going thru the boot. Sometimes runs for a day or 2, then freezes up.
I put the IDE cable in the secondary slot on the MB. Worked good for several days, but now it's acting up again.
Now, to get it working, I have to shut it down, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then it will run for a while. I no longer can just reboot it, as it always freezes part way thru.
It always posts.
edit:
just checked bad computer-got this

Windows has shut itself down to protect itself.
If you have not seen this before, reboot. If this screen has shown before, uninstall any new devices. {My note-nothing has been changed here since it was built, except the IDE cables in the last few days

kernel_data_Inpage_error

stop:0x0000007A(0xB15c0980,0xcooooE,0xBF91AF98,0x8746860)
win 32K.sys-address BF91AF98 base at BF800000,daestamp 3f73195d

Beginning dump of physical memory

MB or HD going bad?
Any help would be appreciated

Dragstk

[Straight_Man]

Is this XP or 2000??? Try DELETING the pagefile.sys file if it is XP. First boot after that will give you a real wait, Windows will regen that file. Ideally, you do this from a Linux Rescue CD (takes boot time plus about 30-60 seconds to wipe that way), but it has been known to work if you do it from within a recovery console run after a CD boot also, in both XP and 2000. Corrupt pagefile.sys can do that, but if you can keep it running long enough to backup what you want, Microsoft recommends a backup first. HD Overheat can do this also (get things like the virtual memory swap file which is called pagefile.sys in 2000 and XP repeatedly corrupted), but I usually try the delete and rebuild of pagefile.sys first. Then, if it happens again and again after that, I look right back at hardware. Clue is INPAGE with IN in front, its talking about virtual memory. 2000 did this more than the XP installs I have worked with, also.

If this is not a 2000 or XP box, tell me which OS it is, ok??? File name is rad different for earlier Windows versions, usually is only file with an extension of .swp though.

If you want to know exact specifics, I need to know exact Windows version name.

Logically, I look at Swap File first (it's a fast, mostly free experimental fix try, and if it just the swap\page file that will fix it easy), then HD, then RAM, then if still no fix figure the IDE controller on motherboard is going wonky and was damaged when cable shorted out-- because the cable fixed it once, I would in this case check RAM last of those three. If the swap file fix lets it boot, I schedule and run a disk check next-- which is one reason for the backup first if can, I still do not know if the file system is trashed as well as the one file when the check disk starts running and I want a safety copy of what I need first. I can hook up another HD, use Linux to try to back up most of the HD to another mech if I feel "stuck".

If none of the above, then I start looking at things that are on surface weird to talk about first-- CMOS battery going close to dead is one thing I look at, because randomized HD settings can make 2000 wonky as heck this way after the BIOS defaults HD settings (to get "SANE" CMOS settings) to different settings than the 2000 install is set for.

[Missileman]

Try booting to a floppy or CD several times with the ide disconnected but the bios still looking for it. If it shoots right through and boots it's the hard drive.

Only other thing if that happens is look at the 12Vdc on the supply. Hard drives show bad 12Vdc before anything else usually. If it's good chances are it's the drive itself.

[Dragstk]

OK, I guess I have my work cut out for me!!
Thanks Man(s)-both Straight and Missile.

This is a XP Pro system.

Latest development(I think this computer is going down for the 3rd time, so to speak)
It no longer fully boots. It will post, then shows the IRQ page. Then flashes thru a bunch of pages I have never seen before. Something about the Nivida boot something. Then it stops at:
Disc Boot Failure-insert system disc and press enter.

And there it sits. I'm assuming that system disc is my XP disc?

Thanks for your help guys. I will have to install a CD Rom and /or a floppy, as I have had no need to have one in until now.
Will try all your suggestions on Sunday, as work tomorrow, gets in the way of doing what I'd like to be doing, like fixing this computer.

Thanks again;
Dragstk

[mcwc]

Sounds a dying hard drive. SMART would not detect if my Fujitsu was dying or not till I used a SMART diagnostic tool. Even Fujitsu's diagnostics tools couldn't read the SMART status correctly.

Assuming that the full brand of your hard drive is Fujitsu, move it to a working computer and get smartmontools (http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/smartmontools/smartmontools-5.32-1.win32.zip?download).
Using the windows version, in a command prompt, go to where you unzipped the file and type:

cd \bin
smartctl -av 9,seconds /dev/hda

I forgot which line it would say your hard drive is failing since I've remove my Fujitsu, it may be ID# 9, Power_On_Hours.

If you want more options for testing the SMART status of the hard drive, type:

smartctl -h

Hope that helps in detecting an dying or dead hard drive.

[Nomad]

You know, I actually had this problem with my computer, it was strange as hell. At first I heard clicking noises from my hard drive so I immediately burned everything off I was doing for work and then shut down my computer. When I turned it back on, it wouldn't detect my hard drive (I only have one). So, I figured that with the clicking noises the inevitable had happened and my hard drive died, so I went out and bought a Western Digital 80 gig hard drive and when I put that in, it didn't work as well. I didn't get it. It wasn't the IDE cable because I'd tried switching it with my CD-Rom cable and it still wouldn't work. Thrax had the idea of running the hard drive off of the second port on my motherboard, and it worked, so we figured that port had croaked or something. Well, about two days later I was running on a hard drive and no CD-Roms when I turned on my computer and it wouldn't detect my hard drive again. At this point, I took the whole computer apart and then put it back together and then it worked... :wtf:

Thrax and I still don't know what was with it. We'd tried screwing with the bios and jumper and then it just worked after I took it all apart and put it back together.

[Dragstk]

Well, this one still continues to baffle. It will POST every time, then it stops at Detecting IDE drives and thats where it sits. I cannot get into the BIOS, so I can add a floppy or CD Rom.
The HD light is on steady, but barely lit (It used to glow brightly when working).
The system has never made unusual noises.
I would like to get this running again, but I'm not sure what has to be replaced. I guess I'll take Nomad's advice and rebuild it.
Any other suggestions?
Thanks Nomad and MCWC for your advice.
Dragstk

[dragonV8]

Have you ran Memtest, Dragstk?

Sally's puter went down the other day, screen stayed blank and everything pointed to a corrupted Bios. (This is the short version).

Turned out one of the 4 sticks of ram failed. Got puter running once it was removed.

This is advise i see a lot of times, so there must be something in it.
Hope you get it sorted.

[Dragstk]

Dragon;as this is strickly a folding maching, it has no floppy or CD Rom. But it would never go far enough in the boot up to let me into the BIOS. So, I never got to run Memtest. Thanks for the thought!

Well, Nomad, you win the prize for the correct solution :clap:
I completly rebuilt the computer, and when it went back together, runs like a champ :)
Don't ask me why that worked, but I'm happy that it does.

Thanks again, Nomad :thumbsup:

Dragstk

[Nomad]

Don't ask me why that worked

Yeah, don't bother asking me either, because I've no idea why it worked.