Old Computer Problem

[LecentiousBastard]

I need some ExPeRtIsE advise here. I was experimenting with somethings. .. and well I switched Hard Drives from my new comp to my old....I am no comp pro so mine is a Dell...The specs don't wreally matter for this problem. Well....my dell was only 20gb....and i never knew my old comp had 40gb on the hd. I switched them...I put the 40 into dell....and worked perfectly as for eth old ocmp...i put in the 20gb hd and then as the screen loads...it cannot detect both the Primary and secondary MASTER IDE. .. That is what I am confused abotu...IDE = the long gray Cable wires. .. . i didn't mess them up in any way I don't think. . . Then I tried switchign the hd's back and same problem. . . I konw it is my fault for what i did. .. .as fore i just went back to my old 20gb hd. . . while the 40gb is on old comp. . . I dunno what I was doing. ..I guess the saying Think before you do/say is true...I was thinking and jsut DID things and now it landed me with 1 messed up comp and one SAME comp. So for the pplz who can help me with this problem plz do....I restate....My old computer cannot detect both IDE Master and secondary Master. Then shows screen saying
1. Safe Mode
2. Safe mode with internet
3. Safe mode with ....
4. Mode that is compatible
5. Norm
I tried ALL 5 and the first 3 jsut loads all this partition stuff and Compatible gave me a blank screen whiel Normal gave me a FREEZE screen.. . . The 1-5 are not ACCURATE wording but realted. So plaz help me

[Schmiggy_JK23]

make sure the 2nd hd u are putting into your "newer" machine is put in as a slave drive.

on the back... u will see a copper pins, (not where it plugs in, other side), and u should see a black square like thing, over two of the pins... look around onthe drive, and it should say where to move that black square, (the jumper), around on those pins, to set it as a slave.

[LecentiousBastard]

Thanks but that isn't what I meant soryr... I mean I only need ONE hd in each comp...but tI switched them...old to new new to old...and so then the old comp cannot detect Primary = Secondary Master.....So then a friend said to use tha"pin coating" and put onto MA....correct? it was originally set on CS...and worked witht eh comp that was until i removed it and then replaced it that it didn't work.....

[imported_QuietSilence!]

cs stands for cable select and a cs ide cable is difrent then a regular ide cable
but u can use it u just got to put the drive to master and put it on the right connection try moving the hard drive to the other connection on the ide cable

if all else fails go get a full ide cable and use it instead

u could also just set the hard drive back to cs but u still got to hook it to the right connection on the cs ide cable

[LecentiousBastard]

THanks for your help...but being honest i not relly sure what you guys are saying....but thanks for helpign i will give that a try when i find the time =P Also on my IDE cable that connects to the HardDrive tehre are Two Slots...(Those things you insert to the HardDrive...One is at the End of the wire and the other is alightly in the middle...which to use? and for which setting(MA,CA,SA)

[accat13]

Do you have your cmos set to auto detect the hardrive this could be part of the problem .You could also goto the hardrive manufacturers web site and check out the specs and settings of the drive... have fun with it .The ez bios solution creates a small partition on your hardrive so be careful, you will have to fdisc it if you want to remove it .If your operating system is also installed on another partition(like some HP computers instead of a system restore disc)You risk losing your system restore on the partition..Be careful

[LecentiousBastard]

Thanks I kinda got it working....it doesn't detect Primary Master/ Slave, Primay Master....but it detects Scondary Slave detects. Formmated it to 2k....but then still lookign into it...thanks