Hard drive
#1
02-20-01, 10:31 PM
After giving my g-daughter a fine-working IBM clone computer she passed away this past Oct.in a horrible accident that took the lives of both her and her boyfriend. Before I could retrieve the computer someone had, or was replacing what looks to be a new hard-drive. Is there any way I can tell if this is a hard-drive, and is it possible to download a manuel or print-out instructions on how to reconnect the drive and wires?? My money is just too short to hire a pro, and there's no one close to me to help. I'm 63 and trying. Thanks ever-so-much for any info. Swamprose
#2
02-21-01, 10:27 AM
First I am sorry about the circumstances around this.
If you look at the cd rom that is in the same computer, look at the ribbon cable that is attached to it, the hard drive connector takes the same kind of ribbon cable as the cd rom does, and usually the exact same kind of connector. Assuming it is an IDE drive. Perhaps you could tell me exactly as you found the computer. Look at the front of the computer case, do you see a cd rom drive, & a floppy. Some people may have 2 cd rom drives , a reader and a writer(burner). Inside look at the ribbon cable going to the cd rom , now that ribbon cable goes also to a connector on the motherboard, now look for me if that ribbon cable has another connector on it and if so , does it go to another device , like a 2nd cd rom, or perhaps a hard drive.
Motherboards usually have 2 IDE controller connectors on the motherboard, each controller can handle 2 IDE devices (a master and a slave), for a total of 4 on the computer. The 2 IDE controller connectors on the motherboard (primary and secondary controller are usually close to each other. Is there a second ribbon cable connected to the motherboard close to the one that ends up connecting to the cd rom ? Now this 2nd ribbon cable does it connect to any device at the other end, and does that other ribbon cable have 1 or 2 connectors on it (not counting the connector at the motherboard).
A hard drive looks about the size pf a cd rom , perhaps a bit smaller, but has no opening on it where a cd / floppy can be inserted, it has 2 connectors on the back of it and likely a set of jumpers. A wide ribbon connector for the ribbon cable connection that does to the motherboard, a 4 wire connector for power, and the jumpers are used to set rarher the drive is to be used as a master or a slave. The C drive must be the master on the primary IDE controller.
If it is a new drive , it will need to be partitioned , formateed and the system installed. I can give you instructions on all of that so don't worry, lets get the computer equipment installe dproperly first.
If as you say a new drive was being installed is there a second hard drive in the computer outside the computer sitting around. It is possible if it was a hard drive, that either the old one failed or a larger drive was being installed or a 2nd hard drive was being installed.
Lets first identify what you have their, what devices is currently installed. So please bear with me as I may ask more questions. Did you buy this computer from a store when you gave it to your granddaughter and if so there you still have your orginal purchase sheet with a list of what is in the computer, it might help later in identifying what video card / sound card is in their should I need it later.
Again don't worry , but since I am not there , I do need to get an understanding of what is going on, and what you have.
If you look at the cd rom that is in the same computer, look at the ribbon cable that is attached to it, the hard drive connector takes the same kind of ribbon cable as the cd rom does, and usually the exact same kind of connector. Assuming it is an IDE drive. Perhaps you could tell me exactly as you found the computer. Look at the front of the computer case, do you see a cd rom drive, & a floppy. Some people may have 2 cd rom drives , a reader and a writer(burner). Inside look at the ribbon cable going to the cd rom , now that ribbon cable goes also to a connector on the motherboard, now look for me if that ribbon cable has another connector on it and if so , does it go to another device , like a 2nd cd rom, or perhaps a hard drive.
Motherboards usually have 2 IDE controller connectors on the motherboard, each controller can handle 2 IDE devices (a master and a slave), for a total of 4 on the computer. The 2 IDE controller connectors on the motherboard (primary and secondary controller are usually close to each other. Is there a second ribbon cable connected to the motherboard close to the one that ends up connecting to the cd rom ? Now this 2nd ribbon cable does it connect to any device at the other end, and does that other ribbon cable have 1 or 2 connectors on it (not counting the connector at the motherboard).
A hard drive looks about the size pf a cd rom , perhaps a bit smaller, but has no opening on it where a cd / floppy can be inserted, it has 2 connectors on the back of it and likely a set of jumpers. A wide ribbon connector for the ribbon cable connection that does to the motherboard, a 4 wire connector for power, and the jumpers are used to set rarher the drive is to be used as a master or a slave. The C drive must be the master on the primary IDE controller.
If it is a new drive , it will need to be partitioned , formateed and the system installed. I can give you instructions on all of that so don't worry, lets get the computer equipment installe dproperly first.
If as you say a new drive was being installed is there a second hard drive in the computer outside the computer sitting around. It is possible if it was a hard drive, that either the old one failed or a larger drive was being installed or a 2nd hard drive was being installed.
Lets first identify what you have their, what devices is currently installed. So please bear with me as I may ask more questions. Did you buy this computer from a store when you gave it to your granddaughter and if so there you still have your orginal purchase sheet with a list of what is in the computer, it might help later in identifying what video card / sound card is in their should I need it later.
Again don't worry , but since I am not there , I do need to get an understanding of what is going on, and what you have.
#3
02-22-01, 12:22 AM
Answers to dkerr's questions.
Thanks ever-so-much for a speedy reply. The computer was my own personal one before purchashing a newer one. It had Windows95 with 32 megs. The floppy A drive is still there, as is the quad cd-rom. There is an opening on the front of the puter where any other kind of floppy or cd could go. The one that's in the puter now, if it is the hard-drive is the only one, and is propped on the inside attached to a cable. I know what a modem and all this other good stuff is. I'm just unsure if this is the same hard drive that I gave her. A friend built this puter for me, but we have long parted company, and there is no way of reaching him now. It is a clone IBM. I had it for about 3 years, but it worked absolutely fine. She, my g-daughter, was learning puter work from a man in Mobile, so I know at the time she must have been interchanging out the drive. I was afraid if I tried connecting it to the monitor and trying it out that I might possibly fry the insides, and I certainly don't want that. I'm quiet sure that it's and IDE drive, and more than likely formatted.
This puter is promised to my 13-year-old grandson for his past Jan. b'day. I hope this info works. I may try connecting it tomorrow to the monitor and hope for the best. Any suggestions on that??? Thanks again, swamprose
This puter is promised to my 13-year-old grandson for his past Jan. b'day. I hope this info works. I may try connecting it tomorrow to the monitor and hope for the best. Any suggestions on that??? Thanks again, swamprose
#4
02-22-01, 04:39 AM
If there is a device in the computer that is indeed connected to a ribbon cable and that device has no opening to the outside of the computer case, then it is most likely a hard drive. Connect the monitor to it, keyboard, mouse, and try to boot it up, and see what happens. Unless something is shorted , your motherboard should be ok regardless if it boots or not. If it boots great , if doesn't give exactly what happens when it is turned on, what you see on the screen and error messages that pops up before it stop/crashes.
#5
02-22-01, 11:23 AM
2nd reply to dkeer
Hi, kerr; I realize this is a hard-drive now, for it's a
Seagate Medalist 3221 Model ST33221A. When I reached in to move it the ribbon came loose. Now, I have it in my hand with no connections. There are four larger silver pins as I face the back of the drive. next are 4 tiny connectors in a block, then next is twin rows of 40 with one pin missing along the middle top which makes it 39. The scan label is right above these. I'm going to try connecting it up to the ribbon and monitor to see what happens. I have no boot disk for it, as I even loaned her my win98, but it disappeared along with some other stuff.
I guess the opening left on the front of the puter can be used for another floppy, but where does the hard drive bolt down; know I just can't sit it down and leave it anyplace? I'm sure it bolts alongside the floppy or nearby, but I'm unsure of where. Do you have a photo or picture you could scan and shoot off to me?? Isn't there somewhere on the web where I could find and print out a page showing how this is connected? Thanks for you time, and I hope not to be bothering you too much more--you've been very kind, and I must say, helpful. Thanks, Swamprose
Seagate Medalist 3221 Model ST33221A. When I reached in to move it the ribbon came loose. Now, I have it in my hand with no connections. There are four larger silver pins as I face the back of the drive. next are 4 tiny connectors in a block, then next is twin rows of 40 with one pin missing along the middle top which makes it 39. The scan label is right above these. I'm going to try connecting it up to the ribbon and monitor to see what happens. I have no boot disk for it, as I even loaned her my win98, but it disappeared along with some other stuff.
I guess the opening left on the front of the puter can be used for another floppy, but where does the hard drive bolt down; know I just can't sit it down and leave it anyplace? I'm sure it bolts alongside the floppy or nearby, but I'm unsure of where. Do you have a photo or picture you could scan and shoot off to me?? Isn't there somewhere on the web where I could find and print out a page showing how this is connected? Thanks for you time, and I hope not to be bothering you too much more--you've been very kind, and I must say, helpful. Thanks, Swamprose
#6
02-22-01, 11:51 AM
http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/.../st33221a.html
This will provide most all the info you need, it is a 3.2 Geg drive. At least the model number matches, the medallist number differs. I don't know the layout of your case, but look for an opening just bellow or about the floppy , or near the cd rom, any bracket that is the same width as the hard drive, and you need at least 1 screw on each side to hold the hard drive in place (perferably 4 screw, 2 on each side if you have them). The 40 pin connector is for the ribbon cable that goes to the motherboard, that must be attached to the primary IDE controller conenctor on the mothreboard. The hard drive (if there is only one) must have its jumper set for master. The 4 big silver pins that you refer to must be for the power connector, it is the only one that will fit it, it is tapered in 2 corners so that you cannot put in wrong. Most harddrives allow have a
notch half way across teh top or bottom and the ribbon cable allow has an ident in the middle on one side to ensure that the cable is not conencted wrong. (not all have that but most do). the 4 tiny connectors that you refer to are likely the jumper settings with 1 tiny jumper being used, that can easiliy be pulled off and placed over a different pin set , depending if you want it set as a master or a slave, it may already be set as master, I don't know. It doesn't much matter where it is mounted as long as it is secured in place and all cables reach. Look closely there coul dbe an obvious place where the hard drive would go.
Lets get it hooked up right first and then we can deal with an operating system should it not already be on the drive.
You are not bothering me, just glad or hope I can be of help, I consider it a challenge.
This will provide most all the info you need, it is a 3.2 Geg drive. At least the model number matches, the medallist number differs. I don't know the layout of your case, but look for an opening just bellow or about the floppy , or near the cd rom, any bracket that is the same width as the hard drive, and you need at least 1 screw on each side to hold the hard drive in place (perferably 4 screw, 2 on each side if you have them). The 40 pin connector is for the ribbon cable that goes to the motherboard, that must be attached to the primary IDE controller conenctor on the mothreboard. The hard drive (if there is only one) must have its jumper set for master. The 4 big silver pins that you refer to must be for the power connector, it is the only one that will fit it, it is tapered in 2 corners so that you cannot put in wrong. Most harddrives allow have a
notch half way across teh top or bottom and the ribbon cable allow has an ident in the middle on one side to ensure that the cable is not conencted wrong. (not all have that but most do). the 4 tiny connectors that you refer to are likely the jumper settings with 1 tiny jumper being used, that can easiliy be pulled off and placed over a different pin set , depending if you want it set as a master or a slave, it may already be set as master, I don't know. It doesn't much matter where it is mounted as long as it is secured in place and all cables reach. Look closely there coul dbe an obvious place where the hard drive would go.
Lets get it hooked up right first and then we can deal with an operating system should it not already be on the drive.
You are not bothering me, just glad or hope I can be of help, I consider it a challenge.
#7
02-26-01, 05:55 PM
This is let everyone who is following this thread what has been going on thru private email...
Swamprose email:
ust wanted to let you know I've been outta commission a few days, but I'm using your advice. They tell me it's quiet easy to install this hd myself, so I'm going to give it a try. Heck, I've made dentures before, so why can't I do a hd, ha?
Wondered also if I made a good buy yesterday. For the price w/tax I purchased a 20gig IDE brand new in package for 120 bucks. Did I do ok on this Western Digital WD200???? Later, Swamprose
____________________________________________________________
my replies....
You can do it , if you have any questions at all you can email me. The drive I assume will be your main drive, so it must be on the primary IDE controller and it must be set as a master. It should like a good price for the hard drive. Once it is installed since it is a new drive it will have to partitioned and formatted before it can be used and a system installed. So if you try and boot up on it even if properly installed, it will not find a system. You can make a system floppy from your computer, if windows 98 or me , go to START/SETTINGS/CONTROL PANEL/ CLICK ON ADD-REMOVE PROGRAMS , then click on START UP DISK, put a floppy in drive (one that can be erased) and click create disk. You can use this disk to boot up the system you just installed the hard drive on.
--------------------
Once you have the new hard drive installed as a C drive, boot up on that startup disk...
select enable CD rom support. Once it is fully booted , you will be sitting on a DOS prompt, like A: or A:>
now type FDISK
say Y (yes) to enable large disk support
Now select 1 (should be 1) Create DOS partition or logical drive.
once completed select 2 set active partition
Now exit this program.
Once back on the dos prompt.
type FORMAT C:/U
press enter
wait until it fully formats the drive
when it asks for a volume label, you can type something in, or do like I usually do and just press ENTER.
I think I have this all right, it is something that I can't fully try out as I don't want to blow any partitions on my own hard drive.
Now type DIR C:
a directory of C drive should appear, nothing will be on it of course but we will know if it is partitioned and formated properly, note the bytes free , it should be close to the size of the hard drive 20 geg.
Now what speed is the CD rom, some of the older drives the startup disk will not bring up, however most of the newer ones will be ok, I know there is a problem with the quad speed cd roms that the start up disk will not reconize, and I am not sure if they are any others.
Now most likely a system with a single hard drive and a single cd rom, the start up disk will make the CD rom the E drive, it will be renamed later as the D drive.
put the windows 98 cd install cd in the cd drive.
Type E:
press enter.
type SETUP
press enter
the windows 98 install program will now take over and prompt you all the way.
Once it is fully installed , there is some thing swe want to check and will wait for your progress report befor egoing further. Have the CD KEY or SERIAL number for windows 98 handy, it will ask you for it during the install process, you must have it or the operating system will not complete its install.
Any problems or questions just post them or email me.
Don Kerr
Swamprose email:
ust wanted to let you know I've been outta commission a few days, but I'm using your advice. They tell me it's quiet easy to install this hd myself, so I'm going to give it a try. Heck, I've made dentures before, so why can't I do a hd, ha?
Wondered also if I made a good buy yesterday. For the price w/tax I purchased a 20gig IDE brand new in package for 120 bucks. Did I do ok on this Western Digital WD200???? Later, Swamprose
____________________________________________________________
my replies....
You can do it , if you have any questions at all you can email me. The drive I assume will be your main drive, so it must be on the primary IDE controller and it must be set as a master. It should like a good price for the hard drive. Once it is installed since it is a new drive it will have to partitioned and formatted before it can be used and a system installed. So if you try and boot up on it even if properly installed, it will not find a system. You can make a system floppy from your computer, if windows 98 or me , go to START/SETTINGS/CONTROL PANEL/ CLICK ON ADD-REMOVE PROGRAMS , then click on START UP DISK, put a floppy in drive (one that can be erased) and click create disk. You can use this disk to boot up the system you just installed the hard drive on.
--------------------
Once you have the new hard drive installed as a C drive, boot up on that startup disk...
select enable CD rom support. Once it is fully booted , you will be sitting on a DOS prompt, like A: or A:>
now type FDISK
say Y (yes) to enable large disk support
Now select 1 (should be 1) Create DOS partition or logical drive.
once completed select 2 set active partition
Now exit this program.
Once back on the dos prompt.
type FORMAT C:/U
press enter
wait until it fully formats the drive
when it asks for a volume label, you can type something in, or do like I usually do and just press ENTER.
I think I have this all right, it is something that I can't fully try out as I don't want to blow any partitions on my own hard drive.
Now type DIR C:
a directory of C drive should appear, nothing will be on it of course but we will know if it is partitioned and formated properly, note the bytes free , it should be close to the size of the hard drive 20 geg.
Now what speed is the CD rom, some of the older drives the startup disk will not bring up, however most of the newer ones will be ok, I know there is a problem with the quad speed cd roms that the start up disk will not reconize, and I am not sure if they are any others.
Now most likely a system with a single hard drive and a single cd rom, the start up disk will make the CD rom the E drive, it will be renamed later as the D drive.
put the windows 98 cd install cd in the cd drive.
Type E:
press enter.
type SETUP
press enter
the windows 98 install program will now take over and prompt you all the way.
Once it is fully installed , there is some thing swe want to check and will wait for your progress report befor egoing further. Have the CD KEY or SERIAL number for windows 98 handy, it will ask you for it during the install process, you must have it or the operating system will not complete its install.
Any problems or questions just post them or email me.
Don Kerr
#8
03-13-01, 06:24 PM
Received email as follows...
-----Original Message-----
From: Swamprose418@cs.com [mailto:Swamprose418@cs.com]
Sent: March 13, 2001 1:50 PM
To: dkerr@ottawa.com
Subject: Re: Bonnie Sprinkle
Hi Don, sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner, but I've been out of town with my husband, George. I have another, more important ? to ask right now, then we'll get bak to the other puter. No matter what I do I keep having
illegal operations in most of my programs, but mostly on CompuServe. I can't change it because of signing a 3 year contract. They've sent me I don't how many solutions to try, but nothing seems to work. It shuts me down quiet a
few times mostly with illegal operation in Wcs2000. Also, please tell me what would make a puter not detect a modem? Although it's hooked up correctly, and the phone has a dial tone, the puter does not find the modem. If I add it
myself, it still tells me there is no dial tone. The irq and com ports are right. IRQ is 3, and the I/O is 02 EF-02FF. If you can answer this right away it would be very much appreciated---especially about the modem right now.
Thanks as always, Bonnie
-----------------------------------------
Just to note to others following this, there was 1 or 2 other email that I lost before posting due to a hard drive crash.
------------------------------------------
Ok Bonnie...
Wcs2000 not sure of that, since part of that is cs2000 , I expect it stands for compuserve 2000.
Quite often windows will put it on com 3. If you are using a serial mouse it could be using com 1 or 2 for the serial mouse.
With that many illegal operation errors, happening in almost every piece of software there could be a problem with the operating system itself. Did you have this before you installed the compuserve software ?
Lets get the modem...
I want you to check something...
START/SETTINGS/CONTROL PANEL/
click on SYSTEM icon, click DEVICE MANAGER TAB
click the + beside the name MODEM
highlight the modem name
click properties
Under the general tab - device status.. does it say THIS DEVICE IS WORKING PROPERLY ?
under Modem tab - What port is under PORT, what ports are listed from the down port menu.
Now select START/PROGRAMS/ACESSORIES/
it might be under acessories or a sub folder called Communications.
Select dial up networking, click create dialup connection, go thru the prompts, make up a phone number (preferably someone you know so we don't annoy the wrong person) , once the icon appears , click on it , put anything in the username and password. Connect, does the modem activate and dial the number ? Once you confirm that , disconnect (don't want to annoy your friend too much). Just trying to confirm the modem is working and is on the write port.
It is possible that the compuserve is looking at a differnt port than that assigned to the modem.
What is the name of the modem you are using ?
Once we can confirm the modem is working then we will deal with the compuserve dialer. One other thing , your compuserve software is on the C drive.
-----Original Message-----
From: Swamprose418@cs.com [mailto:Swamprose418@cs.com]
Sent: March 13, 2001 1:50 PM
To: dkerr@ottawa.com
Subject: Re: Bonnie Sprinkle
Hi Don, sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner, but I've been out of town with my husband, George. I have another, more important ? to ask right now, then we'll get bak to the other puter. No matter what I do I keep having
illegal operations in most of my programs, but mostly on CompuServe. I can't change it because of signing a 3 year contract. They've sent me I don't how many solutions to try, but nothing seems to work. It shuts me down quiet a
few times mostly with illegal operation in Wcs2000. Also, please tell me what would make a puter not detect a modem? Although it's hooked up correctly, and the phone has a dial tone, the puter does not find the modem. If I add it
myself, it still tells me there is no dial tone. The irq and com ports are right. IRQ is 3, and the I/O is 02 EF-02FF. If you can answer this right away it would be very much appreciated---especially about the modem right now.
Thanks as always, Bonnie
-----------------------------------------
Just to note to others following this, there was 1 or 2 other email that I lost before posting due to a hard drive crash.
------------------------------------------
Ok Bonnie...
Wcs2000 not sure of that, since part of that is cs2000 , I expect it stands for compuserve 2000.
Quite often windows will put it on com 3. If you are using a serial mouse it could be using com 1 or 2 for the serial mouse.
With that many illegal operation errors, happening in almost every piece of software there could be a problem with the operating system itself. Did you have this before you installed the compuserve software ?
Lets get the modem...
I want you to check something...
START/SETTINGS/CONTROL PANEL/
click on SYSTEM icon, click DEVICE MANAGER TAB
click the + beside the name MODEM
highlight the modem name
click properties
Under the general tab - device status.. does it say THIS DEVICE IS WORKING PROPERLY ?
under Modem tab - What port is under PORT, what ports are listed from the down port menu.
Now select START/PROGRAMS/ACESSORIES/
it might be under acessories or a sub folder called Communications.
Select dial up networking, click create dialup connection, go thru the prompts, make up a phone number (preferably someone you know so we don't annoy the wrong person) , once the icon appears , click on it , put anything in the username and password. Connect, does the modem activate and dial the number ? Once you confirm that , disconnect (don't want to annoy your friend too much). Just trying to confirm the modem is working and is on the write port.
It is possible that the compuserve is looking at a differnt port than that assigned to the modem.
What is the name of the modem you are using ?
Once we can confirm the modem is working then we will deal with the compuserve dialer. One other thing , your compuserve software is on the C drive.
