BIOS can't detect hard drive

Question

I have a Dimension 8300 for just over a year. I shut down the computer normally, and in the afternoon, when I tried to turn it back on, I got a "Strike the F1 Key to retry boot, F2 for setup utility". The hard drive sounds like it's constantly seeking. I've cleared the NVRAM (capslock,scroollock,numlock,alt-E), reset to factory settings (alt-F), set drive settings in BIOS to DETECT (Alt D), to no avail -- the BIOS does not recognize there is a drive connected at all. I tried ctl-alt-D to bring up IDE diagnostics, but it does see the drive, so it can't run. Same problem with the CD-ROM diagnostics.

I opened the chassis and reseated the cables -- no change.

This happened about a month ago. I contacted Dell by phone, and we went through several cycles of the above actions (though I don't remember everything we did). Eventually I noticed the hard drive stopped making noise, and then the BIOS was able to detect the drive. I asked the tech support person, but she didn't say anything needed to be fixed.

Is there any way to reset the IDE controller? What else can I try?

ejn63 · Answer

That incident a month or so ago was your 2-minute warning, and it sounds like the drive has finally expired permanently.

If the drive isn't detected, there's not much you can do - if the system is under warranty, call Dell and report the error. They'll send you a replacement drive. If it's not, fortunately, hard drives are inexpensive these days; either way, you need a new one.

jerold12s · Answer

I replaced the hard drive (I happened to have a spare 40G), and it recognized it right away, so I guess that was it. Hard drives should last longer than 13 months! It's a real pain to reinstall everything. I fortunately did a backup two weeks ago, but that doesn't help with program and user settings.

Thanks for your help, though. I was spinning my wheels trying to find a controller problem.

Storage, Drives & Media

BIOS can't detect hard drive

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