Dimension 3000 doesn't recognize 2nd hard drive

Question

Here is a good one. I added a new additional 40 gb hard drive to use as a back up. The system recognizes it, shows no problems, it is recognized in the device manager, no problems, but in the 'my computer' and in 'explorer', it does not show up and give it a drive letter. What in the world is going on? any ideas out there? Thank in advance.

shesagordie · Answer

cooterdog

In order for windows XP to recognize the second hard drive, it must be partitioned and formatted. These are generic instructions for installing an additional hard drive using Windows XP Disk Management, they are by Seagate, but apply to all brands.

http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/disc/howto/install_xp_disk_mgmt.html

Bev.

cooterdog · Answer

Thanks for the come back. I should have said so but I did format and partition it. I did everything correctly but the darn thing just wont give me a drive letter. The sad thing is that I had it on another Dell and used it to make back up files and they are on the disk so I know it is a good disk and properly set up. I am at a loss. The other Dell is a 2400.

shesagordie · Answer

cooterdog

Which cable did you connect the second hard drive to, the primary IDE or the second IDE?

If you did partition and formatted the hard drive, then all the data stored on it, has been removed.

Bev.

cooterdog · Answer

Bev

Actually, I didn't do anything to the drive after I removed it from the 2400. It was working perfectly in the 2400 and I just removed it from there and installit in the 3000 and it wont assign a drive letter to it. Like I said, the system recognizes it and says all is OK but it just wont give it a drive letter so I can copy any information to the existing drive. It is strange. I tried installing it back into the 2400 and it is working perfectly again.

cooterdog

shesagordie · Answer

cooterdog   I posted, how did you install the second hard drive, on the primary [with the C: / HD] or secondary [with the optical drive] IDE cable.   Bev.

cooterdog · Answer

On the primary with the C drive cable.

shesagordie · Answer

cooterdog   Try setting the C: / hard drive jumpers to 'Master' and connecting to the end of the primary IDE cable and the new second drive to 'Slave' and connecting it to the middle primary cable connector.   Bev.

Storage, Drives & Media

Dimension 3000 doesn't recognize 2nd hard drive

Was this post helpful?