IDE adaptor cable error message

[joe pineapples]

Hi

Just trying to use an IDE to 2.5 Laptop IDE Cable, in hope of retrieving some info off a laptop HDD, using my desktop pc. The problem is that i get a bios message along the lines of 'an IDE 80 semiconductor cable is not installed', even though it does report back the correct model name-number of the drive. I have tired it on primary and secondary IDE channels, and also in my spare pc, with the same result. The HDD itself could be faulty (has come out of a dropped laptop), but not having used one of these cables before, i wasent sure how to interpret that error message

any ideas appreciated.

joe

 

[rpstewart]

Sounds like the BIOS reckons the IDE port is running at ATA33 either due to the use of a 40 way cable or possibly the adapter is forcing the bus to run at that speed. The 80 way cable referred to is the newer style of IDE cable with more earth lines to prevent crosstalk at ATA66 speeds (and greater). It still uses the same 40pin connectors since the extra cables are just earth wires so you can only tell the difference by looking at the cable itself and counting the wires. If you compare an 80way cable with a 40 way one it's pretty obvious but unless you have both it's counting time I'm afraid.

 

[joe pineapples]

just had another go with it, and the exact message is (when conneted to secondary ide)

'secondary ide channel no 80 conductor cable installed'

i then changed the mode in rhe bios from 'auto' to LBA', and rebooted. Still got the same message, but this time an unwanted 'secondary master hard disk fail'. So it looks like the drive is definelty up the river

thanks for the reply anyway.

joe