PC won't post with 2 hdd

Savvy · 2 Sep 2010 at 16:45

Hi. posting if anyone can help me with this problem. Installing 2nd hard drive for storage when come to turn pc on, hear 1 beep, stays on gigabyte flash screen and does not post.

Disconnect the 2nd hard drive, just leave main boot drive connected, hear 1 beep, pc posts and boots normal.

When I come to disconnect main boot drive, connect the 1tb drive, turn pc on, hear 1 beep, pc posts and then says no operating system obviously.

hard drives

500gb WD blue drive - main boot drive
1tb Samsung spinpoint f1 - storage

I have the following spec

Gigabyte GA-M720 - US3
AMD Phenom II x4 940 3.0Ghz
ATI Radeon 5770

ThomasTheTankEngine · 2 Sep 2010 at 17:14

Does it see the new HDD in the bios? Did you try plugging it into multiple USB slots? Did you check both cables work?

Marine-RX179 · 2 Sep 2010 at 17:18

Wouldn't hurt to try a different SATA cable and SATA port.

Savvy · 2 Sep 2010 at 17:23

Thanks for reply. Bios detects the new hard drive when only 1 hdd is connected. Checked all the cabling, put a new sata cable. Does not post when 2 hard drives are connected

freddie64 · 2 Sep 2010 at 17:36

Check the boot order in bios, could be trying to boot from the new hard drive.

Clyde · 2 Sep 2010 at 17:48

Also, check BIOS is not trying to set them up in RAID. Make sure they are in IDE.

Savvy · 2 Sep 2010 at 18:01

Thanks for replys guys. I'll post back after checking bios for boot order, pretty sure sata mode was set to IDE but I'll double check it

Savvy · 3 Sep 2010 at 16:16

Update

So far sata mode was already IDE, tried different sata ports, no joy same thing won't post.

Only options I can try now

1) reset cmos
2) Update bios
3) rma the motherboard

mdixson · 3 Sep 2010 at 16:18

Erm silly question probably, but worth checking, what is your psu?

freddie64 · 3 Sep 2010 at 16:22

Did you check the boot order to make sure it is booting from your OS hard drive?

Savvy · 3 Sep 2010 at 16:28

Its an CiT 650w black edition

power supply will be replaced for a much better one, sceptical whether my psu would be causing this problem

Savvy · 3 Sep 2010 at 16:30

Did you check the boot order to make sure it is booting from your OS hard drive?

Checked boot order tis booting from main os drive

freddie64 · 3 Sep 2010 at 16:48

Could be the cheap psu.

Out of interest, what sata ports are the drives in now?

Savvy · 3 Sep 2010 at 16:58

WD Blue 500gb drive - sata 0
LG DVD R/W Drive - sata 1
Samsung Blu-ray - sata 2
Samsung spinpoint f3 (2nd storage device) - sata 3

Tried different ports with this drive, same thing happens will not post if its connected up

MADEinSTOKE · 3 Sep 2010 at 17:08

you might need to update the bios ...read some where those f3 drives have conflicts with certain mother boards

freddie64 · 3 Sep 2010 at 17:14

Think i would invest in a better psu then.

You could also try with one dvd drive conected, as this will take some load off the psu.

Savvy · 3 Sep 2010 at 17:22

you might need to update the bios ...read some where those f3 drives have conflicts with certain mother boards

Yeh read that too, has issues with SB850 but it might be other chipset it has problems with too

Savvy · 3 Sep 2010 at 17:35

Decided I'm going to invest a much better psu, meantime I'll test with 2 hard drives and 1 optical drive

power supply have in mind

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-018-CS&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=1084

2nd choice

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-037-BQ&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=1083

another choice

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-193-CM&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=1103

read good reviews for the corsair on the net and in magazines. Any other supply's can suggest?

point decay · 3 Sep 2010 at 18:01

does either drive have jumpers?

Savvy · 3 Sep 2010 at 18:03

None of the drives have jumpers