Won't detect my new ide drive

Foyman · 25 Apr 2006 at 18:58

I have just bought a Maxtor DM10 250gb harddrive to replace another broken drive. I already have one of these and have had no problems at all so decided on another. Plugged it all in, booted up and the bios detected no drives even though both were connected. The only way I can get it to see a drive is if I only connect my older DM10. Everytime I add the new one, with or without the other, it detects no drive. I have tried it set to both slave and master. What I don't understand is why it would stop the detection of my other drive? Any ideas oh wise ones?

smids · 25 Apr 2006 at 19:00

Faulty controller board on the HDU is the only thing I can think of. You tried it in another PC at all?

Foyman · 25 Apr 2006 at 19:45

Just tried both of them on my old computer. With my old one connected the machine will boot into windows and I can use anything on the drive but with the new one it causes the bios to report that no ide drives are connected. Thankfully I only work across the road from OCUK.

ChrisLX200 · 25 Apr 2006 at 20:21

Sounds definitely dead to me. This was a brand new drive? Jeez - inexcusable to have it DOA. Puts me off Maxtors more than anything else - they got no quality control.

Foyman · 26 Apr 2006 at 18:39

UPDATE: Took it back to OCUK and after waiting 40mins was told that their test machine picked it up fine. So I explain the situation, that I've tried everything and it just won't work but agree to try it again. Now I have sat here for half an hour plugging it in and trying it in every different combination and I am still getting nothing. Everytime I fail I try the exact same config with my other DM10 that has some data on and it picks it up everytime. Where do I stand with this as at the moment I could hurl it out of the window? Why would it work on their machine yet not on 2 of mine? Can I legally make them have it back?

smids · 26 Apr 2006 at 20:31

Foyman said:
UPDATE: Took it back to OCUK and after waiting 40mins was told that their test machine picked it up fine. So I explain the situation, that I've tried everything and it just won't work but agree to try it again. Now I have sat here for half an hour plugging it in and trying it in every different combination and I am still getting nothing. Everytime I fail I try the exact same config with my other DM10 that has some data on and it picks it up everytime. Where do I stand with this as at the moment I could hurl it out of the window? Why would it work on their machine yet not on 2 of mine? Can I legally make them have it back?

Yes, legally you can (or at least you have a case). s14(2) Sale of Goods Act (fitness for purpose). It doesn't work as intended and you want a refund.

Ask for an exchange for another drive if they refuse the refund, and pay for any difference in price - they'll be pretty inclined to accept this.

Do you have an nForce motherboard by any chance? If so, it's likely that it is the firmware problem - this is another excuse to return it. It definitely complies with s14(2) and you will be able to return it as flashing a firmware is a pretty dangerous thing to do and you shouldn't be forced to do this. This is a known issue with Maxtor's and nF4 boards and unless you are made aware of this at the time of purchase and you happen to have an nForce chipset, then you have a right to return. Sorry for babbling, I hope I made that clear - bit tired at the second.

Foyman · 26 Apr 2006 at 20:48

Thanks for the reply. I have an A8N-Sli Prem. so it could be the problem. Wouldn't explain why one DM10 250 works and another one doesn't, especially as it is the newer one that doesn't.

I originally had a 74gb Raptor and when building my system had purchased the IDE version of the DM10 to go with by mistake. However, I have been plagued with no end of problems with the raptor and after something going wrong with at least a couple of times a month and me now not being able to get into windows or complete a simple disk check I am binning it. I decided to back to IDE and thought I would just buy the same drive as I currently have as it has served me well.

I can appreciate that they have got it to work on their machine but I have bought it for mine and it doesn't work on either of them so just want them to have it back. Will gladly do a swap as long as it works.