Member Avatar for sonya2525

I have a pc with two hdds:
1. maxtor - diamondmax 10, 160gb pata133 hdd, n256, 3.5 series ,d33019
2. samsung sata sp2504c

When turning on my pc, sometimes i would get the error that there are bad sectors and the hdd (maxtor had the os - xp - installed and the pc would boot on that) had to be replaced; and sometimes there wouldnt be a problem and i could see both hdds detected in my computer.

I installed xp (on the maxtor hdd) without formatting the maxtor hdd, and didn't get the bad sector msg anymore. But samsung sata hdd wasn't detected in the bios nor windows.

When checking the bios (Phoenix - Award Bios v6 00PG), only the maxtor hdd and the cd/dvd rom were detected.

I tried changing the cables, but still had the same problem. I also tried formatting the maxtor hdd and installing xp on it again..but still the same.

Now for the bios options, the Onboard SATA-1 Adapter is enabled. Is there anything else that should be changed?

Here's how my bios looks like:

In the bios's main menu, this is what it says:

>First Channel Device 0 {TSSTcodpCD/DVD]
>First Channel Device 1 [Maxtor 6B160P0]
>Second Channel Device 0 [None]
>Second Channel Device 1 [None]
>Third Channel Device 0 [None]
>Fourth Channel Device 0 [None]


Here's what I have in the bios's advanced area:

Plug & Play OS [Yes]
Reset Configuration Data [No]
Primary Video Adapter [PCI]
PS/2 Mouse [Auto Detect]
Local Bus IDE Adapter [Both]
Onboard SATA-1 Adapter [Enabled]
USB Legacy Mode Support [Auto]
Onboard LAN [Enabled]
Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]
Onboard 1394 [Enabled]
Set Supervisor Password [Disabled]
Set User Pasword Disabled
>I/O Device Configuration
>Onboard Audio
>Hardware Monitor

When I click on the Local Bus IDE Adapter, I get the options below:
Disabled...........[]
Primary............[]
Secondary........[]
Both................[x]
And when I cick on Onboard SATA-1 Adapter get the following options:
Disabled...........[]
Enbled.............[x]


any idea how i can get the samsung sata hdd detected???

Thnks

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by cguan_77

Dani AI

Generated

— intermittent “bad sectors” messages and a SATA drive that sometimes never appears in BIOS point to three likely causes: a failing drive, a power/connection problem, or the motherboard/controller configuration. ’s suggestion to try default BIOS settings is reasonable, but run a few quick isolation checks first to narrow the fault.

  • Try simple hardware isolation in this order: power the system with only the SATA drive connected (disconnect other drives and devices), confirm the drive actually spins up, and use a different SATA power lead from the PSU. Even when cables have been swapped, a faulty power feed or a marginal connector is a common intermittent culprit.
  • Move the drive to a different SATA port on the motherboard and use a different known-good SATA cable. If the board has more than one SATA controller (standard + third‑party chip), try ports controlled by each controller if available.
  • If possible, attach the drive to another machine or to a USB–SATA adapter/enclosure to see whether the second system detects it. That test quickly tells you whether the drive itself is healthy.
  • If the drive is never seen on another machine, run the manufacturer’s bootable diagnostic utility (or a well-known drive test tool) and note any SMART/failure messages. Intermittent bad-sector errors before total disappearance strongly suggest a failing disk.

A caution about BIOS changes: if you switch SATA mode (IDE ↔ AHCI ↔ RAID) after Windows XP was installed, Windows may fail to boot unless the appropriate drivers are present — don’t change modes blindly. Loading default BIOS settings or clearing CMOS is safe to try for diagnosis, but avoid changing SATA mode unless you know the OS driver implications.

If the drive repeatedly fails other machines or the diagnostics report errors, use warranty service or data‑recovery options. If diagnostics pass but the drive only works on another controller, the motherboard’s SATA circuitry may be at fault.

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Member Avatar for sonya2525

Why hasn't anybody posted any replies yet?! is it coz I put to much info in my first post?! plz help me out :)

Member Avatar for cguan_77

have you tried to load default bios settings? try it out...
the samsung sata hdd have you used it before or not?
if it's a new one then you better return it..as far as i know samsung hdd is 3 years warranty...(but you better double check) lol.... ;)

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