Member Avatar for lstjean

My Dell inspiron 8200 does not recognize the new 160 gig HD I installed. All I can do is access the BIOS. I have tried to reboot from the cd but no luck. I have also changed the reboot sequence in the BIOS. Coule this be the motherboard?

Thanks
Leo

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: before assuming a failed motherboard, narrow the fault down with a few quick checks that were not tried yet. and made useful early points, and is right that the motherboard can fail — but deciding that now would be premature.

First, verify the drives themselves. Remove the new 160GB (and the old drive) and connect each to another PC or a USB-to-IDE/SATA adapter. If a drive is detected there and spins normally, the drive is OK. If it does not spin or makes clicking noises, it is likely dead. Run the drive maker's diagnostic utility (manufacturers provide free tools) when the drive is seen on another machine; SMART/diagnostic results are decisive.

Second, check for BIOS/compatibility issues unique to older laptops. Older Inspiron-era BIOSes sometimes have limits with large-capacity drives; a smaller known-good drive (or a BIOS update from Dell) can confirm that. If a drive works externally but is not seen in the Inspiron, the problem is almost certainly the laptop side: the bay connector, flex/adapter board or the motherboard.

Finally, inspect and reseat the drive and its connector; look for bent pins, corrosion, or a damaged adapter board. If the drive fails only inside the laptop after these checks, repair options are replacing the bay adapter (if available) or professional motherboard repair. Replacing the entire motherboard is costly; confirm the drive works externally and that a BIOS update does not fix detection before deciding on replacement.

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Member Avatar for disophisis

My Dell inspiron 8200 does not recognize the new 160 gig HD I installed. All I can do is access the BIOS. I have tried to reboot from the cd but no luck. I have also changed the reboot sequence in the BIOS. Coule this be the motherboard?

Thanks
Leo

Alright, so when you go into the BIOS, are you able to see the hard drive in there? My guess is that this Laptop used an EIDE drive rather than a newer SATA drive, so make sure of that. Also, if you have access to the old hard drive, try installing it back in and see if the laptop recognizes it.

Member Avatar for lstjean

I can't see the new hd in the bios and I have tried to reinstall the old one and still nothing. My suspicion is it could be the MB.

Member Avatar for PcTestCard.com

Sometimes installing the new hardware may cause the system not to recognize the original hardware.

For me, I reset the laptop first by doing the following steps:

(1)power off and remove AC adapter and battery
(2)holding down the power button over 15 seconds to discharge and reset the system, then connect the original HDD and AC only.
(3)power on the laptop and check the Bios for the HDD

Hope this helps!
Bill

Member Avatar for lstjean

Hi Bill
Thanks for your help. I will try that later when I get home tonight.
I'll keep you posted.

Leo

Member Avatar for hijimoto

ofcourse the problem is related to ur motherboard

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