I'm having a lot of trouble installing a new internal hard drive on my home computer. Disclaimer: I'm not terribly tech savvy.

This is a second hard drive I'm trying to install -- a Maxtor Diamond Max 10, 300GB -- on my new-ish system. I already have a master hard drive with OS (Windows XP Pro) that's running perfectly well. Both my main HD and the new one I'm trying to install are SATA, and the motherboard has 4 SATA spots, so compatibility shouldn't be an issue, I think.

Anyway, I connected the new HD with SATA cable and the appropriate power supply cord, and when I turned on the system, I get an error message right at the start up that says "slave hard disk error", and the computer makes this weird noise -- not the usual beep. I've recorded it and uploaded the sound file here (you may need to crank up the volume to hear it.) When I go to BIOS, I could see the name of the new hard drive (Maxtor SABRE) on the main page, but when I click on it, it says the drive size is 0 MB and none of the other stuff (*waves hands vaguely*) underneath are supported. The configuration is set to auto-detect any new drives.

I tried two different SATA cable, different power supply cable -- still the same thing. I could still get to the window since my main HD is OK, but obviously the new drive isn't there when I go to My Computer.

I've been to Maxtor website and DL'd their software for SATA drives and tried booting with the CD, but the boot CD doesn't go any further than the main introductory menu. And when I run the diagnostic from that CD, it doesn't even know the drive is there.

I'd just return it and get a new one, but the Maxtor page says I need an "error code" I get when I run their diagnostic software before I could even apply for the return. And since the diagnostic doesn't even know the HD is there, I can't do this either.

OK, that's long. I just wanted to float it out to you guys to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious. HELP!

It's been a while since I've installed a new IDA drive - do they still have jumpers for setting master and slave? If so, that's what you'll have to do (there would be a little sticker that would show the master and slave settings).

The deal is, if you have two IDE drives on one cable, one must be set to master and one to slave. (Unless new drives do this automatically?) If you have a cable with only one drive on it, it should be set to master.

There's really no way to incorrectly install a SATA drive. I think you have a bad drive (or maybe a bad controller). Have you tried hooking up the new drive to the primary SATA connector to see if the BIOS/Diagnostic software sees it properly.

Yeah, I read around that a bit, and learned that seria ATA HDs do not require any fiddling with jumper settings. [link] :

Each drive on the serial ATA interface connects in a point-to-point configuration with the serial ATA host adapter. There is no master/slave relationship because each drive is considered a master in a point-to-point relationships.

You're right, SATA drivers shouldn't need any settings at all and the connectors all only fit one way.

I'm glad I didn't completely kill the thread with my link.

I think you have a bad drive (or maybe a bad controller). Have you tried hooking up the new drive to the primary SATA connector to see if the BIOS/Diagnostic software sees it properly.

But if I have a bad controller, shouldn't my main drive (which is also SATA) be in trouble as well?

The way my system is set up, my primary IDE is actually my DVD-ROM drive, and my main HD is something like the third master (despite the fact that that HD is connected to a port labelled "SATA1" on the motherboard) -- not sure where I'd locate the primary SATA connector. (I've mentioned the bit about being tech-ignorant, right?)

Just connect the new drive to the connector the working drive is using. You know that connection works, so then you have isolated the problem to the hard drive. If you contact Maxtor they are probably going to ask you to do that anyway before they issue an RMA so you can return the drive.

Oh, got it. Thanks. I'll try that when I get home.

I agree, it sounds like a bad drive.

However, it's also possible you may need to upgrade your BIOS. It might be a case of it not being able to recognize a drive that big, which is why it's coming back with a size of 0MB. What's the size of the drive currently in your system?

ETA: Or it could be a completely brainless new "feature" that causes problems because nothing supports it. A quick Googling turned up this thread about the problem [link] with a rather inventive (and scary) solution, but it looks like this post in that thread [link] has a more sensible solution that doesn't require a soldering iron.