trying to install new hd

[Jay Payne]

Just bought a 120gb hard disc and eventualy want it to be my main one. trying to install windows on it but when it searches for drives it says 'setup cannot access this disk' or something like that.

Anyway reconnected my old 40gb and put the 120 in as a slave and it doesnt show up in 'my computer'

Dont really know where to go next:S

 

[Mike_182]

Just bought a 120gb hard disc and eventualy want it to be my main one. trying to install windows on it but when it searches for drives it says 'setup cannot access this disk' or something like that.

Anyway reconnected my old 40gb and put the 120 in as a slave and it doesnt show up in 'my computer'

Dont really know where to go next:S

Possible that AHCI is enabled if you're using an SATA drive and this would make it inaccessible by Windows setup without the AHCI driver disk for the controller.

 

[Jay Payne]

ok.............and that means what? sorry not very technical with pc stuff. its a ide connected drive i think

 

[Final Maxim]

have you set the jumper to master when it was on first?

have you tried deleteing then remaking a new partition?

 

[Jay Payne]

yea messed with the jummpers. Dont think i can partition coz its not being recognised

 

[ViolentJ]

1. Is it IDE or SATA?
2. If IDE is the jumper on the back of the drive set correctly or to auto?
3. Has it got power?
4. Has it been formatted and partitioned yet?

 

[Jay Payne]

1 ide
2 tried master, slave and cs
3 its making noise
4 no! how?

 

[BenWall]

you disk manager in system tools in Windows I think to formatt it to NTFS, should show up then.

 

[Jay Payne]

dont have that option in mine (xp)
it shows up in device manager so it works, thankfully

 

[Jay Payne]

still cant find the format option

 

[Final Maxim]

i had a problem with mine with installing vista, but it was reading the disc of mine but wouldnt install, ended up reformatting as a slave and then allowing the vista disc to delete and make a new partition.

but with yours if it aint coming up at all i really dunno what to say other than try it in another pc as slave or cable select and try partition it that way

 

[Jay Payne]

could it be a setting in the bios or something?

 

[Final Maxim]

see if its coming up in the bios, go to the boot order, see if you can select it in there with your other harddrive or even by itself

 

[Final Maxim]

what harddrive is it, what make, and new? or from a shop? online?

 

[Jay Payne]

western digital and new, apparently. no stickers on it tho just a label. Ebay purchase

 

[Jay Payne]

just checked in the bios, it shows up in there ok.:S

 

[Final Maxim]

try set it as 1st boot? then cd/dvd

if it is 1st boot, try set it as secondary with cd/dvd first booting device.

are you installing xp or vista as ive read that booting order can affect installation on vista

 

[terribleclio]

if it comes up in my computer but you can't access it.
Go:
Control panel:
Administrative tools:
Computer management:
Disk management:
Then select new hdd, right click then select format. Once formated you should be able to access it.

 

[Jay Payne]

if it comes up in my computer but you can't access it.
Go:
Control panel:
Administrative tools:
Computer management:
Disk management:
Then select new hdd, right click then select format. Once formated you should be able to access it.

it doesnt show up in disk management!:S