Disk Read error

swinada · Post by **swinada** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 12:39 am

I put a new computer together a few weeks ago. ECS MOBO with 2GHZ Celeron Chip, on board video and sound, 512 MB SDRAM, 60GB Maxtor DX740 HDD. Windows XP
Everything worked fine for a few weeks now. Today i wanted to install my old HDD from my laptop and an older CD ROM. It didnt work so i removed the stuff again, and wanted to start my computer again. The Bios still dedects my HDD and CD Drive but when it tries to boot it comes up with "A Disk Read Error Occured, Press CTRL ALT DEL to restart."
When I try to boot to my CD Drive and XP Disk the screen shows all kind of different coloured squares with numbers and letters.
Any Body any advice? Please

Absolut Talent · Post by **Absolut Talent** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 12:50 am

umm..........this is just a personal opinion......but notebook hds are bad for desktop use ,mmmmmkay?

at this point.....i say the easiest solution is go fdisk and reformat the drive

But you can wait for a second opinion

swinada · Post by **swinada** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 1:10 am

the Laptop HDD is not in there anymore. What you mean wit BAD?
Its the Maxtor that wont start anymore. And soon youll hear a RIFLE Shot from the North, that would be me, shooting up my Comp......

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 1:17 am

Nothing wrong with putting a laptop drive in a desktop - they just run SLOW (most are 4500 RPM).

Can't imagine what you could have done. You sure everything is jumpered right? Remember some drives have different jumper settings for Master and Master with Slave.

Make sure the ribbon connectors are seated fully on both ends.

Have you got BIOS configured to auto detect the drive? Some mobos will "lock" a setting from the previously connected drive and you have to set it back to auto.

swinada · Post by **swinada** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 1:24 am

Tried different settings in BIOS. Is set to Automatic, also the jumpers are the way they used to be.
I removed the CD Drive and just tried the HDD by itself and the same thing happens.

Whats weird is that when i try to boot from the CD all this garbeld numbers letters and colours show up.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 9:01 am

Whats weird is that when i try to boot from the CD all this garbeld numbers letters and colours show up.

Sounds like a loose or bad ribbon cable. Swap it out.

swinada · Post by **swinada** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 8:03 pm

Thanks guys for all the help. Must have been the cable that wasnt plugged in right, for once.
For the HDD i had to rewrite the bootsector and everything is back to normal.
Thanks for the help