X31 doesn't like any hard drive

[the-wanderer]

I recently bought a used X31 to replace another X31 that I had about 3 years ago that I had to turn back in when a project was over. Anyway, I haven't been able to get the new X31 to recognize any hard drive other than the one that came in it, and that includes the hard drive that came out of my old X31. Is there some magic setting that I'm missing? I don't think that the hard drive is even spinning up when I put it in. Am I missing something?

Thanks.

[RealBlackStuff]

Try a BIOS update.
Check that all pins on the HD are straight, and that there are none missing.
Check jumpers on the HD if any.
The (new) HD must be PATA/IDE, not SATA.

[jtt3011]

Check that the BIOS reports the presence of the disc in question. That will confirm that the disc is powering up and is able to be read. However, as with the previous response, if the BIOS gives no sign of recognition, it may be a physical connection problem. Other thing, is to get a cheap USB enclosure and see if the drive works OK with that

[the-wanderer]

Check that the BIOS reports the presence of the disc in question. That will confirm that the disc is powering up and is able to be read. However, as with the previous response, if the BIOS gives no sign of recognition, it may be a physical connection problem. Other thing, is to get a cheap USB enclosure and see if the drive works OK with that

The drives (plural) are getting a good physical connection, and work fine in a USB-laptop IDE enclosure. I don't think that the bios is recognizing the drive, but I don't know why. I'm REALLY confused about why the bios isn't recognizing a drive that came out of another X31. That's why I'm on here, asking questions.

Would there be the possibility of there being some kind of weird security mechanism that might be doing something? I know on the X31 that I had a few years ago, I swapped drives and didn't have anything like the problem that I'm having on this one. And it's weirding me out.

Thanks for all your help, guys.

[sojourner]

I would guess the drive is not properly inserted in the bay as suggested in replys above, thus the BIOS does not see it!

From past experience I found you MUST put a drive 'cage' on the drive before inserting into the bay else only one row of HDD pins engage the MOBO IDE connector!

If you don't want to take the time or make the effort to change cages from drive to drive, insert the bare drive with the TP upside-down, then both rows of pins should engage

[RRHODY]

It has been my limited experience with my X31 that I have to have the HD mounted in the proper caddy and WITH THE PROPER SIZE SCREWS in the front of the caddy to have the drive seated properly. Apparently, the are notches in the sides of the HD housing that guide the drive to the proper location to mate with the MB.

[mpcook]

I agree, having had a few of the X3*'s, it is not unlikely to have the pins misaligned when inserting. This very problem drove me crazy for a while once when doing a bunch of drive swapping betwixt X30, X31's. Also I agree you should have all proper screws/cage properly and carefully put back together.

Mike

[the-wanderer]

I agree, having had a few of the X3*'s, it is not unlikely to have the pins misaligned when inserting. This very problem drove me crazy for a while once when doing a bunch of drive swapping betwixt X30, X31's. Also I agree you should have all proper screws/cage properly and carefully put back together.

Mike

(Scene opens to a man standing in front of a group of people.)

Hi, I'm Steve, and I'm an idiot... "Crowd: Hi, Steve..." I'd like to admit that even though I've been working on laptops for years and years, I managed to screw up something as simple as inserting a hard drive into a connector. It felt like it was seating, but...

Anyway, I got the X31 to fire up it's old hard drive. Everything works fine, and I'm a doofus..

Thanks for everybody's help.

[sojourner]

Great sense of humor!

[schen]

(Scene opens to a man standing in front of a group of people.)

Hi, I'm Steve, and I'm an idiot... "Crowd: Hi, Steve..." I'd like to admit that even though I've been working on laptops for years and years, I managed to screw up something as simple as inserting a hard drive into a connector. It felt like it was seating, but...

Anyway, I got the X31 to fire up it's old hard drive. Everything works fine, and I'm a doofus..

Thanks for everybody's help.

I could; Oh so see myself doing this very thing and getting the same results.

[mpcook]

I agree, having had a few of the X3*'s, it is not unlikely to have the pins misaligned when inserting. This very problem drove me crazy for a while once when doing a bunch of drive swapping betwixt X30, X31's. Also I agree you should have all proper screws/cage properly and carefully put back together.

Mike

(Scene opens to a man standing in front of a group of people.)

Hi, I'm Steve, and I'm an idiot... "Crowd: Hi, Steve..." I'd like to admit that even though I've been working on laptops for years and years, I managed to screw up something as simple as inserting a hard drive into a connector. It felt like it was seating, but...

Anyway, I got the X31 to fire up it's old hard drive. Everything works fine, and I'm a doofus..

Thanks for everybody's help.

Well I have been working on computers for a couple of decades myself and I already implicitly admitting to doofus status myself above!

I'm glad it was easy fix, right?

Mike