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PC Problem

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  • 01-10-2008 8:26pm
    #1
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭


    Would be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction. Have a dell Dimension 4600 PC and it will not start up. I worked on it last week but when i when to start it the other day the dell splash screen came on then a beep and error was diskette drive 0 seek failure. I did some searching on the net and i found out that the batter could have a factor in this. So i got the same type battery and did the BIOS setup. There i saw that in the boot sequence, i could see floppy but it said HDD not installed? I removed the HDD and it works fine on my external drive. I replaced the cable, still not seeing the HDD. I put in a windows setup disk and it said that it cannot continue as there is no HDD. The BIOS is A09 and i went on to dell and found a BIOS drive A12, but i cannot install it as i cannot get windows up on it. Can anyone help? Many thanks, Kevin


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    #2
    dubfir
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭dubfir


    I had similiar problem a while back and the utility Diskpart helped me sort it out. If you can get to a command prompt when installin you should be able to use diskpart. I cant remember commands but I think it when I was installing I had to select disk and select volume ???? Try google it should have full list of commands.......


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    #3
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    dubfir wrote: »
    I had similiar problem a while back and the utility Diskpart helped me sort it out. If you can get to a command prompt when installin you should be able to use diskpart. I cant remember commands but I think it when I was installing I had to select disk and select volume ???? Try google it should have full list of commands.......

    Thanks Dudfir, but i can't even get to that stage. It need to be able to recognise that there is a HDD installed which at this stage it doesn't. So i cannot even get to the command prompt stage.

    Thanks a million anyway

    Kevin


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    #4
    dubfir
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭dubfir


    Might be of some use ? http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2008/01/21/install-xp-setup-did-not-find-any-hard-disk-drives-installed-in-your-computer/


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    #5
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    dubfir wrote: »
    Might be of some use ? http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2008/01/21/install-xp-setup-did-not-find-any-hard-disk-drives-installed-in-your-computer/

    Thanks for the link, but i don't think it applies to me. In that link he said that the Bios can see the HDD but windows set-up can't, My BIOS said that HDD is not installed.

    Thanks again.


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    #6
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    kryan1 wrote: »
    Thanks for the link, but i don't think it applies to me. In that link he said that the Bios can see the HDD but windows set-up can't, My BIOS said that HDD is not installed.

    Thanks again.

    I tried to update the BIOS software through a floppy drive but can't get it to work? can anyone point me in the right direction on how to update the bios if i can't get into window r command prompt?


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    #7
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    kryan1 wrote: »
    I tried to update the BIOS software through a floppy drive but can't get it to work? can anyone point me in the right direction on how to update the bios if i can't get into window r command prompt?

    anyone with any solution to the above problem


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    #8
    cml387
    Registered Users Posts: 8,398 ✭✭✭cml387


    is the hard drive setting in the bios set to auto?


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    #9
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    cml387 wrote: »
    is the hard drive setting in the bios set to auto?


    Yes its set to Auto. Well there are only setting Auto of off.


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    #10
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    kryan1 wrote: »
    Yes its set to Auto. Well there are only setting Auto of off.

    Ive tried to load the BIOS update Via Floppy disk, But i cant get it to install? I am not getting to a windows/command prompt. Is there anyway i can update the Bios via Floppy disk? Does it need to be a certain file? I have downloaded the Bios update from Dell. The current bios software is A09, and i have A12 update?


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    #11
    dubfir
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭dubfir


    Hi again, have you changed the hard drive/added a hd since the pc was working, is it sata,ide or... hd? Try setting the bios back to default rather then trying to update it if you have made no changes to the pcs setup since it last booted?


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    #12
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    dubfir wrote: »
    Hi again, have you changed the hard drive/added a hd since the pc was working, is it sata,ide or... hd? Try setting the bios back to default rather then trying to update it if you have made no changes to the pcs setup since it last booted?

    Hi there... No no changes were ever made to the PC. The Drive is An IDE. I removed ir and hooked up a SATA drive to the other slot and it still didn't reconigse it.


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    #13
    dubfir
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭dubfir


    Hi ,I guess you have checked that the ide cable is good and hasnt come loose and tried to connect it to the secondary cable? I think there are other issues with sata drives to have them recognised in bios i.e new drivers etc.


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    #14
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    dubfir wrote: »
    Hi ,I guess you have checked that the ide cable is good and hasnt come loose and tried to connect it to the secondary cable? I think there are other issues with sata drives to have them recognised in bios i.e new drivers etc.

    Yea tried all that. i just thought it would be something simple. Have tired a differed HD, different cables, ect. It was working fine and then suddenly stoipped. I do plug it out when i am finished of it and when i plug the power back in, the PC starts up with out having to turn on the power button? When i have a USB key pluged in it reconigses it and i tried to install windows on that but it was coming up with an error.


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    #15
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    BIOS link:
    http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/downloads/en/downloads_splash?c=us&l=en&s=gen&~mode=popup&file=110561

    The BIOS above should be the one for your 4600 but please double check it is the same as the file you already downloaded.


    From the Dell Website:

    Run the BIOS update utility from DOS environment (Non-Windows users)


    NOTE: You will need to provide a bootable DOS diskette. This executable file does not create the DOS system files.


    1. Copy the file D4600A12.EXE to a bootable floppy.


    2. Boot from the floppy to the DOS prompt.


    3. Run the file by typing A:\D4600A12.EXE (where a is the drive letter where the executable is located).




    Now you just need to make a bootable floppy for yourself,
    http://files.frashii.com/~bootdisk/tennessee/boot98se.exe

    Copy the BIOS update file to this floppy after creating it, leave it in the root folder, then (assuming your floppy is drive a:) type a:\D4600A12.EXE at the prompt and the bios should start to install itself.


    MC :cool:


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    #16
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    OK updated the BIOS no problem thank you MC, but after the update its still not picking up the HD? so i have com to the conclusion that its the MB. is there any softward that i could DL that could scan the MB and tell me if there was something wrong? If there isn't i will call it a day so unless anyone got a MB that will fit a Dell Dimension case or know where i can get 1, i thank you all very much for your help.



    Kevin


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    #17
    kryan1
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭kryan1


    Hi there, Finally got to the root of my PC problem, It was the Pin Jumber on the Hard drive that was not working. I swapped it with another pin jumper and set the HD to master, it picked it up first time. Many thanks for everyones help. Hope this will help anyone who comes across a similar issue.
    Thanks again
    Kevin


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