PC Built - Win 8.1 loaded - need help with some snagging!!

BenEadir

Hi all,

Took the advice of people on here and went for a home built gaming PC with the parts ordered from HWVS. Assembled the components with my son the other day and apart from a bit of sweating and the odd frustrated swear word (me not him) we got it built and it actually works!!

We went for a 128GB SSD and a 2TB HDD as it's also going to be used as a home PC so the HDD is to store photo's, video's etc.

When we were loading Win 8.1 we were presented with details of both the SSD and HDD and asked to choose. We chose the SSD and all went well but now when we click on "This PC" there's no sign of the 2TB HDD. Because the PC is connected to the home network via Ethernet cable it can see other Laptops and a NAS etc but no sign of the 2TB HDD.

Could it be that the cable has co-incidentally somehow become displaced and we just need to open up the case and check or is this likely to be a software/setting issue? If the latter I'd appreciate a steer on how we can get the HDD recognised.

Also, assuming I can get the HDD recognised and working is there a way to set it as the default location for future programs and misc content to be downloaded and installed to? I just want the SSD to run the OS, Chrome and uTorrent + whatever games my son is currently playing. As it's only 128GB it will quickly fill up if it's the default download location for everything.

Thanks in advance.

indough

you need to format the hdd from within windows

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/a/disk-management-windows-8.htm

indough

sorry, i should have included this link as well

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/fl/format-hard-drive-windows-8.htm

Skatedude

Also, start8 from stardock might be usefull, it only costs a few euro and gives you back all the familer stuff such as normal desktop, start menu, control panel etc so it looks and feels like win7

BenEadir

Thanks indough, that sems to be doing the trick. Just waiting for the disk to format. Looks like it will take an hour or two.

Hi Skatedude, I'm a big fan of Start8. Have it on my laptop and work PC. It was the first program installed on the gaming PC also!!

.G.

I do something similar with my Win7 PC in that I have all my personal and download folders located on the HDD rather than the SSD, you just have to tell windows where you want them. Here's a tutorial for Win 7, I'm sure it's pretty similar for Win8.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ie/windows/redirect-folder-new-location#1TC=windows-7

BenEadir

Thanks all and Happy Christmas to all who have so kindly helped my son and I build this gaming PC. It's been a great experience.

I got the 2TB HDD working from the instructions above but I have one more piece of snagging I'd appreciate some help with.

We were short a sata data cable when assembling the components. We got two with the case and used them for the SSD and HDD. Since then we got some sata data cables http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IML7E5S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 and installed one this morning but having rebooted the machine we can't see the CD drive in "My Computer" and when we load a CD into it it doesn't fire up a media player (VLC installed) or ask which program should run the CD etc.

Any ideas what might be the problem? Could it just be a faulty cable or perhaps we haven't physically installed it correctly? Should opening up the case again and checking be the first port of call? FYI the CD drive powers up and opens/closes fine.

Cheers.

IrlMonk

Hi,
Glad to hear your almost there.
Check this link out, your solution will be there.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

BenEadir

IrlMonk wrote: »

Hi,
Glad to hear your almost there.
Check this link out, your solution will be there.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

Thanks IrlMonk, I'll give that a go tomorrow. Too full of food and wine to concentrate now!!

BenEadir

IrlMonk wrote: »

Hi,
Glad to hear your almost there.
Check this link out, your solution will be there.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

Top man IrlMonk, that worked a treat. Of course it was the 5th and final option which worked!!!

I have to say (once again) that the help and encouragement we've received from the PC Building and Upgrading forum has been immense. My son and I have really enjoyed putting the PC together, we've learned a lot and spent some great time together. Between yesterday and today my son has spent a good few hours playing various games on it and he couldn't be happier. The graphics performance is amazing and the SSD allows the machine to fire up very quickly. He's playing Battlefield 3 on ultra settings and is simply amazed at the performance. Thanks so much to everyone here, it's much appreciated.

IrlMonk

Well done BenEadir ;-)
Fair play to you for doing what you did.
Happy holidays and "Game On" :-)

.G.

Told you it would be worth it to build it yourself. Happy gaming

BenEadir

superg wrote: »

Told you it would be worth it to build it yourself. Happy gaming

Thanks for your encouragement SuperG, yourself and others have been a great help and gave us the confidence to do it.

We only got two SATA cables with the case but because we were going with both an SSD and a HDD as well aa a DVD drive we initially assembled the machine without cabling the DVD drive and ordered a couple of SATA cables from Amazon.

I couldn't believe it the other day when I walked in to find my 13 year old son in the middle of installing the newly received SATA cable between the DVD drive and the motherboard himself. He had powered of the machine, disconnected all cables, removed the side panel of the case, correctly installed the SATA cable, put back on the case panel without any bother.

It's been a great learning experience for us both and my son is proud as punch that he built his new gaming PC himself.

Thanks again.