Problem installing HDD in DVD drive

Eire Go Brach

My disc drive is broken. So I decided to put an extra HDD in. But When I do this. Although I can see both HDD in the bios. My original HDD with the OS on it disappears from my bios boot order and is replaced with the new one. So I have no way to load an OS.
It is a seven year old laptop:)
The HDD connection is sata. Disc drive is IDE
Has anyone suggestions for me?

bonzodog2

You could maybe install an OS to the 2nd HDD and see if when started, it will see the 1st HDD.

just to confirm, you have a SATA HDD as main disk, and what type of disk in a optical bay adapter which replaces a dvd drive with an IDE connection. Am I correct?

The make and model might help us too.

Also, try different SATA/AHCI modes for the 1st HDD

goldenhoarde

Okay does the device boot up into the OS when you have just the original disk in it?

If not you will need to install and OS to the new one and then try and recover data from the old one.

Eire Go Brach

Hi and thanks.

It is a Medion Laptop. Yes Sata for for my 1st HDD. Disc drive one is a a Sata hdd but the disc caddy converts it to IDE for it's connection.
I only tried tried different modes on my 2nd HDD. I was afraid to change the 1st one in case it effects my data. As everything is fine. Once I take the 2nd HDD out. Everything works normally.

Ok I have added pictures. First one is the Bios seeing both the drives. WDC is the 1st original one. Hitachi is 2nd one. Next picture is the boot order with both in. As you can see the WDC is gone. 3rd picture is with only original WDC in.

So is it safe to change the SATA/AHCI modes for the 1st HDD? Will this effect my data or operating system?

bonzodog2

Safe enough, make a note of what its set to now. If you have **super-important** data, well, you have a backup, right?
It MAY affect whether the OS will actually boot; I had some issue like that once but it involved XP, I haven't tried with more recent versions to test it.

goldenhoarde

Try checking the jumpers on the 2 HD first and see if that works. Set it as slave if possible

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-set-jumpers-for-your-computers-ide-drive.html

Eire Go Brach

goldenhoarde wrote: »

Try checking the jumpers on the 2 HD first and see if that works. Set it as slave if possible

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-set-jumpers-for-your-computers-ide-drive.html

No Jumpers on SATA drives.
I might try swap there positions around first before I change settings. As the disc drive seems to be default for some reason.
Another thing I thought is that my BIOS can not support 2 HDD in the boot order, anyone seen this before?

myrscossie

You could try updating the BIOS or formatting the 2nd hard drive on different computer i know if you change the IDE/AHCI modes on the boot HD your laptop will not boot but your data will be ok.
to change it to IDE/AHCI you will need to format and reinstall windows for it to work.

bonzodog2

Try also changing the boot order, so the main internal HDD is tried before the optical bay. Or there may be an F(1-12) key that allows you to select a boot source.

mordeith

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

My disc drive is broken. So I decided to put an extra HDD in.

Are you sure there is no problem with the connector on the mobo to the drive?

goldenhoarde

Presumed the 2nd drive was an IDE but its a SATA connected to the IDE so the jumper idea is out.

okay on the main screen of the bios what do you seen when the two drives are connected?

do you See Primary master/slave? if so which disk is being set as the Primary master?

Eire Go Brach

goldenhoarde wrote: »

Presumed the 2nd drive was an IDE but its a SATA connected to the IDE so the jumper idea is out.

okay on the main screen of the bios what do you seen when the two drives are connected?

do you See Primary master/slave? if so which disk is being set as the Primary master?

If you have a look at the pics I posted you will see. The Bios is seeing the 2 drives. But only 1 in the boot order. The original WD drive just disappears from the boot order.
When I have the 2 in. The 2nd one I put in Hitachi is showing as the Primary master. Original is showing as Sata port 1.

I tried swapping them around. But all of a sudden It was installing windows. It freaked me out so I stopped it. I might try that option again. I just don't understand why it is not seeing 2 HDD in the boot order.

goldenhoarde

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

If you have a look at the pics I posted you will see. The Bios is seeing the 2 drives. But only 1 in the boot order. The original WD drive just disappears from the boot order.
When I have the 2 in. The 2nd one I put in Hitachi is showing as the Primary master. Original is showing as Sata port 1.

I tried swapping them around. But all of a sudden It was installing windows. It freaked me out so I stopped it. I might try that option again. I just don't understand why it is not seeing 2 HDD in the boot order.

did you get sorted? if not post a pic of the infomation screen from the bios when the two are attached

Capt'n Midnight

If you have all your data backed up,

one trick is to put a password on the drives in the BIOS , then only the drives you enter the password for on each start-up will be bootable.