Question/Problem: My old, former-primary SATA 350gig hard drive has been giving me problems for months. At first it would occasionally not boot up properly and just reset over and over, but RIGHT after I got my new hard drive for Christmas, it stopped loading entirely. I think the one time I was able to get it to boot up with my new hard drive as a slave was when, after MULTIPLE attempts, set it on its side. I tried numerous positions and that one worked. Once.

Now I've realized there's more stuff on it I need and I can't get it to detect it again. I've tried different SATA plugs, flipping it around, kicking it (not the best idea), and I dunno, just tinkering with it to get it to stop that horrid scratching sound and just load. It refuses.

Operating System, Version and Service Pack: WinXP SP3

Web Browser and Version: N/A

Your level of experience (we simplify or explain instructions based on how you answer): Seasoned. I like to think I have a decent knowledge of hardware and a pretty darn good knowledge of software.

When did the problem start? Has it been going on constantly since then? It first started when I transported the box to my boyfriend's house for a week. It wouldn't load the first time, but worked fine the rest of the week. After his parents came home, I took it home only to have it detect the drive half the time I booted. It's deteriorated since then.

Any steps you've taken to troubleshoot? Um, read above, I guess. I keep hearing that I damaged the little plug things by moving it around so much, but I've done it with older computers and never had a problem, so I didn't think to take precautions. I know better now.

If you are receiving an error message, please include the entire text of the message. No specific message, just that before my new hard drive, it wouldn't detect a boot disk and would repeatedly start over, and after my new hard drive, the slave drive doesn't come up at all. OH, I should note... I have a second slave drive, my OLD slave drive, that's an ATI-plug, not SATA. I think it was ATI that came before SATA, right? Meh, I'm rusty. Anyway, that one loads just fine, and so does the DVD drive also connected to the SATA plugs.


Is the drive blown, or am I stuck just wiggling the cables until it finally works again?

I apologize if this is already in the memories or the tags. I wasn't really sure how to search for it here. I did do google search but I'm still rather confused.

I am getting conflicting info as to whether it's good to turn off the computer at night (in order to save on electricity) or to leave it running so as to not cause "wear and tear" on it.

One person that I know says it's bad to keep turning them on and off.

I do want to save on electricity, now that energy cost are going up and up and up but I don't want to have to replace my computer any sooner than I have to either.

HELP please! I'M SO CONFUSED!! Many, many, many thanks!!!


If this is not the correct place to post this, again I apologize. Please re-direct me to the right place. Thanks