contain no or minimal device driver support. This allows the system to boot with what is
called a clean boot.
Here are some things to check to troubleshoot IDE/ATA hard disk problems:
The CMOS configuration is incorrect This message indicates that something
in the BIOS’ Startu pconfiguration information stored in CMOS is not consistent
with what the POST or boot process is finding. Verify the CMOS configuration
of each hard disk drive installed in the system. The information you need
regarding the number of heads, platters, etc., should be in the documentation
of each drive.
Hardware resource conflicts Messages reporting some form of resource
conflict are typically indicating an IRQ (interrupt request) conflict. Use the
Windows Device Manager to verify that a resource conflict has not been created
for the hard disk drive controllers by the installation of a new piece of hardware.
Boot partition is corrupted If the system files on the boot partition are
corrupted, the system cannot boot properly. Use the SYS C: command (from
a MS-DOS command prompt) to transfer the system files to the hard drive.
If this doesn’t solve the problem, use ScanDisk to check for media defects and
file problems and then reformat the boot partition and reinstall the operating
system. Also verify that the boot partition has not been accidentally removed.
The hard disk may have a virus infection Another reason the system may
not be able to find a boot sector is that the boot disk is infected with a computer
virus. Many viruses can corrupt the master boot record on the hard drive and
cause errors that show up as hard disk errors. If an antivirus program is not
installed on the PC, install one and scan the hard disk.
The hard disk cable may be bad or not connected properly A message along
the lines of “No hard disk” indicates that the hard disk is probably installed
incorrectly. If the front panel hard drive LED lights up and stays on constantly,
the drive data cable is not properly connected. This condition should cause a
POST error message indicating that no boot device is available. Check both
ends of the cable, at the device and on the motherboard or adapter card. Also
check the power supply connectors.Chapter 24: Troubleshooting PC Hardware^631
Figure 24-3. The three possible settings for a hard disk drive’s jumpers