endless computer problems HELP!!!

[forcer]

i just upgarded my computer and after 1 hour of using it the screen went off... so i restarted and it went off again! i then turned off automatic restart so it would show an error instead. The errors were alot of **** i didnt understand.

when my computer restarts and the screen usually should go off n switch back on in like a second but instead it goes off n stays off... i took the new HDD out and the screen worked perfect but it wont let me use my old harddrive as master even when i change the jumpers... it says harddrive diagnosis failed or something and i am pretty sure its seeing it as primary slaver instead of primary master.

i cant do any surface scans because it halted at 2% saying there was a problemm. whenever i try to install windows i get various errors at different points in installing

i have formatted both drives and re partitioned them but that fixed nothing.

i can get in safe mode on WinME

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why wont it let me put my old drive as master? maybe something to do with the cd-rom?

how come my screen doesnt restart properly until i take the new HDD out?... and wen i do why wont it let me put the new drive as master.

is there a certain way it needs to be connected like hdd through ide1 and cd-rom through ide 2

my plan was to remove the new drive get it all running with my old drive as master, then add the second drive as slave and see if it worked that way. but i need to get my old drive as master.

any advice or help appreciated i really dont want to have to take it back to the place so hey can have it for another week 😡

 

[dreamliner77]

More specifics about the hardware in use would help.

1) Sounds like your old hard drive may be toast

2) What size is the new drive? You will have problems if the drive is larger than 137 gigs.

 

[forcer]

amd athlon XP 2000+
new HDD > 60gig
old HDD maxtor > 40gig
geforce4
256ddr ram
not sure on the motherboard

 

[dreamliner77]

Have you formatted the new drive?

get a boot floppy and fdisk away..

 

[forcer]

i fdisk bothdrives then formatted them... but whenever i try to install windows on my new drive(60gig) it ****s up with errors... i wud put my old drive as master and install windows on that but i cant seem to get it to master lol and yeh i have changed the jumpers lol but it givs an error or stops working all together

 

[dreamliner77]

Fdisking is formatting the drives.

Have you tried copying the xp installation to hardrive and installing from there?

Latest bios for MB?

 

[forcer]

i have not tried copying the installation and i dont know the latest BIOS... but the computer has gone back to the bloke who upgraded it and he sed it wud be back yesterday but its not... so i am guessing it was something slightly more serious

 

[dreamliner77]

oh oh

 

[forcer]

for any1 thats interested... what happened was when the graphics card was added to the motherboard it cracked the board... which wouldnt have happened if he board was mounted to the case properly.. the guy didnt put the screws into all the holes so the board was canny flexible yet he still blamed me because he sed when YOU messed around with the card u cracked it... but it was already ****ed because the screen was going strange before i even touched the board.

so he simply replaced the motherboard, fixed? 😀.. no 😡 he fried the chip somehow... so now i gotta wait for it to arrive.

btu thanx to any1 who did reply trying to help... much appreciated

 

[GoNz0]

sounds like a right twat who built it, will this be your last visit to him ?

 

[forcer]

yes definetly the last visit... i always went to him because he actually built it 2 years ago so i thought it will be better if he upgrades it coz he knows about the computer but i honestly could do a better job myself. i have only ever built computers on my college course but still think i cud of upgraded it better.

i have told him about a thousand times... once you format the drives dont install windows i like to do it myself so i can tweak it before i install n get everything how i want but he still installs it... goes ahead and installs games n **** what i dont want. i asked for a 60gig hdd and wen i got it back it had 20gig free coz he filled it up... he probs thinks he is being kind but i sed dont do it.

and when he blames me for something that he done just to get another £40quid for the new parts is pathetic... wen it was his fault

hes so laid back aswell it takes him ages to do a job lol... this upgrade was ment to be done and dusted for xmas eve... 2 weeks later and i am still a processor down! lol

 

[GoNz0]

doh. relaxed and laid back don't pay the wages does it. time to become your own system builder 🙂

 

[wolvfj]

Did you try putting the jumper in the neutral position? Here's a guide on how to do it if you don't know http://support.wdc.com/techinfo/general/jumpers.asp
It's not a maxtor hard drive but it should be the same.