Need help with Hard drive

[bigcountrysg]

Hey I bought a new hard drive for my computer. I need some help installing it.

It is a Western Digital 160gb 7200 rpm. Can some one help me I can not get my computer to reckongize this harddrive I am using it for a back up drive. As in I am going to save everything on my primary drive to this drive. Then if my computer crashes I can reformat the orginal harddrive and reload everything off the secondary harddrive. But I need some help setting it up.

[dereku]

well if it doesnt reconizes it, it may not be set as a slave. Check the jumper settings on the hard drive and make sure it is the slave. also not to sound dumb make sure both cables are plugged into it, i.e. the data cable and the power cable

[Big AL]

BC. I have one of them (mine is a 120gb). 1st, you must use the short USB cord that came with it. 2nd, It must be plugged into one of the computer USB ports - not to a multi-hub. Did yours come with an optional power supply (probably not)?

[bigcountrysg]

Originally Posted by Big AL

BC. I have one of them (mine is a 120gb). 1st, you must use the short USB cord that came with it. 2nd, It must be plugged into one of the computer USB ports - not to a multi-hub. Did yours come with an optional power supply (probably not)?

It is an internal harddrive Big al, it does not have usb

[Big AL]

Sorry about that. I have a WD Passport portable HD. I was on the wrong track. Let me back off. Somebody will get you going.

[bigcountrysg]

Originally Posted by dereku

well if it doesnt reconizes it, it may not be set as a slave. Check the jumper settings on the hard drive and make sure it is the slave. also not to sound dumb make sure both cables are plugged into it, i.e. the data cable and the power cable

The jumper setting is just like the old one I am replacing I have it set up and the hard drive is running and everything is plugged in. Just the computer is not reckonizing the hard drive. Could it be the fact that it is the same hard drive as my primary one.

[bigcountrysg]

Originally Posted by Big AL

Sorry about that. I have a WD Passport portable HD. I was on the wrong track. Let me back off. Somebody will get you going.

No big deal buddy.

[Evil Eye]

Originally Posted by bigcountrysg

The jumper setting is just like the old one I am replacing I have it set up and the hard drive is running and everything is plugged in. Just the computer is not reckonizing the hard drive. Could it be the fact that it is the same hard drive as my primary one.

BC, Your original hard drive jumpers should be set to master and the new one should be set to slave. You may also have to go into the BIOS and enable the secondary IDE channel before it will recognize the drive. If this doesn't work, you might try putting the jumpers as cable select, but this rarely works and I only ever use it when hard setting the jumpers doesn't work. Hope this helps.

[strokermann]

i would just take it back and buy a protable harddrive for my back up source. that way when you go over to friends and family you can just plug and play with the hard drive. just my 2 cents. sorry scott i can't help you. i am sure we have some computer guys on here.

[Rwalker]

i added a hard drive to my computer, when i did i made sure i unplugged the old one, then the plug that came out of the old one went into the new one, then the old hard drive was plugged in with the slave end of the cable. if you look on the cable that goes into the hard drive and system board it will tell you which end is slave, master, and system board end. plug each connecter to the respective drive and it should recognize it then. if not then insert the cd and install the hardware.