[compnovo]

I need some help here. I just got a new 150GB WD Velociraptor, and after installing it I get an error at boot stating "4th Master Hard Disk Error, Press F1 to continue". I haven't had any luck googling the problem, and before I RMA the drive I want to make sure I'm not missing some silly little setting in the BIOS.
By the way, in the BIOS the drive isn't showing up even though it is detected on the initial POST screen, and it isn't showing up in Disk Management, so I can't initialize it.

This post has been edited by compnovo: 04 February 2011 - 06:55 PM

[compnovo]

Update: I checked the MSI site and my BIOS is the most current. I have tried different SATA cables (on different ports) with no luck. I even tried booting to an XP install CD with only the new HDD hooked up but the boot won't complete, I can't get to the installation screen. The jumpers on the HDD are set to default (meaning none).
I didn't mention that the first time I started the PC with the new drive I got an error message during POST about the drive failing the S.M.A.R.T. test, and after Windows booted the drivers were automatically installed. It was on subsequent boots that I got the error message about "4th Master Hard Disk Error". At no point have I been able to see the new drive in Disk Management or My Computer.

I'm open to all ideas since I can't mail it back until Monday anyway.
Thanks in advance!

This post has been edited by compnovo: 05 February 2011 - 08:12 AM

[Rommel]

compnovo, on 04 February 2011 - 06:21 PM, said:

I need some help here. I just got a new 150GB WD Velociraptor, and after installing it I get an error at boot stating "4th Master Hard Disk Error, Press F1 to continue". I haven't had any luck googling the problem, and before I RMA the drive I want to make sure I'm not missing some silly little setting in the BIOS.
By the way, in the BIOS the drive isn't showing up even though it is detected on the initial POST screen, and it isn't showing up in Disk Management, so I can't initialize it.

Hi compnovo,

I don't have an answer for you but perhaps this story will provoke a thought process that will help.

In my recent thread concerning my sons virus, I connected a sata hdd to my pc to format it to use for backup.
This HDD was part of a raid 0 that when removed from its pc was just removed.
I should have deleted the array first I guess.

Anyway, my mobo has 5 sata ports and it has a raid 0 array.
4 ports are in use.
During a normal post it shows the array then quickly moves on.
When I plugged in the sata I was wanting to format a second raid connection popped up.
The second, new one, was blinking and stated there was a problem with it, then continued to load windows.
In windows the HDD I just connected wasn't visible just like you described.

It didn't like what it sees during boot so it doesn't initialze the device in windows.

Thats what it seems to me.
I formatted it in my sons pc and also found in bios that I had the other ports set to raid that were not in a raid config. Changed them to IDE.
Only the ports with the actual raid are set to raid now.

This was in a window 7 os.
Yet his xp home edition had no problem with it. Saw it, initialized and let me format it.
After that format my w7 was happy with it.

Sometimes things work out in the end but it isn't clear exactly why.
For me anyway.

Hope I didn't waste your time with this.

Rommel

This post has been edited by Rommel: 05 February 2011 - 08:25 AM

[compnovo]

Rommel, on 05 February 2011 - 08:22 AM, said:

It didn't like what it sees during boot so it doesn't initialze the device in windows.

Hi Rommel, and thanks for responding!
I agree with the above, there appears to be something wrong with the drive. It shouldn't require this much effort to install an HDD on an almost new system so I'm going to RMA it...
...UNLESS somebody spots something I overlooked

[waldojim]

break out the WD data lifeguard tools to test the drive. If it is broke, you will get an error code saying such, if it is easily repaired, the DLG tools will fix it.

[compnovo]

waldojim, on 05 February 2011 - 01:31 PM, said:

break out the WD data lifeguard tools to test the drive. If it is broke, you will get an error code saying such, if it is easily repaired, the DLG tools will fix it.

Thanks waldojim, but I don't know how the utility is going to work if the drive can't be seen by either Windows or the BIOS. I'm open to ideas though.

[coastie65]

Hey Comp, If I read your post right, you are installing the 4th Hdd in there? If so, are you sure it supports that many Hdd's. You also said 4th "Master", that gives me pause as well. I can understand a Master & 3 slaves. Could be with the array set up as well. I only have two Hdd's in here and am using ACHI or somesuch thing, not RAID.

[compnovo]

coastie65, on 05 February 2011 - 03:06 PM, said:

Hey Comp, If I read your post right, you are installing the 4th Hdd in there? If so, are you sure it supports that many Hdd's. You also said 4th "Master", that gives me pause as well. I can understand a Master & 3 slaves. Could be with the array set up as well. I only have two Hdd's in here and am using ACHI or somesuch thing, not RAID.

Hi coastie,
Nope, just two hard drives. From what I've learned in the past couple of days of searching, the BIOS includes optical drives in that error message (and I have two).
Thanks for responding!

[compnovo]

waldojim, on 05 February 2011 - 01:31 PM, said:

break out the WD data lifeguard tools to test the drive. If it is broke, you will get an error code saying such, if it is easily repaired, the DLG tools will fix it.

Hey waldojim,
I went ahead and installed the WD app and, as I feared, it couldn't detect the new drive. Looks to me like it's going back for a replacement. All things considered I've been pretty lucky, this is the first time I've ever had a DOA drive.

[Rommel]

You could put that drive in your hand and feel if it spins when you power on your pc.

It would prove it powers on ( or not) , though we know that doesn't mean it can't have communication issues.

Rommel

[coastie65]

compnovo, on 05 February 2011 - 03:31 PM, said:

coastie65, on 05 February 2011 - 03:06 PM, said:

Hey Comp, If I read your post right, you are installing the 4th Hdd in there? If so, are you sure it supports that many Hdd's. You also said 4th "Master", that gives me pause as well. I can understand a Master & 3 slaves. Could be with the array set up as well. I only have two Hdd's in here and am using ACHI or somesuch thing, not RAID.

Hi coastie,
Nope, just two hard drives. From what I've learned in the past couple of days of searching, the BIOS includes optical drives in that error message (and I have two).
Thanks for responding!

Oh, Ok . I hadn't considered the optical drive(s). I guess the BiOS groups all bootable devices together.

[compnovo]

Rommel, on 05 February 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

You could put that drive in your hand and feel if it spins when you power on your pc.

It would prove it powers on ( or not) , though we know that doesn't mean it can't have communication issues.

Rommel

I did put my hand on it and listened for activity but couldn't really tell (I think it should have been obvious if it was working). In addition to trying other SATA cables and ports I also swapped power connectors, with no luck.

[compnovo]

I've got it all boxed up and ready to go back to Newegg, who authorized the RMA with no questions (in their usual terrific way). It's a shame to be out the postage but like I said, I've been lucky in the past so it must have been my turn
The Velociraptor was intended to be a treat to myself, to get a boost in performance without going to the expense of an SSD (which, based on the reviews I've been reading, aren't really ready for prime time yet: too expensive with a high failure rate). Besides, an SSD would be silly in a budget build --- talk about putting a dress on a pig! The Velociraptor was pushing that envelope as it was.

[Rommel]

compnovo, on 05 February 2011 - 06:50 PM, said:

I did put my hand on it and listened for activity but couldn't really tell (I think it should have been obvious if it was working). In addition to trying other SATA cables and ports I also swapped power connectors, with no luck.

I can't speak for that particular drive but all the drives I held in my hand before that I had issues with was obvious so perhaps your RMA is the only solution.
These are IDE and sata 1 HDDs.

Hope your replacement works out.
Please keep us posted.

Rommel

[waldojim]

compnovo, on 05 February 2011 - 06:50 PM, said:

Rommel, on 05 February 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

You could put that drive in your hand and feel if it spins when you power on your pc.

It would prove it powers on ( or not) , though we know that doesn't mean it can't have communication issues.

Rommel

I did put my hand on it and listened for activity but couldn't really tell (I think it should have been obvious if it was working). In addition to trying other SATA cables and ports I also swapped power connectors, with no luck.

yeah, a 10,000rpm drive is usually pretty obvious when it starts. They create a considerable amount of torque starting up, and usually have a good deal of noise associated with them... Of course, this is from someone who used 9GB 10K drives about 6-7 years ago...

[compnovo]

waldojim, on 06 February 2011 - 01:46 PM, said:

yeah, a 10,000rpm drive is usually pretty obvious when it starts. They create a considerable amount of torque starting up, and usually have a good deal of noise associated with them... Of course, this is from someone who used 9GB 10K drives about 6-7 years ago...

I figured I should hear something, especially since these drives have a reputation for being noisy. It goes to the post office this morning, and I'll update when the new one arrives. Thanks to all who responded!

[LiveBrianD]

waldojim, on 06 February 2011 - 01:46 PM, said:

compnovo, on 05 February 2011 - 06:50 PM, said:

Rommel, on 05 February 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

You could put that drive in your hand and feel if it spins when you power on your pc.

It would prove it powers on ( or not) , though we know that doesn't mean it can't have communication issues.

Rommel

I did put my hand on it and listened for activity but couldn't really tell (I think it should have been obvious if it was working). In addition to trying other SATA cables and ports I also swapped power connectors, with no luck.

yeah, a 10,000rpm drive is usually pretty obvious when it starts. They create a considerable amount of torque starting up, and usually have a good deal of noise associated with them... Of course, this is from someone who used 9GB 10K drives about 6-7 years ago...

I had a 37GB WD raptor 10,000RPM drive from 2003. That thing made a lot of noise while reading or writing, and it got rather hot with those activities too! Today's WD caviar black 7200rpm drives can easily beat that one (in terms of speed)!

[compnovo]

Wow, this turned into a bad idea
I got the second VR yesterday and it has bad sectors so it's going back. Good ole Newegg, they're paying return shipping and waiving the re-stocking fee since I'm "0 for 2" --- fantastic customer service!

(So maybe I'll put the refund toward that processor I've been lusting after. It'll give me a bigger power boost anyway..... )

This post has been edited by compnovo: 16 February 2011 - 11:11 AM

[Rommel]

compnovo, on 16 February 2011 - 11:11 AM, said:

Wow, this turned into a bad idea
I got the second VR yesterday and it has bad sectors so it's going back. Good ole Newegg, they're paying return shipping and waiving the re-stocking fee since I'm "0 for 2" --- fantastic customer service!

(So maybe I'll put the refund toward that processor I've been lusting after. It'll give me a bigger power boost anyway..... )

Tough luck compnovo.

Glad newegg is taking care of you.
Yeah, sounds like it might be better to leave that HDD alone.
Wasn't meant to be I guess.

Rommel

[compnovo]

Rommel, on 16 February 2011 - 12:16 PM, said:

compnovo, on 16 February 2011 - 11:11 AM, said:

Wow, this turned into a bad idea
I got the second VR yesterday and it has bad sectors so it's going back. Good ole Newegg, they're paying return shipping and waiving the re-stocking fee since I'm "0 for 2" --- fantastic customer service!

(So maybe I'll put the refund toward that processor I've been lusting after. It'll give me a bigger power boost anyway..... )

Tough luck compnovo.

Glad newegg is taking care of you.
Yeah, sounds like it might be better to leave that HDD alone.
Wasn't meant to be I guess.

Rommel

Thanks Rommel!