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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment.

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Old 25th Jan 2015, 7:15 pm   #21
julie_m
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Boot up a Linux Live CD (or USB stick) and see if it recognises the extra drive.

First boot up with the extra drive connected, and at the bash prompt (if you get a graphical desktop, look for something like xterm, terminal, console or konsole) type
Code:
fdisk -l
(that's a minus sign and a lower case L). (If it doesn't work, try
Code:
sudo fdisk -l
instead. Not all live CDs run as root) Make a note of the output. Then type
Code:
poweroff
(again, this may require prefixing with sudo; alternatively, if you have a graphical desktop, there should be an option on the menu to power off the computer. But all that actually does, is run the `poweroff` command anyway) and let the computer switch itself off. Disconnect the extra drive. Boot up again and repeat the
Code:
fdisk -l
statement (with or without sudo, as appropriate). Again note the output and then follow the "poweroff" procedure to shut the computer down.

If there was something showing before that isn't showing now, that was your extra drive, and it means the adaptor and the motherboard are fine -- Linux includes drivers for IDE and SATA, but you might possibly need a driver installed for Windows to be able to see the extra drive.

Depending how comfortable you feel doing it, it should also be possible just to use your Live Linux environment to transfer the files over to your other drive.
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Old 25th Jan 2015, 10:38 pm   #22
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Hello,

Are both IDE plugs on the same IDE cable, or are you using two separate IDE cables?

I've never seen a drive with both IDE and SATA connectors though. A picture of the back of the drive might help!

Michael
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Old 25th Jan 2015, 11:43 pm   #23
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Hello,

PS Maybe there's no drive letter assigned to the drive. This can be fixed by going into 'Disk Management' in Control Panel.

http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/307844

Michael
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 12:38 am   #24
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Quote:
Originally Posted by yesnaby View Post
I've never seen a drive with both IDE and SATA connectors though. A picture of the back of the drive might help!
The data connector is either the 40W IDE (PATA) or the 7W SATA. However some early drives had both the SATA and IDE power connectors. All SATA drives these days have only 21W SATA power connector.

Keith
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 10:06 am   #25
'LIVEWIRE?'
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

The adaptor I bought from Maplin is just a plastic box with 40-pin E-IDE and 4-pin molex power connectors on one side and SATA sockets on the other. The computer (a Presario S7390UK) came with spare female E-IDE connectors on it's ribbon cables from new, to allow for the connection of additional CD/DVD &/or HD Drives, and there are spare 4-pole Molex power connectors to provide the 4 & 12v supplies. I'll try going into 'disk management' from 'Control Panel' and see what happens. The WD HDD has only the 21way SATA connector (plus a Molex power connector) -hence the use of a SATA to IDE adaptor.
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 12:36 pm   #26
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Quote:
Originally Posted by yesnaby View Post
PS Maybe there's no drive letter assigned to the drive. This can be fixed by going into 'Disk Management' in Control Panel.
In 'Disk Management', unless I've missed something, I can only change the letter assigned to an existing drive. What I want to do is add the WD HDD, which is shown as working, but has no letter assigned, and doesn't appear in the list of drives in 'Disk management', so how can I assign to it a letter?
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 1:58 pm   #27
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

The disc should appear in Disc management. If it's formatted FAT 32 or NTFS it should have a drive letter. If it's not formatted you should be offered the option to format it.

The attached picture shows an unformatted drive on a work PC. It appears in the lower section as not initialised. It only appears in the upper section once it's formatting or has been formatted. (the E drive is a USB memory stick)

Is it possible that the 80GB drive is faulty?

Keith
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 7:05 pm   #28
Mike. Watterson
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

It first needs to appear in the BIOS/ CMOS Setup. Sometimes extra IDE/PATA adapters are disabled in the BIOS/Setup so the OS then can't see them.
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 10:17 pm   #29
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Hello,

I think 'shown as working' refers to the status in Device Manager - so the drive must have been recognised by the BIOS.

Michael
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 10:05 am   #30
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

On my 'Computer Management' screen I get a similar display to that in Keith's illustration, but cannot get access to the WD HDD to read the contents. It may be that the original 80GB HDD is faulty, although all other functions work. As to the BIOS/Set up, I've forgotten how to access that. Should it appear in the 'All Programs' list?
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 10:24 am   #31
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Hello,

1. Usually you can get into the BIOS by repeatedly pressing the 'Delete' key during the boot-up process, not sure if this is the case for Compaq though.

2. Can you say if the drive shows up in Device Manager? If it does, there is no need to go into the BIOS.

Michael
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 11:37 am   #32
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

I'm assuming the drive came from a Windows PC. If so it should be recognised by your PC if it's not faulty.

It should be recognised when the PC boots up. There should be a primary master (your C drive), a primary slave (probably a CD/DVD drive) then a secondary master and slave. If the PC recognises it should appear as a secondary master or slave. If it can be seen at this stage as Michael says there should be no need to enter the BIOS.

Does the WD drive appear as an unknown drive in the lower part of the disc management? If so it may not be formatted correctly. My experience has been that connecting a formatted drive with data on to a PC the drive has been recognised, a drive letter allocated and the data is accessible.

Keith
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 12:20 pm   #33
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Keith, the drive did come from a Windows PC. On the 'Computer management screen it is shown as 'WDC WD800BB-22FJAI Disk 0 Basic 74.52GB On Line. Clicking 'Action - All tasks brings up 'Properties', and on the General Tab is 'Location 0 (0) 'This device is working properly', but there is, or appears to be, no way to assign it a Drive Letter. Perhaps it isn't formatted correctly for this PC. Michael, I'll try to get into the BIOS, but, as the WD HDD is shown in 'Disc Management' this may not resolve anything!
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 1:02 pm   #34
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Further to this on-going saga, although the printed label on the Drive states WD800JD and is a 'Caviar' model, which is/ should be SATA, in the 'Disc management, etc., screen it is shown as a WD800BB, which, according to a google search, is PATA. The connections are SATA, AFAIK. Would this be the reason the SATA LED doesn't illumintate, and the drive cannot be accessed?
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 1:18 pm   #35
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Although an LED can be connected to a SATA drive I've never seen one used. On my main PC at home I have 3 SATA hard drives and only one generic front panel HDD activity LED.

As the drive has a dual SATA/PATA power connector and is only 80GB I suspect it must be an early drive. The disc management system may be getting confused as you are running it through a SATA/PATA interface. I assume the PC you are using is a few years old as it doesn't have a SATA interface.

I have on my desk at work a PCI SATA interface board. I'm not sure if it works but I'll try it out in one of my PCs at home which is definitely pre SATA and see if it works. The PC is a 14 year old P3 processor running XP. If it works you are welcome to borrow the board as that may be a better option.

Keith
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 2:30 pm   #36
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Hello,

I think the LED (on the SATA/IDE adaptor? - if it's on the PC I'm not sure why it isn't) not lighting up and 'location 0 (0)' are both red herrings and not worth pursuing.
What seems to be crucial is why the drive is not showing up in 'Disk Management', which is why you can't see it to assign a drive letter.
(I've had a look and Compaq's 'Computer Management' seems to correspond to the usual Windows 'Device Manager'. The drive does appear in this, so there may be some hope yet!)

Michael
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 2:32 pm   #37
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Just to clarify things, the adaptor I'm using (Maplin N64HQ) is a SATA to IDE converter, havingSATA 15pin + 7 pin connectors one side and a 40-pin IDE connector & a 4 pole molex power connector on the other. The Compaq Presario PC is about 11 years old and still runs XP with service pack 3, whilst the drive dates from July 2001. Files are;
C:\WINDOWS\system32\drives\disksys, version 5.1.2535.0.
Michael, the SATA LED is on the WD HDD, not the PC
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 2:39 pm   #38
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Hi,

Never heard of an (internal) hard drive with an LED. What would be the point, it could not be seen?!

PS The penny might have dropped. What is the make and model of the original hard disk in your PC? It wouldn't be a WDC WD800BB by any chance? If so then Computer Management is only picking up your original hard disk, not the one you are trying to read! So it could be a BIOS problem (check that both IDE ports on the motherboard are enabled) or a faulty hard disk.

Michael

Last edited by yesnaby; 27th Jan 2015 at 3:04 pm.
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 3:23 pm   #39
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Default Re: What is this connector called?

Hi,

Probably the hard disk is faulty.

Michael

Last edited by yesnaby; 27th Jan 2015 at 3:37 pm.
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 8:58 pm   #40
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Default Re: What is this PC connector called?

Hello,

Are you sure the LED is on the HDD? I've found the same SATA/IDE adaptor on Amazon (with a readable picture - unlike Maplin) and there seems to be an LED on the adaptor itself. This not lighting up is worrying.
Can you try the HDD by itself in the PC (disconnecting the original HDD temporarily and setting the adaptor to 'master') in one or other of the cable plugs and see if the LED lights up? Perhaps the IDE cable has a fault.

Michael

Last edited by yesnaby; 27th Jan 2015 at 9:08 pm.
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