Brand New IDE Cable is Bad

Dyre Straits · Mar 8, 2006, 12:59 AM

This was one of those simple little things that should take about 5 minutes to accomplish: Connect a brand new HD for additional storage, make sure the cable is connected properly and the power cord plugged in. If a jumper is needed, just push it onto the correct pins, boot up the computer and let the system recognize a new device.

Everything seemed to be working even up to the system recognizing the new HD during the initial boot sequence.

BUT, once into Windows XP there was no new HD to be seen. (Except on one occasion when it showed up in Device Manager under Disk Drives.)

But, opening My Computer or even going to the Manage option to try to initialize this drive for Windows showed no such new HD at all!

The 80-pin IDE cable was taken fresh out of sealed celophane packaging, too.

After messing around with this and checking one thing and another without any success, I finally pulled out that cable and connected it all to another new one.

Voila! Success!

Just how many new IDE cables have you ever found to be bad? In all my years working on and building computers, I can't think of another one. I do recall a few old ones that went bad. I think that was due to pushing and pulling them improperly-- but who knows for sure?

Anyway, I now have some additional storage on my second computer for video recording.

Sargentwhitey · Mar 8, 2006, 01:28 AM

I've had some GO bad, but never had one be bad when it was fresh and new. Only thing close is that the plastic on it was weak, and it broke when I first tried to pull it out of the drive

Al_Vampyre · Mar 8, 2006, 04:58 AM

Doesn't happen often, so you assume it can't be the cable and end up spending ages looking for the problem. Very annoying!!

Judas · Mar 8, 2006, 10:04 AM

i'd had 4 bad ones... all out of the same box..... i was quite unimpressed....

Dyre Straits · Mar 8, 2006, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judas

i'd had 4 bad ones... all out of the same box..... i was quite unimpressed....

You hold the record, so far.

That's insane, though....4 in the same package!!

Judas · Mar 8, 2006, 03:08 PM

It was a motheboard package, it had 4 IDE cables that came with it, all of them seemed to have the exact same cut in them like they were bad from factory... (undoubtily)....