HD not detected after using DBAN

David

New Member
I ran DBAN to erase a 160GB Maxtor HD and that worked fine but now I can't reinstall the OS (XP home). The Windows CD runs ok and seems to load various drivers but I quickly get a message saying that it can't install because no hard drive is detected. I went into the BIOS and the hard drive doesn't appear there (only the CD drive).

The PC was split new and all I've done is run DBAN so I can't believe that it's a hardware or connection problem. The only thing that occurs to me is that the XP installation disk came with the PC. Would you normally be able just to reinstall XP straight away after using DBAN?

Can anyone assist?

Many thanks in advance.
 
You probably have a new computer with a hard disk controller that does not have drivers bundled with Windows XP.

After the initial hardware detection routine, the Windows XP installer will prompt you to push F6 and load extra drivers. Get recent drivers for your hard disk controller, put them on a floppy disk, and load them at the F6 prompt.

Google should help you to find compatible drivers, but the DBAN log file will also have information about the drivers that it used to wipe your disk.
 
Thanks very much for the speedy reply but I don't actually get any prompt like that. I can boot from the XP disk. I get a prompt about whether I want to install or repair and select install. At the foot of the DOS-type screen I can see that various things are being loaded. I then get a message saying that the installation cannot proceed as no hard disk is detected and that the system will reboot in so many seconds.

If it is then a drivers question I'm not sure how or when I can load them.

Sorry if I'm being thick and thanks again for your help.
 
Dear David,
When you go in your BIOS, do you have set the Hard Drives as AUTO for automatic recognition ?

Did you change the jumper position ?

You should give more info if you want people to help you. Please give the BIOS manufacturer's name, say if it is a brand name computer or a do-it-yourself one, etc...

I had once a problem with a Maxtor drive and I used their utility "PowerMax" to set the ddrive and format it. Some drives have to be low level formatted before XP can recognize them.

My 2 cents,

Serge Crispo in Canada
 
Dear Serge,

Thanks for your message.

"You should give more info if you want people to help you."

Sorry if my inexperience has annoyed you. Unless you know the answer it's difficult to give all the possibly relevant information to those who might. No doubt you will be able to remember being less of an expert on these things than you are now.

"When you go in your BIOS, do you have set the Hard Drives as AUTO for automatic recognition ? "

Yes.

"Did you change the jumper position ? "

No. I explained that. All I did was run DBAN.

"Please give the BIOS manufacturer's name"

I've no idea I'm afraid and have no idea how I can find out.

"say if it is a brand name computer or a do-it-yourself one"

Brand name, supplied by JAL (www.jal.co.uk). I've already emailed them and asked for details of the hard drive so that I can go onto Maxtor's site to see what I can learn from their FAQs and forum. I might be able to get someone who knows about these things to configure the BIOS settings manually.

Don't feel you have to reply to this message.

David
 
Thanks very much for the speedy reply but I don't actually get any prompt like that.

You have one second to push F6 before the prompt times out, so you must carefully watch for it in the bottom line of the screen. This happens when the screen has the white DOS font on a blue background.

If you have an OEM customization of Windows XP instead of the genuine thing, then the option to load drivers during installation may be disabled.


If it is then a drivers question I'm not sure how or when I can load them.

Most hardware vendors provide drivers for Microsoft Windows on their web site in a ZIP file or an EXE file. You must unpack the package to a floppy disk.

Jal does not manufacture hard disk controllers. The controller in your computer is likely an Intel, VIA, SiS, or Promise device.

Use DBAN to run a quick wipe on your computer and keep the log file that will be saved to the floppy disk, which is a TGZ file. The '/proc/pci' file in the log file will have information about the hardware in your computer. Open it with wordpad.

If you do not understand these instructions, then you should consider hiring a technician to service your computer. Past that, you are welcome to continue posting questions here.
 
Another possibility is that you are running a SATA hard drive. Windows XP does not have a driverset built in to support SATA on install. These are of the same driver type as was listed above.
 
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