"Jinxxed0" <guest@unknown-email.com> wrote in message
news:30fb02195db81109932c45a34625478f@nntp-gateway.com...[color=blue]
>
> i unplugged and repluged the stuff inside my PC after it failed to start
> again, and it started up okay this time. Although it'll probably not
> start again after a shut down.
>
> @pupick, i googled for programs to test my harddrive, but i cant find
> any results. and would it really be my power supply? i've had the PC for
> over a year and a half now and havent had a problem like this yet
>
>
> Edit: theres a second harddrive in my PC, is there a way for me to
> switch to it? I have no idea how to do that.
>
>
> --
> Jinxxed0[/color]

Jinxxed0--

Who is the maker of your box? With that it is probably easy to find
specific tests for your HD (often key combos) like Ctrl+Alt+D. Keep in
mind that HD failure may not be the only reason you had a problem--others
mentioned could be and that these HD tests are between 75% and 90% accurate.

Seatools is one way to test your HD
[url]http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatools[/url]

I have had a HD diagnosed as "failing" on a Dell via Ctr+Alt+D and did a
bootrec series of commands and after that it last for a year. I don't
think the bootrec commands which don't impact the HD of course, did it, but
my point is that HDs can gain electromagnetism. There are also the hail
mary plays of believe it or not
a) taking out the HD if it is Dx'd as failing and thumping it against a
cusioned surface
b) putting the HD and cables in a zip lock bag and putting them in your
freezer for an hour

The object of these last ditch moves is to regain enough electromagnetism to
back up your data, etc. if you have not done so. Unless you're backed up,
if you get a Dx of a "failing HD", I would back up and consider that the HD
could fail at any time.


If you truly determine that your HD is failing and want to switch to the
other HD, then

Make sure that your HD you want to boot from is detected in your bios setup.
Depending on your pc, you might want to make the HD one HD Master and one HD
slave, or simply remove one of the HDs and make it cable select, and odds
are that it is cable select out of the box.

If you're not familiar with this, it's simple enough. On the back of a HD
are a group of pin connectors, and there is a small and I mean small,
object on the back of the pins that is usually made of a rubber substance.

All HDs and optical drives have diagrams as to the cableling, and some are
easy to read and see, and some stupidly are not. Often people use the
second drive for storage, when it's working, and when they don't have them
together configured as some type of array.

HD Jumper Configurations

[url]http://studynotes.net/images/seagate-jumpers.gif[/url]

Also your HD manufacturer usually has good illustrations and directions as
to how to cable on their website.

CH







CH