Boot Problem

Sailor Steve · 06-05-10, 12:19 PM

Howdy Hi;

I just bought and installed a 1 TB external hard drive. Everything works fine except this morning when I started up my computer it wouldn't go past the first load screen. This says 'GATEWAY' and <F2 BIOS> and <F10 BOOT>. Hitting either key did nothing so I fiddled around a bit and found out that if I unplugged the new drive from the PC it would go to the BOOT screen all by itself, and from there I could start it with no problems.

So it's hardly a catastrophe but it is annoying. Does anyone have an idea what it's doing and how I can fix it?

Wolfehunter · 06-05-10, 12:58 PM

Do you have two HDD now installed? Or did you replace the old one with the newer 1TB?

Sailor Steve · 06-05-10, 01:26 PM

The newer one is an external USB drive. So I have both.

FIREWALL · 06-05-10, 02:02 PM

I know that when you have two internal hdd's you have to configure one as a Master and the second as Slave with jumpers.

With one being External, in the bios you have the USB in the boot order before your Internal hdd.

That's my best guess with info you gave.

Thomen · 06-05-10, 02:07 PM

EIDE or SATA internal drives? If the former, you might have to set jumpers, if the latter you have to fiddle around in the bios.

EDIT: Some older bios versions do not like having USB drives plugged when you turn your PC on.

Sailor Steve · 06-05-10, 02:51 PM

Thanks everybody for your advice. I'll fiddle around and see what happens.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomen

EDIT: Some older bios versions do not like having USB drives plugged when you turn your PC on.

That sounds like it, as the PC dates to 2005. Any ideas other than just unplugging it every time?

06-05-10, 12:19 PM	#1
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Boot Problem Howdy Hi; I just bought and installed a 1 TB external hard drive. Everything works fine except this morning when I started up my computer it wouldn't go past the first load screen. This says 'GATEWAY' and <F2 BIOS> and <F10 BOOT>. Hitting either key did nothing so I fiddled around a bit and found out that if I unplugged the new drive from the PC it would go to the BOOT screen all by itself, and from there I could start it with no problems. So it's hardly a catastrophe but it is annoying. Does anyone have an idea what it's doing and how I can fix it? __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

06-05-10, 12:58 PM	#2
Wolfehunter Crusty Capt. Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,752 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 25	Do you have two HDD now installed? Or did you replace the old one with the newer 1TB? __________________

06-05-10, 01:26 PM	#3
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	The newer one is an external USB drive. So I have both. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

06-05-10, 02:02 PM	#4
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	I know that when you have two internal hdd's you have to configure one as a Master and the second as Slave with jumpers. With one being External, in the bios you have the USB in the boot order before your Internal hdd. That's my best guess with info you gave. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

06-05-10, 02:07 PM	#5
Thomen Ace of the Deep Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: West Virginia Posts: 1,207 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	EIDE or SATA internal drives? If the former, you might have to set jumpers, if the latter you have to fiddle around in the bios. EDIT: Some older bios versions do not like having USB drives plugged when you turn your PC on.