Why am I Getting an IDE Auto-Detect Error?

I hope you can help me. When I start up my computer i get the message:

Auto-Detect Pri Master... Not Detected

Auto-Detect Pri Slave... Not Detected

I recieved these messages after my computer froze when I was installing modem drivers. Also, I upgraded to Windows XP just over a week ago.

This question was answered on December 16, 2002. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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Those particular messages refer to your Primary (lowest numbered) hard drive interface There are two, and your hard drive is generally connected to IDE 0 Your motherboard considers your hard drive as disconnected.

Where there are modem drivers, there is a modem installation I am suspicious you may have knocked loose the ribbon cable which connects your hard disk to the motherboard.

If not, some other parameter specific to your hard drive might have been altered This can happen mainly fron the BIOS setup in your PC.

Or, perhaps there is an interrupt conflict between your hard drive interface some other expansion card (this would usually be IRQ 14) It's possible for this to happen with an older card which is configured with jumpers or a switch.

Check those ribbon cables and the ones which supply power to your hard drive I bet it's either that, or it's possible your hard drive just went bad.

RG

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Posted by Robert of Mesa Community College on December 16, 2002

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