I've replaced a HDD in an Advent 9004t with a new SATA HDD but cannot get XP to see the HDD? I've tried editing the BIOS in Periferals to SATA (legacy enabled) but it still doesn't see it. I think it must be a BIOS issue so am I missing something obvious?

TIA

Since you say XP can't see the drive, I take it that XP is on a separate drive. I'm also assuming that it shows in the BIOS screens.

If so, I'm wondering if you've formatted it. Otherwise XP won't see it. If not, go into Control Panel>Admin Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management.

It should show there and you will be able to format it and assign a drive letter to it.

Very sorry but I failed to mention (& have edited the original post to suit) that it's a brand new HDD I put in as a replacement after the original failed. I've just tried the new HDD in a few readers & have discovered that it's a DOA which is very unusual but solves my issue anyway.

Thanks for your reply anyway Grasshopper at least I know where to come if I need Avent assistance in future

You were very unlucky, I can't remember the last DOA HD that I had. Although I'm a little puzzled to the reference to 'readers'.

Hello, when you buy hard disk buy Seagate or Maxator
then down load Seagate tools from their web site
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatools
and prepare your hard disk with that
instruction is also included on the web site.

Regards Ben

Once again my haste trips me up, LOL I use HDD reading tools to repair computers/HDD's and have a few different kinds ie; IDE & SATA or mixed readers that plug in via USB & this drive wouldn't power up using any of these tools which is how I discovered the DOA HDD. Like you said Grasshopper, very unlucky as I swapped the PSU for a new one, spent ages looking for SATA controller issues in the BIOS (as some Advent laptops require this) prior to finding out the issue was DOA

There's no need to use seatools to prepare a SATA drive as XP formats the HDD on installation & creates NTFS on the drive for you. It's only a 160gb HDD and there's no need for partitions but having read back over this I may create a storage partition for data in case anything happens again!

thanks again guys

Ahhh. USB IDE/SATA adapters. Yes I use those too. Very useful for working on drives as you say.

I must admit I prefer a two partition drive meself - Windows & Data. It doesn't save you in the event of a drive failure but it does allow you to reinstall Windows without risking the data. And it simplifies back up i.e. you maintain a copy of the data partition on another drive.

Anyway, best of luck with the replacement drive.