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WESTERN DIGITAL HARD DRIVE
TROUBLESHOOTING - 27
INSTALLATION GUIDE
Frequently Asked Questions
This section contains answers to common hard drive installation questions by our customers.
To search the Western Digital technical support knowledgebase for our complete list of
frequently asked questions, visit our product support Web site at support.wdc.com.
The cables are properly connected and the jumper settings are correct, but the system
BIOS cannot recognize the hard drive.
Always check first to make sure that you have the latest BIOS update installed for your system
motherboard. If you have an older computer system, the BIOS may "hang" or "freeze" while
auto detecting the drive. You may need to use the alternate jumper settings (see “Alternate
Jumper Settings” on page 26).
If you have determined that this is a BIOS limitation issue, follow the instructions below.
1. Enter the system BIOS.
NOTE: Typically a message is displayed on the screen after the memory count of the boot
process, telling you how to enter Setup (System BIOS). Each system's BIOS is configured
differently, but the primary keystrokes used to enter the System BIOS are F1, F2, or
Delete. For specific information on how to enter your system BIOS and make the
necessary changes referenced above, refer to your motherboard or system manual or the
manufacturer directly.
2. Select User or User defined drive type and enter 1023 cylinders, 16 heads, and 63 sectors
for the drive parameters.
3. Next, you will have one of two Mode options, LBA Mode or IDE Translation Mode.
Select the option appropriate to your computer BIOS which disables Translation. This
can be done by disabling LBA or choosing Normal or Standard CHS mode.
4. Your BIOS may have more settings other than Cylinders, Heads, and Sectors; if so, simply
enter 0 for them.
5. Once the above is completed, the drive size should show the capacity as being 502 MB or
528 MB. This is normal. The above settings simple tricks your BIOS into thinking the
hard drive is smaller than it really is, allowing the computer to boot with the hard drive
connected. The full capacity of the hard drive will be available once the Data Lifeguard
Tools diskette is used to install, partition, and format the hard drive.
My hard drive is making clicking noises. What is wrong?
There are several potential problems that can cause clicking sounds. First, the drive itself could
be failing or has failed. Other reasons could include a faulty data cable, data corruption,
incorrect BIOS settings, or in some cases, a virus infection. Follow these suggestions to
diagnose the problem.
1. Power the system down and disconnect the IDE ribbon cable to the drive making the
noise. Leave the power cable attached.
2. When you attach the drive to the power supply with the 40-pin data cable detached, does
the clicking continue?
Yes - The drive has failed and needs to be replaced. Other symptoms generally associated
with clicking include: