New Hard Drive Problems

[jbeardencars]

I have a Hp pavilion ze4904us and the original HDD stopped working. I bought a new PATA drive and cannot install Windows XP on it. I read somewhere that I may need a driver for the motherboard to recognize the PATA connection. Please give me some help

 

[johnb35]

Usually a PATA drive doesn't need drivers. What happens when you try to load the OS?

 

[jbeardencars]

When I press enter to load Windows XP, it says that "this disk does not contain a Windows XP-compatible partition" and tells me to create a partition but will not let me create a partition.

 

[johnb35]

Download the hard drive makers disc diagnostic utility and run it on the drive. What brand drive do you have?

 

[jbeardencars]

Its a Western Digital drive. But if I wont work, how can i run a diagostic test on it.

 

[johnb35]

The test will tell you whether or not its a good drive. All you do is download the software and burn the iso image to a cd and boot to the cd and run the tests.

http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=502&sid=30&lang=en

 

[jbeardencars]

Also there was a set of jumpers on the old hard drive so i installed them on the new in the same locations. Would this cause any problems.

 

[johnb35]

Most likely yes. What model number of the hard drive you have? I'll look up where the jumpers need to be.

 

[jbeardencars]

Model number is WD1600beve. Also booted from cd and the diagnostic test will not run

 

[johnb35]

remove the jumpers totally. They are not needed for a single drive install. Once you remove the jumpers, everything should work again.

 

[jbeardencars]

removed jumpers and still cant install OS or run a diagnostic test.

 

[johnb35]

You may have a bad drive then. Return it for a new one.

 

[jbeardencars]

Before I return it could I put it in my enclosure to see if it works as an external drive.

 

[johnb35]

You can try.

 

[jbeardencars]

HDD didn't work with external enclosure. Also is the PATA type HDD the correct one to use in place on my old HDD

 

[johnb35]

Yes, you have the correct hard drive.