Lab 3.2: Replacing an IDEATA Hard Drive

Lab 3.2: Replacing an IDE/ATA Hard Drive

The IDE specification was originally written in 1988. When it got accepted as an ANSI standard, it was renamed Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA). Although ATA is the official name, most technicians call it by its original name, IDE.

IDE provided an inexpensive interface for supporting storage devices like hard drives, tape devices, and CD-ROMs. The first IDE hard drives had a maximum capacity of 528MB. An enhanced version of IDE called EIDE or ATA-2 was released in 1996. This new standard allowed hard drives to reach a maximum capacity of 137GB. Later enhancements, known as ATA33, ATA66, and ATA100, increased storage capacity to a theoretical size of 144PB. The newer drives spin faster, allowing for increases in data transfer rates. These new drives rival the capacity and speed of its rival, SCSI devices.

Upon completion of this lab, you will be able to:

• Remove an IDE/ATA hard drive

• Install an IDE/ATA hard drive

Set Up

For this exercise, you will need a working computer with an IDE hard drive installed and a partitioned IDE hard drive that can be installed.

Exercises

In this lab, you will record the current hard-drive setup information, remove the hard drive, determine the hard-drive setup information for the drive to be installed, set the hard-drive jumpers, install the hard drive, and then configure the CMOS if the drive is not automatically detected. You can install the same hard drive or a different one. Any hard drive you install must be compatible with the BIOS of your computer and the operating system you are using.

Removing the Current Hard Drive

To remove the current hard drive,

1. Use the following space to record the CMOS settings for the current hard drive. Most hard drives manufactured in the last several years automatically detect the proper settings. Auto- detection has made setting the hard-drive type obsolete. Occasionally, however, you may have to use the User Type to enter the appropriate geometry. The geometry can be located on the case of the hard drive.

   Cylinders:

   Heads:

   Sectors:

2. Open the computer case.

   Warning

   As soon as the cover is removed, put on your antistatic wrist strap to protect the computer from ESD.

3. If any of the expansion cards are obstructing your access to the hard drive, you need to remove them. Important: Before you remove any expansion cards, prepare a sketch that shows where each expansion card goes in the motherboard expansion slots and where any cables or wires are connected to the expansion card. On this sketch, note the pin 1 edge (the edge that has a stripe) on the cables and the colors of individual wires attached to the expansion card.

4. Once the sketch has been completed, disconnect the wires and cables that are connected to the expansion card, remove the mounting screw, grasp the expansion card with both hands, and pull upward while gently rocking the board from front to back (see Figure 3.1).

5. As soon as the expansion card is out, place it on an antistatic mat to protect against ESD.

   Note

   Any expansion cards that are removed must be reinstalled before you replace the computer cover.

6. The power cable plug on the hard drive is keyed so it fits only one way, but the ribbon (data) cable can be accidentally reversed if it is not keyed. To keep this from happening, note the pin 1 position of the hard drive so you can later match it with the striped edge on the data cable when the drive is reinstalled. After you’ve done this, disconnect the data cable (ribbon cable) and power cable from the hard drive.

7. Physically remove the hard drive from the computer. Unbolt the hard drive from the drive bay and then remove the drive from the computer.

8. In another sketch, draw the hard-drive jumper block and show the current jumper settings.

   Note

   The jumper settings should be master or single if this is the bootable drive. If the jumper settings do not match the installation, the drive will not function. Hard drive jumpers found in various locations on hard drives set the installation options.

   Warning

   If any hard-drive jumper is moved, the hard-drive configuration is changed. Sometimes it is very difficult to find documentation for jumper settings. Hard drives may be configured as master, single, slave, or cable select. The hard- drive configuration must match the drive’s usage. The cable select status permits the computer to automatically select the master or slave status, but it requires a special hard-drive cable that is identified by a notch or hole in the cable.

Installing an IDE Hard Drive

To install an IDE hard drive,

1. Research the settings for the new hard drive and record the jumper and CMOS setup information in the space provided:

   Cylinders:

   Heads:

   Sectors:

   Tip

   Newer hard drives have diagrams of their jumper blocks on their labels.

2. Set the jumpers on the new hard drive so they have the same function (master, slave, or cable select) as the drive you removed from the computer. The jumper blocks may be very different.

3. Install the new hard drive in the drive bay and attach the power cord to the hard drive. Place the drive into the drive bay and bolt it in place.

4. Attach the ribbon cable to the hard disk drive and the hard disk controller, with the striped edge of the ribbon cable on pin 1 of the plugs. On early hard drives and on most new hard drives, the drive that is attached to the end of the ribbon cable is drive C:. For some systems, the drive position on the ribbon cable does not matter.

5. Reassemble the computer (replace the expansion cards and the cover).

6. Start the CMOS setup sequence and make sure the settings match those of the new drive. Usually the hard drive is automatically detected; however, if the computer BIOS does not automatically detect the drive, you must set the heads, cylinders, and sectors manually. Sometimes a hard drive is detected with the wrong settings. The wrong settings may cause the hard drive to be installed with the wrong size specified.

7. Exit the CMOS setup. The computer will reboot.

8. Boot to a startup disk in drive A: and then attempt to access the drive you installed:

   A:\>C: 

9. If you see the message INVALID DRIVE SPECIFICATION, the drive needs to be formatted. Use the FORMAT command to format the new drive:

   A:\>FORMAT C: 

   When the format is complete, use the following command to access the hard drive:

   A:\>C: 

10. If the C: prompt is displayed, the installation is a success.