Strange goings on with a SATA drive on XP

Ive got 10 devices (4 of which are sata) plus an x800 xt pe running off a psu with only 6 molex connectors with no problems at all

[zovat]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

Ive got 10 devices (4 of which are sata) plus an x800 xt pe running off a psu with only 6 molex connectors with no problems at all

what PSU do you have ?

The more I look at this, the more I suspect a duff PSU

[bonzoe]

Just wondering if the problem is because both HDDs contain a bootable version of XP, ie 2 boot.ini etc. The OS sees another bootable partition and doesn't like it.

I know that you can dual boot XP, which you are not trying to do!, but the s/w has to be loaded as dual boot.

its not a very special one its 500 watt though

[zovat]

Well, I have left it on, with no activity whilst I have been out, and it had done it again.
I'm ordering a 550W queit PSU as we speak, so hopefully that will sort it.

(my current PSU is a 450 - but I am not convinced it is a any good.)

there were no overtemp errors on the HW monitor, and the core voltage on the PSU seems to fluctuate a little too much for my liking...

Ah well, we'll see if that works.

Thanks for your help thus far guys..

[zovat]

update - sorry for not letting you know sooner - it was indeed the PSU...
New 550W PSU - and not one problem since..

I have since added a second SATA drive - and still working great...

I do have a new question though - so I figured I'd save opening a new thread.

I had my drives set as raid 1 - I have now undone this, and done a low level format of on drive - I want to install Linux (SuSe Pro 9.2) on it.

I cannot see it in windows to format is, but I can se it throught the H/W settings..

all I want to know is how I can be absolutely certain which drive is currently being used as the "c" drive, then I will format the other using the linux DVD.

I have checked in the h/w setting of the drive, and the only thing that appears to be different is that one has the "enable this device" option available and the other does not...

I believe that the one that has the available option is the now blank drive, and therefore should format that one - but as my wife has some data on the drive that she has not backed up I do not want to mess it up..

and help gratefully received as always..

[zovat]

Weird update - I have identified the correct drive (disabled one, and it still booted - so my guess was right )

I cannot see it in windows to format it, it does not show anywhere other than the hardware device manager - and it shows an unallocated drive..

(and I have enabled it again )

Ah well, off to bed and have a think about it tomorrow ...