So much trouble with Computer. hardware pics

teenage_Drama

1st Boot device: Atapi cd rom drive

2nd boot device: hard drive
3rd boot device: removable devices
4th boot device: network boot

power managment:disabled

quick boot mode: disabled

boot-time diagnostic screen: disabled

hard drive: bootable add in card


if there is anything else you need to know on bios settings then please let me know

teenage_Drama

1st Boot device: Atapi cd rom drive

2nd boot device: hard drive
3rd boot device: removable devices
4th boot device: network boot

power managment:disabled

quick boot mode: disabled

boot-time diagnostic screen: disabled

hard drive: bootable add in card


if there is anything else you need to know on bios settings then please let me know

GreenNotM

Yes - what are the hard drive controller settings - may be auto will be drives 0 or 1 or 2 ...

can you enable the boot time diagnositics as well.

hard drive: bootable add in card <<< this seems unusual ! !!

I asked about the ribbon cable too ..

teenage_Drama

Ok

If i buy a new hard drive, which one should i buy, will any hard drive work or are there special ones made for this computer? I have decided i will be buying a new hard drive because this computer gives up on me too much, i have been looking on ebuyer.com, do i need a internet or external hard drive, what i want to do is i want to take out the hard drive which is causing the computer trouble, will this be better than buying a new base unit? or will i have problems even if i buy a brand new hard drive?

Any recommendations please

Thankyou for all your help GreenNOTM and others, very much appreciated

GreenNotM

We do not know there is anything wrong with the drive yet - The SMART responses as healthy - all I want you to do is check the jumper setting and the cable and actually look in the BIOS about 2 mins with the power off - esp as this is not your only pc . The error you got indicates that the drive is set some how as slave - not as master - that can be - because the jumpers are set to slave - or the the jumpers are set to cable select and the drive is on the slave connector of the ribbon cable or the drive is set as master and on the slave part of the cable - The BOOT Diags may point this out - it may be why they were turn off - DELLs are good at sorting themselves out or reporting what is wrong ....

teenage_Drama

I will check asap, maybe tonight or tommorow morning.

Thanks