How to: Prepare a new hard drive for use.
Solution:
Run BIOS setup, configure BIOS settings, and reboot. Partition and format the new hard drive.
Transfer the Operating System to the new hard disk if necessary.
WARNING: Electrical shock hazard! Make sure the power is turned off and the external power cables have been disconnected before removing the computer cover.
CAUTION 1: This task should be performed by a qualified computer technician.
CAUTION 2: Please observe steps to reduce the potential damage to computer components from electrostatic discharge.
NOTE 1: The following steps assume that the new hard drive has been installed into the computer and connected to a hard drive controller.
NOTE 2: The following steps are based on an AWARD ROM PCI/ISA BIOS circa 1995.
1) Turn on the computer, and press the keystroke combination to evoke the BIOS setup program.
2) If the new hard drive is a IDE or EIDE drive:
NOTE: Some of the information provided in the following steps 2)a) through 2)f) will vary based on the manufacturer and the date of the BIOS in your computer.
a) Select the 'IDE Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Auto-detection' menu option, and press ENTER. (The 'IDE HDD Auto-detection' screen appears.)
NOTE: If your BIOS Setup menu does not have a 'IDE Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Auto-detection' menu option, skip to step 2)d).
b) If the 'IDE HDD auto-detection' correctly identified your new hard drive:
NOTE: Refer to the hard disk user manual for the drive properties on the new hard drive.
c) If the 'IDE HDD auto-detection' did not detect the hard disk correctly, cancel the hard drive configuration and exit to the main BIOS/CMOS setup screen.
d) Select the 'Standard CMOS/BIOS setup' option and press ENTER. (The 'Standard CMOS/BIOS Setup' screen appears.)
NOTE 1: There will be 2 or 4 hard disk configurations shown on the 'Standard CMOS/BIOS Setup' screen. There will be configuration lines for the primary master and primary slave hard disks. If the computer has two IDE controllers, there will also be configuration lines for the secondary master and secondary slave hard disks.
NOTE 2: A slave hard disk must have a corresponding master hard disk installed on the IDE controller. If a slave hard disk does not have a master hard disk, the new hard disk has been incorrectly installed. Refer to the computer and hard disk user manuals for installation steps or contact next-level support or a qualified computer technician.
NOTE 3: If the computer is configured with primary master and secondary master hard disks, the computer will boot from the primary master hard disk.
e) If the configuration line for the new hard drive has not been set:
1] Select 'AUTO' for the hard disk 'TYPE'.
NOTE: If 'AUTO' is not a valid selection for hard disk type, go to step 2)f).
2] Exit to the main BIOS/CMOS Setup screen.
f) If the configuration line for the new hard drive is incorrect:
1] Select 'USER' for the hard disk 'TYPE' and do the following:
NOTE 1: You may not have complete of the steps from 2)f)1]a] through 2)f)1]d].
NOTE 2: Refer to the hard disk user manual for the drive properties of the new hard drive.
NOTE 3: If 'USER' is not a valid selection for hard disk 'TYPE', the BIOS in the computer is out of date and should be replaced. Contact next-level support or a qualified computer technician.
a] Enter the number of cylinders for the hard disk.
b] Enter the number of heads for the hard disk.
c] Enter the number of sectors for the hard disk.
d] Enter the 'Landing zone' for the hard disk.
NOTE: After entering values in steps 2)f)1]a] through 2)f)1]d], the correct size on the hard disk will be displayed in the 'SIZE' field.
2] Exit to the main BIOS/CMOS Setup screen.
3) If the new hard disk is a SCSI drive:
NOTE: The SCSI configuration utility that came with the SCSI host adapter card may have to been run before the SCSI host adapter will recognize the new hard drive. Refer to the SCSI host adapter card and hard disk user manuals for installation steps.
a) Select the 'BIOS Features Setup' menu option.
NOTE: The 'BIOS Features Setup' menu option may be called 'Advanced BIOS Setup'.
b) If computer will be booting from the new hard drive, make sure the 'HDD Sequence SCSI/IDE First' option is set to 'SCSI'.
NOTE: If the BIOS setup does not support a 'HDD Sequence SCSI/IDE First' option and a primary master IDE or EIDE hard disk drive is installed, you cannot boot to a SCSI hard disk
c) Exit to the main BIOS/CMOS Setup screen.
4) If the new hard disk will be used to boot the computer:
a) Select the 'BIOS Features Setup' menu option.
NOTE: The 'BIOS Features Setup' menu option may be called 'Advanced BIOS Setup'
b) Select the 'Boot Sequence' option to A, C.
NOTE: If the BIOS does not support 'Boot Sequence', the computer will boot from A: first and then C: by default.
c) Exit to the main BIOS/CMOS Setup screen.
d) Insert a Windows 95 'Emergency' disk or a MS-DOS boot disk into drive A:.
NOTE: Make sure the Windows 95 'Emergency' disk or a MS-DOS boot disk has the files FDISK.EXE, FORMAT.COM, and SYS.COM are stored on it.
e) Save the BIOS settings and exit setup. (The computer will reboot using the diskette in drive A:.)
f) Run FDISK.EXE to partition the new hard drive
g) Run FORMAT.COM to format the new hard drive.
NOTE: Format each logical drive on the new hard disk.
h) Run SYS.COM to make the new hard drive a boot drive.
NOTE: You may now install or restore Windows 95 to the new hard drive. If you are installing Windows 95 from a CD-ROM, you will need to configure the CD-ROM drive with real mode drivers in the system files (AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS) to enable the CD-ROM drive. Refer to your CD-ROM drive user manual for real mode driver installation steps. If you are going to restore Windows 95 from a hard disk backup, follow the instructions in the user manual of the backup software for restoring an operating system.
5) If the new hard disk is not going to be used to boot the computer:
