Daz, you have an existing topic in the Windows XP section for this specific problem. It's better placed there so please don't cross-post the same problem in different forum sections. This...

In most cases you do need to copy the files to floppy. You also need to omit certain .pdf document files when you copy the drivers to floppy, as they are too large to fit.

Does sound work normally for other functions than the files you are trying to play? If so, you will most likely just need codecs installed which the audio/video files require. you may have had them...

Oh hell. Sorry again. You're posting quite a few comments in succession, and I've missed that last one about your files now working. I thought we were still trying to resolve that problem!

...

Well install it again. You have a CD, according to your earlier comment. If not, it is downloadable from www.westerndigital.com

After you used DataLifeguard to install and partition the drive as additional storage, you should be able to use it as per normal from within Windows. If this is not happening syuccessfully, try...

Oh hell! thanks for jumping in Coconut Monkey. I was getting confused nyself here.

Was the full drive capacity recognised by the Compaq system WITHOUT Data Lifeguard being used? If so, don't...

Got me beat, I'm afraid. Copy/Paste and Cut/Paste works for larger files than that on my system!

Did you try 'Refresh' from the view menu to see if the file is actually there?

Yes. Of course it is. Didn't you try?

Have I got this right? You have one drive in your system. You've just added another, and installed it as Slave for data storage. You now want to move files onto it.

Why not just use cut/paste...

Why not use Windows?

I'm not sure what you mean by this. What is it you are trying to do?

BIOS changes are easy. This article has instructions for accessing BIOS setup on just about any system. Most, however, simply require you to press <Delete> when you power up.

Different BIOSes...

What I said was that I consider the second email was incorrect. That was my opinion. It is possible that I'm incorrect. :D

I don't think I am though. To set the drive as Slave, change the...

Don't be assuming that. Add the new drive as 'Slave', and if the full capacity isn't recognised, then use the installation software to set it up.

I consider that second email message you...

If you get that IDE hard drive, simply install it internally. If the full 120Gb is not recognised by BIOS, you can use the utility software available from Western Digital's website to install it, and...

If your system only provides USB 1.0 or USB 1.1, you would need to add a USB 2.0 controller card to the system. Prices for those start from around $AU25.


It won't effect your broadband, by...

Unworkably slow, I'd consider. USB 2 data transfer rate is 480 megabits per second, while USB 1 provides only 12 megabits per second.

The other drives are not being recognised because they will be formatted as NTFS partitions, rather than as FAT32 partitions which Windows Me uses. The Windows 9x versions do not have the capability...

Yes, they work with plain old USB, but be warned, they are painfully slow when used with that transfer standard.

USB 2.0 or Firewire add-in cards are also rather inexpensive if you shop around.

I think local retailers are an expensive way to purchase components, but I can't advise you where to purchase. Any drive caddy which allows for USB 2.0 and/or Firewire would be suitable. Choose...

Connected via USB (or Firewire) it should be hot-swappable. Like a big memory stick, really :)

You do that by fitting it into a USB external drive caddy. It's quite a simple task, and they're not excessively expensive. (About the cost of a drive itself, or a little less.

That's a disgusting response from Compaq. Even if there is a BIOS limitation at around the 60Gb mark, it doesn't work by 'adding up' the total capacity of all the drives in your system! A BIOS...

A couple of points to consider.

Firstly there's the drive itself. If you've reset CMOS or made BIOS Setup changes at some point, it may not be configured adequately in BIOS to work at full...

Oh dear! Good thing that replacements are quite inexpensive nowadays.

Agreed. I'd personally consider 256Mb as a bare minimum for Windows XP, and with only that amount installed the dependence on your hard drive would certainly lead to fragmentation and performance...

Cleaning the system of spyware and nasties, getting rid of unused or unnecessary installed software, cleaning out temp files and other rubbish, and defragging the hard drive are all things to cosider...

You must have the system set to "Boot from CD-ROM" in BIOS Setup, as first boot device, and have other boot devices disabled. Simply change the setting to enable the system to boot from hard drive.

Perhaps the CMOS battery is dead or dying? sounds likely to me. I'd replace it to see if that fixes things. They don't cost much ;)

OK, I'm curious. How DO you solve the problem?

Do you press F1 and everthing works OK? Do you press F2 and have to make changes in BIOS Setup to continue? Do you get stuck at this point and...

Point one:

I don't care what the specs for a particular item of hardware says - it is ALWAYS best to manually configure drives as 'Master' or 'Slave', and to use the appropriate cable connectors...

Well that's welcome news!

From what I can tell, the card can't be used in the way you want to use it. It needs drivers loaded in Windows to work, and can't operate as a boot device.

It would be a better setup anyway to...

The utility program you'll find at the link provided is called MaxBlast3, which is a more recent version of the form of software solution you refer to, which I've not heard such problems reported in...

Quantum sold their hard drive division to Maxtor some time back, and Maxtor now provide support for the drives.


You've gone to extremes buying that controller to sort out your problem, as all...