Member Avatar for pieater

Our normally dependable Dell Optiplex GX150 will not turn on properly. It now gives these messages when I turn it on:
Primary hard disk drive 0 not found
Primary hard disk drive 1 not found
Secondary hard disk drive 0 not found
Secondary hard disk drive 1 not found

This is followed by two beeps and a message:
Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the set up utility.

I have tried changing the hard drives with some other ones I know to be OK, and the computer still will not detect any hard drives.

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Dani AI

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noted the GX150’s BIOS is not detecting any hard disks, and already suggested checking BIOS and testing drives in another PC. The checklist below prioritizes quick isolation steps for older OptiPlex hardware and explains what each outcome implies.

  1. Confirm drive power — with the machine powered, listen or feel for platter spin. Swap the Molex power lead to a different connector from the PSU.
  2. Single-drive direct attach — disconnect all other drives and opticals, attach one known-good drive to the primary channel (end of the ribbon for IDE) and set that drive’s jumper to Master if it’s PATA. For SATA, use the first SATA port and its own power cable.
  3. Cable and pin orientation — on ribbon (IDE) cables the red stripe must align with pin‑1 on both motherboard and drive. Try a different known-good ribbon/IDE cable.
  4. Jumper modes — ensure Master/Slave or Cable‑Select is correct for the cable type; a single drive is generally best set to Master.
  5. CMOS reset and BIOS check — clear CMOS (remove battery 5–10 minutes or use the clear jumper), then enter BIOS and run drive auto-detect; verify the onboard IDE controller is enabled.
  6. PSU and visual inspection — try a different PSU if available and inspect the motherboard for bulging/leaking capacitors near the power/IDE area.
  7. External tests — attach the drive to a known-good PC or use a USB‑to‑IDE adapter or a cheap PCI IDE controller to confirm the drive itself. Conversely, try a known-good drive in the GX150 to localize the fault.
  8. Beep codes and docs — consult Dell OptiPlex GX150 service/beep-code documentation for exact POST meanings before drawing conclusions.

Interpretation: a drive that spins and works in another PC points to the GX150’s IDE controller, BIOS or PSU; a drive that fails elsewhere is likely defective. If the onboard controller is dead, a PCI IDE/SATA card can restore access without replacing the motherboard. Power down and unplug before touching components, and avoid BIOS flashing unless absolutely necessary.

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Member Avatar for Xlphos

Do you know if it shows up in BIOS?

Have you tried changing the data cable , perhaps it's damaged?

Member Avatar for pieater

The bios doesn't recognize it.
I have tried changing the data cable, but I had no luck.
Thanks for replying to my question though!

Member Avatar for Xlphos

Did you try this drive in another PC?

Member Avatar for pieater

Sorry I haven't written sooner. I have not tried the hard drive in another computer yet, but I will try it and see how it goes.

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