Member Avatar for bob33

Hey Guys, Great Site.

Hopefully someone much smarter than I can help me. The 10gb hard drive in my toshiba 2805-s301 die. I am trying to replace it with a 20 gb model mk2018gap. I have upgraded the bios to ver 2.0 . The old drive had no jumpers so I install the new one without a jumper. This is how the instructions say to install to make it a master. Still the laptop does not find the drive. Any Ideas?????

Thanks,

Bob33

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by vicec64

Dani AI

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Notes for and follow-ups to : below are targeted checks and simple tests that go beyond basic BIOS tweaks and will quickly isolate whether the new MK2018GAP is faulty, mis-sized, or simply not mating with the laptop bay.

  • Test the drive outside the laptop first. Use a USB-to-IDE adapter or put the drive in a desktop 2.5" bay. Power it and listen/feel for spin. If another system sees the drive, run a S.M.A.R.T. check (smartmontools, CrystalDiskInfo) to confirm health. If it never appears externally, return or RMA the drive.
  • Verify the physical fit and mating. Measure the drive thickness (common 9.5 mm vs 12.5 mm) and compare the connector layout to the Toshiba bay. Reuse the original drive sled/bracket and any foam spacers; missing hardware can prevent full seating or connection.
  • Inspect and clean the contacts. Look for debris, corrosion or a misaligned mating surface on both the drive and in the laptop bay. Clean gently with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free swab. Do not force the drive into place.
  • Narrow the fault: try a known-good 2.5" drive in the laptop. If that drive is recognized, the new MK2018GAP is the likely culprit. If no drive is recognized, the laptop bay or its power/connector circuit may need repair.

Cautions: avoid touching connector pins, work on a nonconductive surface, and discharge static before handling. If the external tests show the replacement drive works but the laptop still refuses it, a shop with a spare 2.5" drive or a USB-IDE adapter can confirm whether the bay or motherboard is at fault.

Member Avatar for vicec64

You may need just go into the bios and have the HDD "redetect". But if you had your OS loaded on the other drive you may need to migrate the info over to the new drive first. If you just install it bare, you can probably just get to your bios and set "optimal defaults" and that should detect the new drive, but you would also need to reload your operating system with a bare drive. The key here is to make your updated bios to 'see' your new HDD. Providing the new bios actually does support the model you bought. And, since you did update the bios, the very first thing to do would be to set "optimized defaults" to re-set parameters. If you have problems still you may need to clear CMOS 'and' set optimal defaults, and have the bios re-detect your new HDD again. What I would do first is re-seat your IDE cable from the board (mainboard) to the new HDD on both ends. Check for any bent pins carefully. boot up and tap delete to get into the bios (or F2). Set optimized defaults. If you can 'get to the bios then it's a good sign to begin with. Then you would (with your restore CD in the CD drive and set first boot to CD, save info, exit the bios, and let it do it's thing. If this doesn't work try doing the opposite of what the manual for your new HDD said and (do) install a jumper in the master posiition and see what happens. If you have problems still you may need to clear CMOS 'and' set optimal defaults, and have the bios re-detect your new HDD again. Don't hesitate to look for a mom n' pop shop to help you if you need too. They usually have nice people and can help you get up and running and explain what they had to do to get your unit operational.

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