BIOS doesn't find HD, and computer keeps locking up.

[pjalne]

I've had trouble with BIOS not finding my HD ever since I installed it. About one third of the time it does, the other times I have to go into the BIOS and search it up again. Then it usually forgets the next time I restart. I'm pretty sure it's not a battery issue, as it started when I put this HD in and never happened with the old one. I'm also relatively sure it's not a jumper issue.

Another problem came along when I got internet access the other day. About once an hour the computer freezes. Kinda. It doesn't really lock up, it just won't start any new programs or close the ones that are open. I can't load the task manager either, and when I press the shutdown or restart buttons nothing happens. It usually happens when I start up a new program. I have run a virus check as well as Adaware and Spybot.

Anybody? Chimp?

[Alive]

If its not the drive (consider an rma) try and clearing your bios via the jumper on the mother board (some state "bios" or "cmos" next to it) or pull the battery for a minute or two (sometimes works, sometimes dont) is the drive making any peculiar noises at all? (it might be bad) other than all that fun stuff, it could very well be a nasty virus thats maybe attacked your bios (corrupted it) or wigged out that drive of yours...

[Dulled by Excess]

First, you could try setting up the drive manually in the BIOS, by entering in the drive's parameters. The drive's parameters are usually on a sticker/label on the hard drive itself. You'd want to take the drive off of AUTO (in the BIOS), and set it to USER and enter in the drive parameters. If your machine doesn't have any problems keeping time, it's probably not a battery issue. If you recall booting your machine, and it stopping at POST with the message "CMOS Checksum error - defaults loaded", that would indicate a problem with the battery (either that, or your CMOS has been flashed/cleared). It's not a jumper issue, if your jumpers were incorrectly set on the hard drive, it wouldn't be found at all. If you still have these problems after manually setting up the drive in your BIOS, then I'd recommend calling up the drive manufacturer and requesting an RMA.

As far as the machine locking up, that's a trickier problem. Unfortunately, it's also one that can't really be answered without more information. What OS do you have installed? Have you installed any new hardware or software prior to these problems occurring? Do you see strange error messages when this happens? When it doesn't?

Hope this helps.