The fan was just replaced and the thing is, it works perfectly fine until I add the 2nd hard drive . When that hard drive is removed/unhooked from system, computer operates perfectly. 

The hard drive was taken from another computer that crashed-not sure why-and I just need to get the data off of it. I thought I could add it as a slave drive and do it that way but the minute it's hooked to the computer, there is the shut off problem--it never even gets to boot point, just on-then bloop, off again. 

--- On Mon, 3/16/09, Thomas Mayer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Thomas Mayer <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] Hard drive help-round 2
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Monday, March 16, 2009, 10:20 PM

I think we may be hung up on the disk drives being a problem. However, 
the somewhat normal reason for a computer shutting down unexpectedly is 
heat. And in this case, with an early on shutdown, the heat is most 
likely from the CPU. If the CPU fan operates when first turned on, I 
would investigate the contact between the CPU, the heat sink and the 
fan. I would also check the fan operation on the video card if so equipped.

Tom

ceares wrote:
> Sorry!  I feel like I'm spamming the list but I'm desperate. I
tried using the cd hookup and same thing. I even  disconnected the main drive
just in case computer can't run with 2 harddrives. Same thing. Comes on,
then immediately cuts off.  
>
> Power supply is only 250 watts, but that is the same as the power supply
on the computer the drive originally came from and there were two drives
attached to that computer.
>
> I can't afford a data  recovery service from what I've heard and
I've seen a couple of posts online about swapping out parts with another
hard drive of the same type.   Is this something that might solve the problem?  
>
> If  I try this, whats the best way to protect my computer while I'm
checking it out? Do I need a harddrive enclosure?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- On Sun, 3/15/09, Russ Poffenberger <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> From: Russ Poffenberger <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] Hard drive help-round 2
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Sunday, March 15, 2009, 1:01 PM
>
> Hi,
>
> It sounds to me like perhaps the hard drive has more serious problems.
> Perhaps it is drawing too much current (power) causing the computer to
trip
> off. It could simply be that the power supply in the computer you are
> putting it in is too small for an extra hard driver.
>
> It is also possible that the IDE port on the drive is bad and scrambling
or
> pulling some of the lines either high or low, making it so that the main
> drive cannot be read properly.
>
> To avoid the whole master/slave and shared cable issue, try seeing if your
> computer has two IDE ports (many newer computer with SATA ports no longer
> have two IDE ports, but if yours is more than a couple years old, it
> should). Even if it is currently used for a CDROM drive, disconnect it and
> hook it to the drive instead. It will not matter if it is master or slave
as
> long as you aren't sharing the cable.
>
> Also, make sure your power supply is at least 350 to 400W to make sure it
> has enough power to handle two hard drives.
>
> Russ Poffenberger
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Personal Computer Hardware discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of ceares
> Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2009 11:01 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [PCBUILD] Hard drive help-round 2
>
>
> I tried switching jumpers around to make sure one drive was designated
> master and the other slave and I got the same result. 
>
> As soon as I turn my computer on, it pops off. I tried unhooking the
master
> hard drive, moved the jumper to designate the new(old/slave) drive as
> master, hooked the cables and power to it only and tried to boot, still
same
> thing, powers on, tried to boot, powers off. 
>
> I switched the power connectors around just in case it was the one
connected
> to the slave drive--same result.
>
> Is there anything else I can do to recover the data from this harddrive ?
>
>
>        
>   

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