An old 486 system I have recently started leaving messages when booting
up.  It stated "HDD Controller Error, press F1 to resume".  Hitting F1
worked a few times and I was able to get into the system but eventually, it
well and truly died and I could not get access to the hard drive.

I had a peek at the Serial I/O card where the 40 pin ribbon cable
connects.  It was labelled Hard Drive Controller.  I therefore assumed that
the card needed replacing.  I managed to find a used card for $5.00 and it
worked just fine for a couple of days.  Unexpectedly, the message has come
back once or twice.  I'm not about to go get another card if I am looking
in the wrong place.

For the record, the replacement card is not identical to the old one but I
was assured by the tech (at a store I have great respect for) that these
are generic and there should not be a difference.  I also recognize that
purchasing a used card has it's own share of risk.

Any other suggestions you might offer?

Thanks

Gary

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