Have you tried connecting this inaccessible drive via USB? You can buy an inexpensive IDE/SATA to USB adapter (I use a Rosewill). The adapter plugs into a 110V wall socket. It may help if you're having a power problem. 

-----Original Message-----
>From: ceares <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Mar 17, 2009 1:18 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] Hard drive help-round 2
>
>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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