I got a 250GB WD HD tried formating using WinXP failed the format and wasn't detected by the bios anymore. (Jumper setting was correct). Exchanged at the store, again formated with winXP installation, took some time and the was a clicking sound (not often), installation completed but when windows runs, when the clicking sound occurs, windows pauses for like 10 seconds.

I also have another HD maxtor 250GB that has a partition with winXP. So I tried using that HD for file saving but the files often got corrupted. Used the HD a bit, ran WD diagnosis failed the basic test, ran the extended test after 24 hours of testing I see the PC had rebooted (and is on a reboot cycle, never reaching winXP). So this time I sent it to WD, got another HD tried formating it, heard the click, a message appeared that it couldn't format it. So put the HD in a HP PC works perfectly formated at normal speed, installed WinXP properly, no clicking or pausing.

On my PC I'm currently using a maxtor 40GB 5400 rpm HD, it's a bit more noisy but works for now. (Had seen a SMART warning in past on it)

The only solution I can currently think of is to stay away from WD and stick with Maxtor.

Maxtor has a poor reputaion. I don't know if things have improved since Seagate bought them out or not, but I would stay away from them. Personally, I use WDC or Seagates.

That's kind of an odd board...what exactly are you using it for? It's old & probably doesn't support large HDDs. 137GB is the max that will be recognized UNLESS you install an overlay program or add a PCI controller card. Generally, a new HDD comes with a setup/diagnostics CD which will contain the overlay program. Use that to partition & format your HDD rather than the Windows CD.

You have to pay close attention to the way the RAM is installed on that board as well:

"Unbuffered DDR DIMM modules supported by 2 banks only: DIMM 1 & 2.
When unbuffered DIMM modules are used, DIMM slots 3 & 4 cannot be used"

http://www.tyan.com/products/html/t...

I don't know if things have improved since Seagate bought them out ...

Seagate just increased Maxtor's HDDs basic warranty from one to three years in order to stay competitive.

i_XpUser

The MB isn't that old and I am using a maxtor 250GB and a 40 GB right now. Also I did try using the WD HD on a PCI RAID and it still didn't work, I've got the latest bios version.
MB is a TYAN S2466 Tiger MPX

And my mem is ECC registered.

...... And this (server) system is powered adequately right?

I don't know if things have improved since Seagate bought them out ...

One more thing ... They better be 'cuz HP uses Maxtor for all their Pavilions etc!

i_XpUser

"The MB isn't that old"

I posted a link to the board in respone #1

- socket A (dual)
- AMD-760 MPX chipset
- 266FSB
- PC2100 RAM support
- 4X AGP

It certainly isn't new. And as Sabertooth pointed out, it's a server board....is that what it's being used for?

I doubt that MB supports 48bitLBA. You indicated the BIOS idendified the drives. Did it identify by model #? Watch the post screens to see what they say about the large drives. There is a site which appears to be down at the moment but you should check it out. http://www.48bitlba.com/

"...It's old & probably doesn't support large HDDs. 137GB is the max that will be recognized ..."

According to this, this mboard has 48bit LBA support in the bios with bios version 102 or later if he has S2466N (no onboard USB),
or 403 or later if he has S2466N-4M (with onboard USB 1.1)
http://www.tyan.com/support/html/b_...
...

It sounds to me like there is either something wrong with something connected to or on the mboard, or something wrong with the data cable connections to the drive. Are you using 80 wire data cables to all the drives you mentioned? You MUST to prevent data errors.
Have you tried different 80 wire data cables? If in doubt, use a new data cable.

"I also have another HD maxtor 250GB that has a partition with winXP. So I tried using that HD for file saving but the files often got corrupted."
"....maxtor 40GB 5400 rpm HD, it's a bit more noisy but works for now. (Had seen a SMART warning in past on it)"

"...sent it to WD, got another HD tried formating it, heard the click, a message appeared that it couldn't format it. So put the HD in a HP PC works perfectly"

Sounds like there is nothing wrong with the HP PC. Take the Tyan S2446 mboard out of the picture.
Connect the "another maxtor 250GB" and "maxtor 40GB" to the HP PC, one at a time if you like, and run the Maxtor manufacturer's diagnostics tests on them - both the quick and longer tests. (By the way, any longer diagnostics test should NOT take more than a few hours, max.) If the drive itself passes all tests there is nothing wrong with that drive - if there are data organization errors on the drive that can be fixed. If the drive itself does not pass both diagnostics it is failing.
For that matter, you could also run WD manufacturer's diagnostics on your drive you got directly from WD on the HP PC, but it sounds like it's fine. The WD one you exchanged may have been fine as well if you had tried it on the HP PC.

I just remembered someone posting this thread that reported double HDDs failure. The problem wasn't the brand, mobo but PSU and/or the use of standby & hibernate power management.

i_XpUser

I have tried different new cables. why is it I have no problem with maxtor 250GB but with WD 250GB I do. As for the bios it does detect it WD... It has more than enough Power ever since I stopped using my old scsis (550Watts).
Bios is v4.06 for the S2466N-4M (It came with v4.05). I'll just get get an other maxtor HD, I think it's the best solution. As for it not supporting 48bitLBA well I'll have to check that out, but on the 250GB Maxtor, it was WinXP SP1 that was installed at first and then updated. To be honest I'm staying away from WD.

http://websupport.wdc.com/forum/top...
http://websupport.wdc.com/forum/top...

Seems like they still have problems, I never had problems with maxtor or Seagate.

Thanx for the help guys.

One thought, are you jumpering the WD correctly? Master alone on WD requires you remove ALL jumpers.

If you look at the link in the first part of response 9, you have the newest available bios update - I quoted the bios version numbers on the left, you quoted the one on the right.
In any case, your bios obviously already supports 48 bit lba if it recognizes a 250gb hard drive, and will recognize any size of hard drive.

According to your own statements I quoted in response 9, you have had problems with both the 40gb and maxtor 250gb drive when connected to this Tyan mboard, as well as the WD 250gb. If all three of these hard drives, or at least the WD 250gb drive, test(s) fine when connected to the HP PC, obviously the problem isn't with the hard drive(s).

Smart reporting of problems with a hard drive are "dumbed down" to prevent any particular maker's hard drive from looking bad. Smart errors can be caused by things such as an iffy data cable connection, but if there is nothing wrong with that connection, a drive that is reported to have Smart errors (in this case I would only trust when connected to the HP PC), is definately on it's way out and is failing.

The fact that it worked fine when you put it in the HP indicates the problem is not with the drive. Is the XP version you're attempting to install at least SP1?

Spend a few bucks on a 48-bit LBA ATA card. I think that's where the problem is even though the bios is supposed to support the drive.

He doesn't need a hard drive controller card, unless the hard drive controller on the mboard is defective, which is extremely unlikely, and it is seeing the Maxtor 250gb drive fine. Yes, it can be a cheap option, but there are other things he can test before he tries that.

I did try a PCI IDE controller (that doesn't support 48-bit LBA), but still had the same problem. There is a small difference between the Maxtor and the WD I have, the maxtor has 16MB cache, while the WD only has 8MB.

Tubesandwires, sorry for the misunderstanding, the 250 maxtor works fine, I meant using the WD as a storage disk (on which files got corrupted). Using Maxtor 250GB as OS and other partition. The maxtor 40GB well as you can guess it's pretty old and since the smart message appeared it was better to stop using it, I started using it again but that's only until I get an other HD, the smart warning hasn't reappeared yet, but it's only a matter of time.

I no longer have the WD drive to do any further tests. Tyan said it might be the IDE controller on board, and would cost 50-75$ to fix (no longer under warranty , guess it does make a years I have it but still pretty good exept for this problem).

Thank you for the help, as I said I no longer have the drive.

So you expect a controller card that doesn't support 48bit LBA to support a 250GB drive? You never tried to connect the WD on the same IDE channel as the Maxtor drive? 28bit LBA = 137GB or less, 48bit LBA = ?terabits.