So, I built this desktop computer, mostly out of used but working

>>185665
>I'll have to mess with the hard drive's power connector at least once before turning it back on or else it'll either repeatedly power cycle itself every couple seconds, or it'll hang on the bios. After fiddling with the connector and getting it to turn on and boot properly, it'll be just fine until the next time it's powered off.
> I've also tried with another hard drive connected instead of this one and it didn't have this issue.
>Any ideas what might cause it to act this way?
YOUR DRIVE'S POWER CONNECTOR IS BROKEN.

>>185675
You sure about that?

>it'll be just fine until the next time it's powered off

For further clarification, the drive does work. It's the only one being used in this machine right now. I should add that I've moved the power cable and even the drive itself around while it was on (and while already booted into windows) with no negative reaction.

>>185665

Is there a BIOS update available?

I don't think it's your drive that's the fault. You can turn a pc on without a drive and the BIOS will work away until it requires an OS and then it will report that it can't find an OS and ask you to install a system disk. Having a intermittently dead drive won't affect that process. Does it ever say it can't find an OS?

>>185727
>Is there a BIOS update available?
I have no idea. It's an older board, and I'm not sure I'm up to trying that. I'd rather just replace the hard drive, since it doesn't seem to be a universal issue.

>Does it ever say it can't find an OS?
Nope. When it doesn't hang at the bios it operates completely normal.

Not sure if the same applies to SATA drives, but in the past I had an instance where I'd installed an IDE drive but forgot to connect the power, and when I tried to start it up it hung on the bios when it tried to detect the hard drive. My assumption is that's the sort of thing that's going on here, since it's the power connector I have to mess with to get it to start.

>>185730

Is "quickboot" enabled in BIOS? If so turn it off and see if that makes a difference.

I'm assuming there are no beeps when it hangs?

>>185727
>You can turn a pc on without a drive and the BIOS will work away until it requires an OS and then it will report that it can't find an OS and ask you to install a system disk.
Sure, but turn it on with a disk that hangs the SATA or PATA bus, and it'll hang exactly as described.

>>185734
Turned off the quick POST and powered it off, no change. Hung after displaying the processor name, which is right before the memory test.

As for beeps, I have no idea. I don't have a speaker to hook up to it. But when it hangs it's completely unresponsive; I can't go into the setup or anything. Unless I manage to hit the key RIGHT after the keyboard initializes.

>>185740
>>185741

So does it hang with no drive connected?

>>185752
It does not. Cycled it a few times to be sure. Proceeds right along to asking for a system disk.

>>185755

Between this information and

>and I've also tried with another hard drive connected instead of this one and it didn't have this issue

It seems pretty obvious the culprit is the hard drive. If you can, try running a Linux distro off a USB drive temporarily while you source a new drive.

>>185755
>>185756

Yeah, it does sound like the drive is at fault if it processes POST correctly and calls for a system disk with no drive attached, but hangs with the drive attached.

>>185756
>>185758
Seems kind of odd that it would have such an issue only during the POST, but then work pretty much flawlessly during the times it makes it through. As I've alluded to in previous posts, I'm using the machine without any problem right now. But ultimately if there's no fix for this issue, as it's damn annoying, I'm willing to write off this drive and seek a replacement.

Unlikely as it may be, is there any chance it's due to the drive being one out of a laptop? Or some sort of jumper setting that might help it function easier (none set currently)?

>>185770

Sometimes drives cam be sluggish to get up to speed and the BIOS hangs while it waits for them, once up to speed they're fine. But you should change the drive as it is starting to fail.