HDD BIOS detects not - Live Windows works with - what is wrong?

[MIRKOSOFT]

Data are backuped, even true diskimage is backuped - no problem.
I do it this evening and report.

Thank you for helping me and if will work, you helped me with anything what I didn’t knew.
Miro

[phillpower2]

You are welcome Miro and good luck (y)

[MIRKOSOFT]

So, I deleted all partitions and performed switch to Offline, then Online.
Turned off notebook and turned on - BIOS see it not!

But I booted to Live Windows 10 and tested HDD, look into attachment.
As result was: Passed

Really don’t understand why BIOS see not this disk 'cause read/write is correct.
I mean I try to create boot diskette (have one USB floppy) and try to install at least DOS.
What do you mean?
Miro

[phillpower2]

All that I can suggest at the moment is that you try an alternative 2.5" IDE hard drive in the notebook or try placing the present HDD in a 2.5" IDE USB hard drive connected to another computer and see if it shows up in Disk Manager, at this time there is no way of knowing if the problem is with the HDD or the contacts on the notebooks MB.

[MIRKOSOFT]

This I did when I backuped whole disk to image.
When was connected by USB adapter, was correctly recognized, copied and later tested - you saw log.
So, how to check pins? I’m not working with notebooks, even - can you help me to find battery for BIOS in notebook? It discharged. It is model Asus A6R. I was searching over the web and always foud simple user’s manuals without any hardware description.

Miro

[phillpower2]

There does not seem to be a disassembly guide available for your notebook and best I could find was videos which you no doubt have already seen.

So, how to check pins?

If there was a problem with the pins you would not be able to mount the HDD using the live media so the drive must have a good contact with the MB, the same goes for the drive being recognised in a USB adaptor.

As said previously your BIOS chip is detecting the optical drive so appears to be ok and replacing the CMOS battery will not imo make any difference with the present HDD not being detected, trying an alternative known good HDD is the only way to determine if it is a fault with the present HDD or a problem with the BIOS.

[MIRKOSOFT]

I can flash BIOS, but I never tried it - so it means I can fail and it sends my notebook to silicon heaven..,
Can you give me any advices to avoid flash failure?

Thank you.
Miro

[phillpower2]

I can flash BIOS, but I never tried it - so it means I can fail and it sends my notebook to silicon heaven..,

Why not use the notebook running Linux from the RAM.

Guide to updating the BIOS on an ASUS notebook here

You are welcome btw

[MIRKOSOFT]

I was searching for my model of Asus support page and A6R found not…
It’s notebook from year 2006 and maybe not more supported - I’m afraid to find incorrect BIOS ROM on other websites…
I will think about longer time…

Miro

[phillpower2]

Found it but it needs a working computer, see here

[MIRKOSOFT]

Thank you very much for help with finding BIOS file and utility.
Without you I couldn’t do it.
BIOS was flashed succesfully to newer version, but HDD is not detected…
We can close this thread 'cause if this helped not it needs what? I will go to buy new HDD and try it again - but if not, I will use PCMCIA driver for DOS to use in installation of Window 95 to CF card and boot from diskette - I own PCMCIA adapter for CF cards and for Windows 95 is 2GB enough.

Only last Q - you wrote that I can’t find any motherboard technical specification, so - where are placed CMOS batteries in notebooks most frequently?

Thank you for all your time, help and understanding.
Miro

[phillpower2]

Was worth a try and you have at least crossed one more thing off the checklist.

Not all notebook batteries are in the same place but unfortunately the majority are beneath the keyboard which means a partial dismantle of the computer, the thread here suggests that this is the case with your notebook.

You are welcome btw

[MIRKOSOFT]

Thank you again - it looks like I’m not so Google friendly

Miro

[phillpower2]

You are welcome Miro