Win7 not recognizing HDD, and i need a ps 2 keyboard

[PhL0aTeR]

So i wanted to cram a bunch of TBs into my HTPC and ended up with a couple of these 2TB units.

First off, my PC appears to have been put together by a 3rd grader who forgot his medication that morning.

Specs:
AMD athlon 64X2 Dual core 6000+ 3GHz
4gb ram
Win7 x64
2 IDE drives one HD and one disc drive
2 SATA drives 2 HDs

OK, so a while back i used to have the disc drives on the two IDE ports, but i wanted to toss in another HD i had lying around so i unplugged one of the disc drives and plugged in a 120gb hd.

So at this point i have 2 250gb Sata drives on the sata ports, a dvd drive and a 120gb connected via IDE. I was running XP at the time and had a bright idea to DB win7 from the 120gb.

During this process, i lost control of my USB keyboard pre-windows load. Win7 seems to have created a boot program that before boot, gives me options to load 7 or load a previous version of windows, but im unable to use my keyboard. My research points me to a BIOS setting that some have found changed after this type of win7 install, i just need a true ps 2 keyboard, apparently the adapters dont work.

On to my initial problem. I got the 2 2tb HDDs in yesterday figured id bust em out and replace both 250HDDs and just remove the 120 so i can plug my other cd drive in. Well, the initial drive that XP was on, is now filled with 99% media, so i figured id take that one out, mirror the OS 120g to the new one, as well as any info thats on the other 250, then swap out that 250 for the other one, xfer all my media to the new drive, then eventually toss the 2ndary 2tb HDD in there and reorganize.

First hitch, when i removed the "original" OS drive, the one XP was on, it fails to load, it hangs on "K8 npt data change, update new data to DMI" (quoted loosely). So i figured that drive had something on it to point to the 120gb OS drive that 7 was now on, so i just did the same thing except with the other drive, and now i can get 7 to load going through the boot selector, like usual, but i cant see the new HD in windows explorer.


My experience level is competent, I've tossed some systems together, been able to figure out most things by googling.... Its probably something really stupid that i seem to be overlooking, any tips?

My end all choice is going to be to get a keyboard, futz with my BIOS settings, replace all HDs and just do a clean install, assuming at that point ive figured out why my PC wont recognize my drives.

Oh and if anyone has an old ps 2 keyboard laying around collecting dust, id be happy to take it off your hands... lol

[Zach929rr]

Check disk manager. Probably need to format your new drive.

Your original drive also had the mbr on it, hence why no boot when you took it out. I have a ps2 adapter you can use for your kb.

[teamhypoxia]

Sounds like you have an older bios that doesn't like usb keyboards. So, as you know, you'll have to beg, borrow or steal a ps2 keyboard to change anything in the bios. Since all bios are different it's hard to give specific directions but you need to enable the proper usb settings. There should also be a setting for "halt on errors" that needs to be set to "halt on all but keyboard"
Windows 7 is best installed with only one drive present in the system as it will spread stuff out to other drives if they are there. Since you like to swap out drives, I'd recommend a clean install with only one drive hooked up. After that, if you're not seeing other drives it probably has to do with how they are formatted. To add them later you may also need to specify your primary boot drive in the bios since it sounds like you have boot partitions on some of them.

[PhL0aTeR]

Check disk manager. Probably need to format your new drive.

Your original drive also had the mbr on it, hence why no boot when you took it out. I have a ps2 adapter you can use for your kb.

researching "disk manager" now... i figured formatting was something i was missing, but for some reason i thought in the past i was able to see them in windows explorer and format that way.

i figured the first drive had the mbr on it. apparently adapters do not work when this keyboard usb failure occurs.

Sounds like you have an older bios that doesn't like usb keyboards. So, as you know, you'll have to beg, borrow or steal a ps2 keyboard to change anything in the bios. Since all bios are different it's hard to give specific directions but you need to enable the proper usb settings. There should also be a setting for "halt on errors" that needs to be set to "halt on all but keyboard"
Windows 7 is best installed with only one drive present in the system as it will spread stuff out to other drives if they are there. Since you like to swap out drives, I'd recommend a clean install with only one drive hooked up. After that, if you're not seeing other drives it probably has to do with how they are formatted. To add them later you may also need to specify your primary boot drive in the bios since it sounds like you have boot partitions on some of them.

my keyboard was working fine pre win7 instal, so my BIOS works, its just had some settings that have changed and i cannot regain access without a ps 2 keyboard....

The fresh install is my 2nd to last choice, my last choice being saving the HDDs for another build. But despite the fresh install of windows, i would still have problems gaining access to my BIOS.

[PhL0aTeR]

Check disk manager. Probably need to format your new drive.

thank you sir!

[MAZIN]

Check disk manager. Probably need to format your new drive.

Your original drive also had the mbr on it, hence why no boot when you took it out. I have a ps2 adapter you can use for your kb.

Damn beat me to it...Gj!

[Zach929rr]

Access to BIOS is completely independent of any hdds even being attached to you comp. I also have a spare ps2 kb you can use for a bit.

[PhL0aTeR]

Access to BIOS is completely independent of any hdds even being attached to you comp. I also have a spare ps2 kb you can use for a bit.

i do know that... that would be perfect, except im guessing you live in denver-ish? im watching a couple ebay auctions at the moment, if i can get one for $10 shipped, ill go that route. Thanks again.

[longrider]

If you want to meet me in Franktown tonight I have a PS2 keyboard you can have for free

[PhL0aTeR]

If you want to meet me in Franktown tonight I have a PS2 keyboard you can have for free

i need to change my location, im actually outside of Westcliffe now. Free.99 is a good price though, id pay for shipping if you were willing to ship it. That or perhaps Wrider can work something out with you and i can get it from him later?

[longrider]

Either way works for me, I am at work today (Fay Myers) so I can ship it and you would just pay through the store, it would be picked up Monday

[PhL0aTeR]

Either way works for me, I am at work today (Fay Myers) so I can ship it and you would just pay through the store, it would be picked up Monday

PM'd

[PhL0aTeR]

both problems solved, thanks!

[PhL0aTeR]

ok, so i figured the research id done had been sufficient..... it wasnt...

Ive checked about every BIOS setting that i can, and cant find anything out of the ordinary concerning the USB keyboard.

Thoughts? (on something other than my tube TV as a display lol)