Added 2nd HDD to Pavilion 860-160se, now gets 3F2 Error

[jymcromwell]

Hi folks. I am inheriting a desktop (100% functional) from my son, planning to use it as a Linux/Win dual boot platform.  I took a brand new Western Digital 320gb drive, installed it in the second bay, connected it up (yes, both power and data cables), and fired up the machine.  The only thing I get now is the error message

HARD DRIVE ERROR

DISK #2 (3F2)

Run Hard Drive Diagnostics 

F2 (etc…)

However, the machine will not boot into BIOS so I can run the diagnostics and see what’s up. Yes, I have tried the Esc, F8, F10, F11, and F12 keys on boot - nothing gets me into the BIOS.

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is the SATA port I plugged the new drive into.  Without pulling the graphics card cooling assembly, I could reach SATA 1 and SATA 4.  I chose to use 2.  It seems I chose poorly…

My next step, of course, is unplugging the drive and booting up.  Does a second HDD require additional changes beyond an open SATA port?   Anyone have links to a comprehensive hardware manual for these machines?

Motherboard 2B3A 1.04,  BIOS A0.02,  Drive 1 factory 2TB Western Digital.

SATA 0 - HDD  1 2TB

SATA 1 - 

SATA 2 - 

SATA 3 - DVD drive

SATA 4 - 

** EDIT - Went back in and unplugged the new drive, and everything boots right back up as it should.  So the order of the SATA ports seems even more suspicious.

Thanks in Advance,

            Jim

[TheOldMan]

Here is a way to get into the BIOS and the Diagnostics routine, too.

To run the Diagnostics routine, Start tapping the Esc key BEFORE starting the PC and then press the start button.
Keep tapping the Esc key until a popup menu shows. Then pick Diagnostics from that popup menu, F2.

After running the Diagnostics routine, it should have checked the new drive, too.

Next check the setup menu F10 or use F9 to set the boot drive to use the old drive.  It must have been confused by the new drive being in the mix.  If the boot order happened to pick the new drive, which is what seems to have occurred, the error you are getting would be expected because there is nothing on the new drive.

The SATA port should not matter other than the normal drive would probably on the SATA 0 port, as you posted.
Report back with the results.

[jymcromwell]

Thanks for the suggestion, however it did not get me into the Diagnostics routines.

- Using the Esc before startup method, and with the new drive disconnected, the machine boots up into Windows without ever getting to the BIOS or the Diagnostics.  It's a USB keyboard, maybe the USB drivers get loaded too late in the boot sequence to get there?

- Shut down, plugged the new drive in (to SATA 4 this time), repeat Esc before startup, and once more got the HARD DRIVE ERROR message with a 3F5 code for being on port 4.  No BIOS/Diag routines.

So it isn't likely the port number, since it gets it on 4 as well.  The SATA data cable I am using is an older one from a 2013? vintage Lenovo.   Could the cables have changed at some point?  The power plug for the new drive is the second one on the existing cable for primary HDD.

Jim

[TheOldMan]

The keyboard being USB might require plugging into the USB 2.0 ports instead of the USB 3.0 ones.  The USB 2.0 ports are located under the Ethernet port .  Sometimes the drivers for the USB 3.0 ports do not get loaded in time, as you suspected.

BTW: Have you tried this problem hard drive in another PC?  It could be a bad drive.

[jymcromwell]

Changing the keyboard to one of the USB 2.0 ports still did not get me into the BIOS.  I might take the drive into a local shop to see if they can check it out (otherwise I'm just going to try a return or just toss it...).  After all, it does have the 2TB disk working fine.

Thanks much.  I will post an update after I talk to local shops (might just close out the thread at that point).   The issue of getting into the BIOS is secondary. 

Jim

[jymcromwell · Accepted solution]

(replying to myself to close out...)

In the end, I decided to send the drive back to Amazon.  Would have cost more to get it checked out than I paid for it.

Getting into the BIOS is not something I am worried about now, without the new drive, so I shall close the thread out.  Thank you for the help, @TheOldGuy.

Jim

[TheOldMan]

Thanks for reply back.  Glad to help.