How can I test if my hard drive is installed/working before installing an OS?

I'm have a Raptor 10K 300gb drive.

I built my system, and I can't seem to hear the drive at all! I'm trying to install Windows 7, but it complains about some CD Rom driver in the beginning of the install.

Anyhow, I want to make sure it is not my hard drive that is the problem, because frankly I can't hear it at ALL and that makes me nervous.

Is there a way for me to test the drive and ensure it is working/connected properly?

user3183

Posted 2009-08-11T05:02:14.290

Reputation: 3 059

Answers

If it asks you for drivers at the beginning of the installation, that usually means it was a bad burn. Try burning the ISO again at a lower speed.

Sasha Chedygov

Posted 2009-08-11T05:02:14.290

Reputation: 6 616

no my cd is working fine. – user3183 – 2009-08-11T05:08:45.213

No, I meant the actual CD, not the CD-ROM. Usually if it asks you for drivers at the beginning of the installation, it means you got a bad CD. Try burning it at a slower speed, that did it for me. – Sasha Chedygov – 2009-08-11T05:12:17.640

After you have done basic tests with your BIOS bootup,

Pickup a Ubuntu LiveCD and boot from it -- this will check your CD-ROM and system bootup
- Install Ubuntu on a USB drive (something like a 2-4 GB flash drive would do)
- boot from the USB drive
  - this will work if your system can boot from USB (most recent motherboards can)
- you can check your harddisk from Ubuntu
  - SmartMonTools (I think they come with the basic installation)

If you know your system boots from USB, you could just build Ubuntu boot USB on some other machine and directly check the HDD after confirming a successful boot.

nik

Posted 2009-08-11T05:02:14.290

Reputation: 50 788

Or you can just start installing Ubuntu, and try to format the HDD. If that will work, then it's OK. http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

– Kirill Strizhak – 2009-08-11T05:24:31.360

@Slink84, that is one more way to go. – nik – 2009-08-11T05:31:19.880

You can use any live cd distribution. On Ubuntu you can even install packages while in live mode if you have enough RAM and an internet connection. – bandi – 2009-08-11T06:04:05.337

A Live CD seems the obvious choice. In fact, I have a copy of Ubuntu on hand for a whole host of diagnostic uses. – CJM – 2009-10-09T20:52:07.587

You can check if it is detected in BIOS. Usually, if it's there, then it's working. Just press delete several times while your PC boots up to go to the BIOS screen. It depends on the version, but your drive list should be somewhere in the "Standard CMOS Features" or something alike (usually, the first option in the list).

And as far as I know, raptors are quite silent. So it should be OK :]

Kirill Strizhak

Posted 2009-08-11T05:02:14.290

Reputation: 1 119