Linux install can't find HDD

[aliman2000]

I've tried to install linux as a dual boot on my PC (mandrake 9.1/10, lindows, suse, ubuntu) and none of them recognise my 80GB master hard drive. I've had linux running before on my previous 40GB master hard drive (now dead) but when I try to install now it says no hard drive found. Its just a standard Maxtor 4R080L0 80GB IDE drive. Windows works perfectly fine, I've checked the drive and theres no errors at all, what can I do?
Athlon 64 2800+
1GB pc2700 RAM
FX5700LE
1x80GB IDE
1x160GB SATA
Optorite 12x DL DVD+/- Writer

[techieMoe]

Does every distro you try not detect it? (Also, what version of Linspire do you have? It hasn't been called Lindows for some time.)

Have you tried turning off your SATA controller or just unplugging your SATA drives while attempting to install on the IDE drive?

[aliman2000]

I've tried disconnecting the SATA drive but the install still can't see any drives.
I've tried mandrake 9.1/10/move, ubuntu 4.1, suse professional 8.2/9.1/9.2, linspire 4.5.453, lindows 4.5.189, fedora core 3 with no luck!

[techieMoe]

Have you checked your Master/Slave jumpers? Is the drive set up to something wonky like Secondary Slave perhaps?

[drakebasher]

This may not apply to your case, but I'd like to share it:

I have an older PII machine that has a hard time detecting larger drives. It can work with a 12Gb drive but the BIOS just sees it as <854Mb or something. My main drive is a 40Gb on a ATA/133 card which the BIOS recognizes as SCSI. I have found that if I have the 12Gb (or any other hard drive) setup in BIOS, I cannot boot the "SCSI" and if I have the 12Gb setup as (none) in BIOS, when I boot Linux, Linux can't see the 12Gb. The way I got past that was to install to the 40Gb without the other HDs in place and then I copied the kernel for the Linux on the 40Gb to the /boot partition on the 12Gb. I can now boot the 40Gb Linux from the 12Gb /boot partition and all works well.

I'd suggest, for install purposes only, to try turning off in BIOS (if not actually disconnecting them) all of the drives except for the one you want to install to. I hope that's helpful in some way.

[aliman2000]

The drives are jumpered correctly. I've tried disconecting all other drives then trying the install again but no change. I've also tried disabling SATA in the bios but that doesn't help either.

[aliman2000]

I've tried uncabling the SATA drive - no change, uncabling & disabling sata in bios - no change, uncabled & disabled sata and changed IDE jumper to master, cable select and slave - no change!