atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Computers & Programming Computers, Software, Accessories Home Computer working again, but...

My home computer, which died (I thought) about a month ago, is back up and running fine. What the problem turned out to be is a software issue with Norton. Here's the scenario: Whenever I tried to boot from a shutdown status, it started to go through it's normal boot sequence, then would freeze up and give an error message, which I can't remember right at the present time (Old-timer's disease....). I would then shut it down, and a few days later, go back and try it again. This time it would boot up correctly all the way. And when I did that, it would automatically download security updates and some program updates. In the middle installing one of these program updates, for a Norton program called "Go Back", it died again. Now, whenever I try to boot up, it comes back with an error message that comes from the Go Back program, and I am assuming that it had something to do with the interrupted update. So, being the smart individual that I am (?), I just moved the connections that were on my "C" drive over to what was my "F" drive, left any connections off the old "C" drive, and tried to reboot. Hallelujah, it worked! (I might mention that the "F" drive was from an older XP machine whose power supply had fried itself, and had the operating system still installed on it.) Now here's what I am wondering: Can I swap the two drives, and put the old "C" drive in where the old "F" drive was? What is it that makes the "C" drive the "C" drive when there are two HD in the machine? I thought I would put the old "C" drive into where the old "F" drive was, and then just either remove Go Back comp0letely, or, failing that, just do a format. Any thoughts?

Sorry for the long post. :shrug:

If I remember correctly the primary ("C") Drive should be (jumper)strapped as "Master, with an existing slave". Any other drives should be strapped as "Slave".

Jumper pinouts should be available on the websites of the drive manufacturers.

The drive letters start with the first partition on the primary master and go from there, so if you had 2 partitions on the first drive they would be C & D, followed by E and up on the second drive.

Technically, you could have drives C through Z on a single drive if you created enough partitions.