How to Fix Computer Primary Slave Hard Disk Error

Possible errors may happen like these:

  • Primary slave hard disk error?
  • PC cannot boot, it cannot detect a primary slave?
  • Scondary slave hard disk error?

Primary Slave Hard Disk Error Pops out on POST

"Hello, in order to expand PC hard drive memory, we do have added a secondary hard drive to my Windows 7 laptop and hope the computer low disk space error would be removed successfully. However, luckily the related no enough space issue is fixed and another primary slave hard disk error also comes out. Honestly, after connecting this hard disk there well, we just start the PC as usual. However, the computer is stuck on boot up screen and says: 'Primary slave hard disk error, press F1 to resume'. And without knowing much about such PC error problems, I just click F1 button and the same error message pops out again. What should we do to resolve such primary slave hard disk error problem? Have we done something wrong to add the secondary disk? Please help me."

Hello, The related computer primary slave or master hard drive errors often occur to people due to many reasons, like incorrectly master or slave hard drive order setting, loose or incorrect hard drive connection or corrupted hard drive issues, etc. And, under your circumstances, it could be caused by the incorrect hard drive settings. Overall, no matter which one of these reasons behind is more proper for you, go on reading this article to remove such hard drive error issues with ease.

How to Fix Primary Slave Hard Drive Error Issues on Windows PC?

Still do not know why such PC primary slave hard drive error comes to you? No worry! Even when you do not know the exact causes behind, you can also follow the below steps to fix such hard drive error problems on your Windows PC. Just act carefully as below:

Step1. Check whether these hard drives are shown well on BIOS interface

In order to make sure whether your added new hard drives are really connected well on your PC, you can go open your computer BIOS and see whether they all are shown well there. If they are displayed well there, you can easily exclude such connection problems and directly skip to the next steps. If not all hard drives connected are listed well there, go close your PC and reconnect them all correctly there.

And here is the simple guide for you to check these hard drives on BIOS interface.

  • Firstly, turn on your PC and long click Del or F2 to BIOS interface. 
  • Secondly, click Standard CMOS features from the option list.
  • Thirdly, check IDE hard drives to see whether your attached ones are displayed well there or not.

Please Note:
*Also try to change other connecting USB cables or connection ports to take chances while trying to reconnect these drives.
*No matter whether your problems are prove to be caused by loosely or incorrectly connection, you are supposed to back up all important hard drive files well and then, rightly and safely turn off computer to disconnect these hard drives one by one.

Resource video: how to fix hdd not detected in BIOS

Step2. Reset the master and salve drive

Video: how to setup master/primary and slave hard drive on a pc

When all your inserted hard drives have been detected and shown well on BIOS screen, you can also go check whether your PC master and slave drives are set correctly there.
Here is the simple instruction for you to reset the master drive for your computer:
Firstly, also go start PC BIOS interface to open Standard CMOS features option there
Secondly, find Hard Drive option listed there to find the Primary Master section to set the master drive. set primary slave hard disk
Thirdly, press F10 to save these setting and changes.
Fourthly, restart this PC.
Please Note: Pay attention to setting the hard drive with master operating system loaded as the master drive.

Source: How to set master and slave hard drives in BIOS in one OS on WIKIHOW.COM

You may want to watch this video:

Step3. Check or change computer hard drives

And, up to now, when you do have correctly reset your master drive, you do have also got the same problems. Also do not panic! It could be corrupted hard drive issues. Merely go check all attached hard drives and see whether it is necessary to change some completely damaged or failed hard disks. 
In short, these three steps are often suggested to people who have been stuck in such PC primary master or slave hard drive error issues. Hope they will also help you fix everything smoothly.

What is primary slave hard disk?

The term "primary slave hard disk" refers to a configuration in older computer systems that used the IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) interface for connecting hard drives. IDE was commonly used before the advent of SATA (Serial ATA) interfaces.

In an IDE setup, each IDE controller on the motherboard could support two devices: a primary device and a secondary device. The primary device was typically the main hard disk drive, and the secondary device was referred to as the slave device.

Therefore, a primary slave hard disk refers to the secondary hard disk drive connected to the same IDE controller as the primary hard disk drive. The primary hard disk drive, also known as the master drive, is the one that contains the operating system and is usually set as the boot device. The primary slave drive, on the other hand, is an additional drive used for storing data or running programs, but it does not contain the operating system.

It's important to note that with the widespread adoption of SATA interfaces, the IDE terminology and configuration are mostly outdated. SATA drives do not have master/slave settings like IDE drives, as each SATA drive connects directly to an individual port on the motherboard.

Why Primary Slave HDD Error Problems?

There are many causes that could bring people such primary slave HDD error problems. And, here are several major ones for you to analyze your cases:

1). Incorrect master or slave hard drive setting.

Have you set the master and slave drives after you do have added the secondary drive to your PC? Generally, when people do have added the second, third or more hard drives on the same computer, without selecting the master one and slave ones, the PC will often find no boot hard drive during booting up process and could not restart. That’s also why people get such primary slave or master hard disk error issues.
So, also go set the master drive for your computer.

2). Computer master and slave drives are loosely or incorrectly plunged there

Hello, you do have timely set the computer master and slave drives after adding a second or extra hard drive there? However, computer still gives such primary master hard drive error issues? OK! Are you sure you do have plunged these hard drives correctly on your PC. Since the such PC primary slave drive error problems are also able to be aroused by loosely connected or undetected hard drives, you can go unplug these hard drives all and reconnect them all correctly to have another try.

3). Computer hard drives are corrupted somehow

And, generally, the related primary slave hard drive error issues are also able to be aroused by hard drive issues, like corrupted hard drive issues, broken hard drive drives or hard drive bad sector issues, etc. Have you checked these attached hard drives completely with CHKDSK or the like diagnostic tools recently? Are they all are still healthy? If you do have no performing any testing there, it is also not late to check their state now.
Overall, these PC primary slave or master hard drive error problems could often be caused by the above reasons and of course, there are also other possible reasons existing. However, no matter why yours is or are, hope you will not randomly rewrite or format hard drives or do the like improper operations to make everything worse.


Related Articles

More Articles That You May Be Interested

External Resource

File Recovery Software>Fix Errors > How to Fix Computer Primary Slave Hard Disk Error