Computer doesn't detect new Hard Drive (sometimes)

[TH89]

My old hard drive recently died completely (shortly after the creation of [url=http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=959577]this thread[/url]), so I had to order a new one. It arrived in seemingly good condition, and I set it up and put it in.

Just one problem. When I turned on my computer, it didn't detect the hard drive.

I had booted from a Windows 7 install disc, and when I got to the "select drive to install windows on" screen, there was nothing there. So I shut everything down, unplugged and replugged the power and SATA cables in the hard drive, and tried again. This time it worked, and I was able to install Windows 7. Problem solved, right?

[img]http://cdn.kysdc.com/files//2009/09/charlie-murphy.jpg[/img]
WRONG. WRONG.

Next day, I go to turn on my computer. The BIOS says there's no hard drive. Shit. So I turn it off, reseat the SATA cable in the motherboard, and boot it up again. This time it works. This has happened several times now.

So I'm thinking the most likely culprit is either the motherboard or the SATA cable. If it makes any difference, I tried plugging the cable into different SATA ports on the motherboard, and nothing changed.

What I'm asking of you is, obviously, what should I do? But I'm also curious as to whether this problem might have been what took out my old hard drive.

[{ABK}AbbySciuto]

Sounds like what happened to my desktop before I had a catastrophic cable failure (by that I mean it snapped off on the mobo). Get a new cable and see if it still happens.

Also, I love that picture.

[phlexiglass]

The only logical explanation would have to be the SATA cable as Sciuto said. Also, I got a chuckle out of the picture.