Interesting hard disk experience.

[Matthew Flaschen]

Tom Horsley wrote:
> A disk (apparently) went really bad - the system would hang
> during POST if it was plugged in. So, I got a new disk, got
> it formatted and restored from backup, and about the time I
> finished that process, it developed the same symptoms :-).
> 
> Figuring it couldn't possibly really be bad so quick, I dug out
> a new sata cable and plugged it into a different sata connector
> on the motherboard,

You have too many independent variables.  Try the new cable with the old
connector, then the old cable with the new connector.

Matt Flaschen