OLD Stuff Not working no more

[Paul]

I upgraded a few weeks back and as a result I had some extra components

Intel C2D
Gigabyte GA-G33M-DS2R motherboard
2x 1GB team Xtreme DRR2 -800
120GB Seagate HHD

My Fiancee's brother has this ancient PC so I thought I would just swap out these components in his PC and he will have a low level but better PC than he had, basically all I kept was his Case, Power supply (300W) and CD\RW.

So I hooked everything up, it powered up first time without any beeps etc you get when you have forgotten to connect something. So now all there is to do is install Windows (XP), I put the disk in it goes to the setup goes through the motions i.e. inspect hard ware, licence agreement, Format Disk, copy over windows files, restart PC......now this is usually when it goes into the actual installation of windows but it just starts all over.

I think maybe I did something wrong but so I let it carry on but still the same thing each time it restarts the whole process. So I think OK let me be clever and when it restarts I switch of the machine, unplug the CD ROM, thinking it would now access the HDD and carry on..... (oh yes I have check the boot sequence HARDDRIVE; CD-ROM; Floppy)... but i get a "DISK BOOT FAILURE" error.

I did some research and I tried to repair the boot sequences with Chkdsk; FIXBOOT and FIXMBR but nothing helps.

When I go into the BIOS it picks up the HDD as the master and the CD as slave but just of teh DMI POOL Data check it does want to go to the damn harddrive.

Any ideas? I am all out.


Oh yes one last thing, I thought that it might be the power because the MOBO takes a 24-pin rail but the power is only a 20-pin rail, I tried using my power supply and no luck

[flycatchr]

paul, i thought that the HDD and the roms where on separate IDE cables, so they should BOTH be masters if there isnt a 2nd HDD or 2nd cd/dvd rom. ??

just a thought

[Skouperd]

Interesting problem, can you just give me some details around the following:

1. The HDD, is it SATA or is it IDE? (I assume this is SATA)
2. The DVD, is it SATA or is it IDE? (I assume this is IDE?)
3. Please provide the history of the HDD, what was installed on it previously? Was it a dynamic disk or a basic disk?
4. You say you are trying to install Windows XP. Now can you please provide me with a lot more information on this one, especially with regard to which version and what service packs is included in it.

I have found previously, thinking back many moons ago, that Windows did not like SATA drives, and drives bigger than 128GB also presented a different issue. This was solved with SP1 (or was it SP2?). I have found that some dynamic / basic disks causes issues when trying to install a new drive. My suggestion, convert to a basic disk, format the drive completely, and redo.

The first thought that I had when reading your message was your boot sequence is screwed up. Obviously you've checked that.

Oh, any possibility that you could perhaps change the RAM, or install it with just a single stick? Remember, when windows restart, it actually loads up the real GUI for the first time.

Good luck

[Paul]

Hey Skoup

HEre are the details

1. HHD is an IDE, it was my previous IDE, it had windows install on but then I bought SATA drivers from Jarrod so I use this now
2. Yip IDE
3 See 1.
4. I have XP professional, I have use this version every time I install, it is pre-service pack 2. I always have to install 2 and 3 service pack when I reformat.



I have quick format and full formated the HDD, I have tried another 120GB and a 40GB so I don't think it is the hard drive as all these were previously working.

[Megageth]

As Fly mentioned, have you checked the jumper settings on the drive to ensure it is not set to slave?

[Paul]

Yip I have. I tried setting it to Slave, Cable Select. I even removed it totally and it still does get past the DMI Pool Data without tuning me about the BOOT DISK crap

[Megageth]

You also tried it on 'Master' neh? And checked the jumper setting on the DVD drive if they are on the same ribbon cable?
HDD=Master, DVD=Slave.

[Paul]

Yip

[Skouperd]

Paul, this is not a HDD issue.

The issue is when windows loads the first time round. When that happens, it is effectively the first time that the system is "pushed", anything before then, is based on "dos".

First, replace your RAM, make sure that that is fine. (booting alone is not sufficient)
Check your graphics card, again, windows now uses graphics and no longer "ascii" to display the messages.
Make sure your PSU is giving you enough Power, since the graphics card will draw more power now since the drivers (amongst others) have not been loaded as yet.

Try to install the OS with a different graphics card, and then replace when finished.

Good luck.

[Paul]

I am using the onboard graphics card Skoup but I will try the memory thing and power again.

Thanks