Please Help! Inaccessible_boot_device on install of windows!

[Cavil]

I recently bought a barebones kit from tigerdirect ( http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3241082&CatId=31 ). Every time I try and install any version of windows I get an error screen right after it says "Preparing to install windows xxxx".

the error reads: Stop: 0x0000007b Inaccessible_boot_device

It tells me to check for viruses and such but that does me no good because it's all brand new out of the package. I've tried installing Windows 2000 and Windows XP pro. Both give the same error.

I've tried several different configurations in BIOS and I'm at my wits end. Please Help!

 

[Cavil]

any ideas? I tried bothe an IDE and a SATA HD.

The MoBo also doesn't have a floppy port.

 

[notherdude]

I'd run Maxblast, the Maxtor install and diagnostic utility. You can burn it to a CD. That should get you to the bottom of this.

Oh wait, you tried a SATA and an IDE, not just the Maxtor that came with your kit?

 

[Cavil]

Yeah, I have a 40GB SATA drive along with my 200GB IDE drive and neither work. I hope it isn't a problem with my brand new mobo.

 

[notherdude]

Probably either a bd mobo or some setting in the BIOS.

I'll Google a bit.

 

[Cavil]

thanks for the reply.
I've been googling it for 2 days now and have found no solution.

 

[notherdude]

How far along was the install process? had it copied any files to the drive? Does the drive show up in the BIOS?
I'd still run 'maxblast'. You can get it and the details at Maxtor.com.

 

[Cavil]

the drive shows up in bios. It goes to the initial Install screen, (the one that says Press f6 to install raid drivers) and installs a bunch of drivers (USB support, ect.) then it states "starting Windows 2000" and after about 5 seconds, it goes to the blue crash screen.

 

[notherdude]

Hmm, that sounds like it hasn't even hit the hard drive yet. So I'm guessing it's the DVD/CD drive at fault? You get the same with two disks right? So rule out a bad disk. How about trying a different CD drive and/or taking the hard drive off the IDE controller when you try to install to the SATA drive. It could be a jumpering issue or a problem with having the HD and CD on same controller.

Try a different CD drive for sure and install to the SATA with the IDE out of system all together. CD drive jumpered master/single. See what happens.

The CD drive, IDE or SATA?

 

[Cavil]

I don't have a different cd rom drive here now.

I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow.

I tried changing the jumper on my IDE drive to Cable Select and it didn't help.

There are no Jumper settings on my CD rom drive. It's SATA, Model SH-S203. I think it's a samsung.

 

[notherdude]

hang on, I think you need to install adriver for the SATA CD at f6, windows loads an older ver of CD driver

 

[Cavil]

yeah, but I couldn't find just the driver for that.

 

[notherdude]

Right. Well the quick and dirty fix is to get an IDE CD drive, at least for the install. I think that's the ticket. Surely somebody else here has tackled this problem? I've yet to get a SATA cd drive.

 

[Cavil]

I'll steal one off a junk computer at work tomorrow and see if that helps.

It does read off the CD when I'm installing it so I'm a bit skeptical that this will help but I'm willing to try anything about now. Thanks for the help and I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[notherdude]

It does read off the CD when I'm installing it so I'm a bit skeptical that this will help but I'm willing to try anything about now. Thanks for the help and I'll let you know how it turns out.

Yes, this was throwing me too, but I think the installation switches to another driver at the point that windows takes over the install! This happend right smack after all the drivers were loaded right? That's when the other CD driver takes over I think. Try it. I have high hopes, seriously. I had a friend who had this ame problem, more or less, and that worked for him.

 

[notherdude]

OK, one last try.

"IDE mode uses the native Microsoft* driver and does not require the F6 installation method." From here:

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imst/sb/cs-015988.htm

Is your SATA controller set to IDE mode? The linked page gives instructions for using SATA drives on INTEL boards.

There should be a BIOS option for 'SATA mode' - choose IDE.

 

[Cavil]

I tried the IDE mode but it won't see my SATA cd rom drive.

I got home with the cd rom drive I robbed from a junk computer at work and found out why the computer was junked... the cd rom drive doesn't work...

off to staples I go...

 

[Cavil]

I set it up for IDE mode in bios and used an IDE CD rom drive to install.

Worked out.

Once Windows is on I can just update the bios and everything.

Thanks for the help.

 

[notherdude]

Good! Best of luck with it.

 

[vydec]

I have seen similar scenarios before. Before you give up on the CD-ROM drive. IF the CD ROM is on the second EIDE channel, (master or slave won't matter) Windows (95 - Vista) may not read the CD-ROM because it needs a south bridge chipset driver to access the second EIDE channel (I have run into several MB that work this way). CD-Roms always work as the second device on the primary EIDE. To boot from SATA, must have a sata driver loaded through the floppy using F6 (thank you Microsoft for not allowing any other options - idiots). To find what driver to use, if there is no documentation, look at the MB and you should be able to find a specific (VLSI) chip that handles the SATA (it could be made by half a dozen manuf. ie.. SIS, Promise, etc..) the chip will have accompanying numbers that you can google for. You can almost always find the manufacturers website and drivers under support downloads.