Help Needed --XP install issue

skerj

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Feb 8, 2008
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Hey guys,

I was recommended this forum by a friend of mine, I'm told your a group of guys who knows there stuff. I've been having a problem recently while trying to install XP on my new system.

Specs: MSI Neo2 FR (BIOS version 1.1
E6600
X1900
2gigs Corsair Value (DDR2)
1 DVD drive
1 250gig hard drive (SATA)

My problem is this. After setting the boot device to the DVD drive, I start up the computer and nothing happens: it theres just a little underscore sign blinking angrily at me. I've tried setting "Enable secondary IDE device" (if thats what the command actually is) to Disabled, and when I do that I get "Reboot and select proper boot device or insert proper boot media into selected device". I've tried different DVD drives and different boot media, but I get the same thing.

Anybody able to help?

Thanks!
 

altazi

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Try booting from the DVD drive when it's configured as the primary device. No harm in seeing what happens. Also, is the media good? What happens if you try reading the DVD in another computer?
 

SpudTECH

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What is your dvd drive? sata or pata(IDE)... and if IDE then what is it hooked to--- the primary or secondary ide channel? Have you tried to hook it up to the other channel yet? do you have a spare floppy drive lying around and a boot disk? Do you need a bootable floppy--if so then here are some good ones and instructions to use them:

http://freepctech.com/pc/002/files010.shtml
 

skerj

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Thanks for the replies guys,

I'm sure the boot media is good: all of the disks I've tried have been successfully used in other machines. Also, the DVD drive is IDE, and I have tried hooking it up to both channels, once with the "secondary IDE" disabled, once with in inabled. The time I tried it "disabled", I got "insert proper boot media or reboot" and the other way just gives me a blinking underscore. Anything else I might be able to try?
 

SpudTECH

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I'm down to thinking that you need to do it the old fashoned way---boot disk and floppy drive. Windows is such a pain it the butt......
 

altazi

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Do you have a IDE HDD with an OS installed? If so, try connecting it to the mobo's primary IDD as master. Maybe your IDE ports aren't happy.

If this was my system, I'd try running a self-booting system test suite like Check-It! from the floppy drive. That would verify the basic hardware functionality of the motherboard.

Is that the most current BIOS for your mobo?
 

skerj

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Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Before I can try any of them, I'm gonna need to find a floppy drive. I think I might mysteriously be "sick" tomorrow and get this sorted out.
 

IH8U

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This may sound silly (I've done it myself tho) check the jumpers on the back of the drives, place them on Master for the HDD, and Master for the DVD. I've also had issues placing them on the same physical Ribbon cable. So try 2 cables. (CS- or Cable Select is a pain, I don't use it)
 

coldneutron

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Is your BIOS even detecting the DVD drive? is the power connected? u should see it listed on the standard cmos features BIOS page if it's detected. u need to enable the "extra IDE controller" as it's the only IDE controller on the board. when u disable it, the BIOS is trying to boot off the hd and finds nothing to boot thus the error message. if using an 80 pin cable try setting drive jumper to CS. if using a 40pin cable try master setting. try selecting the boot device of the quick boot menu. hit F11 repeatedly during post and a boot menu will pop up. select the dvd drive.
 

skerj

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Today I was "sick", so heres what I tried.
I installed XP on a different SATA HDD (using the same DVD drive, which means that thats not the weak link) and tried using that. I got the same "Reboot and select proper media device or insert proper boot media into the selected device". I got the same result after unplugging the DVD drive, not that I thought it would make any real difference. I also tried booting using a boot disk which contained BIOS testing and other bootable software, but all I got was a blinking underscore (I verified that the disk worked on another machine). Also, after reading your suggestions, tried it with every jumper setting for the DVD drive (I couldnt find jumpers on the HDD...is that normal?) and made sure that the BIOS was, indeed, finding a DVD drive. I've almost completely given up hope, under the assumption that the motherboard is malfunctioning. If I do wind up getting another motherboard, is there one under $100 that you guys might recommend?
Thanks!
 

skerj

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Shouldnt it just work with the DVD drive being IDE and the HDD being SATA? what would putting the DVD drive on the southbridge do?
 

pip_seeker

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ok "insert proper boot media or reboot" typically means the drive is working but:

a: the media isn't bootable.
b: the drive is having trouble reading it.

Check your data cable / make sure there are no tears or pinches... if you find any suspect part of data cable -replace the cable.



Today I was "sick", so heres what I tried.
I installed XP on a different SATA HDD (using the same DVD drive, which means that thats not the weak link) and tried using that. I got the same "Reboot and select proper media device or insert proper boot media into the selected device". I got the same result after unplugging the DVD drive, not that I thought it would make any real difference. I also tried booting using a boot disk which contained BIOS testing and other bootable software, but all I got was a blinking underscore (I verified that the disk worked on another machine). Also, after reading your suggestions, tried it with every jumper setting for the DVD drive (I couldnt find jumpers on the HDD...is that normal?) and made sure that the BIOS was, indeed, finding a DVD drive. I've almost completely given up hope, under the assumption that the motherboard is malfunctioning. If I do wind up getting another motherboard, is there one under $100 that you guys might recommend?
Thanks!

Ok this sounds like the hard drive is getting this "reboot and select proper media device or insert proper boot media" error. Is this correct assumption?

ok with what you later describe very much sounds like virus type activity that stops the machine from booting. Typically when you see this error if you shut off the pc / disconnect the hard drives from power for maybe 30 sec or so, and kill the power switch on the psu as well, then reboot the machine will typically reboot and act as nothing is wrong.... but will later return again.

I get this problem on my machine from time to time, but I have ghost and can reghost and be back up in about 15 min. If you don't have ghost, this could likely lead to re-install. I doubt it's a motherboard problem.

If you do what I suggest about disconnecting power for 30 sec and disconnect the drive... then rehook it about 30 sec later and it boots you will know surely what I say is true. If you get it booted again you should run a virus scan on it.

Your hard drive I believe you stated was SATA... SATA won't have any jumpers / doesn't use master / slave switch anymore on SATA.
 

ohiou_grad_06

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Zorg I guess the only thing I am thinking is he's tested the drive in other machines. But maybe your right, could that board does not like IDE dvd drives, I think I've heard of that before.

Skerj, putting the dvd drive in on a sata port would put it into another controller on your board essentially. Zorg had a good idea, so definitely consider that first.

Rmaing the board is returning it basically, rma=return merchandise authorization. If your problem can't be solved you may look into that later. Flashing the bios is updating the bios of your board, there are a few different ways you can do it, you have to download the drivers from your manufacturer's website, and then you can do the flash from within windows, highly reccomend you do NOT do it this way, you can also make a boot disk from a floppy and do it that way. Personally I would use flashing as a last resort before returning the board.

But again, I didn't think about Zorg's idea until he said something, so I think I'd try his ideas first. Because flashing the bios can be done, but there is a chance, probably a small one, but still a chance, that you can mess up your motherboard if something goes wrong.

*EDIT*

By the way skerj, I agree with you, it should just work with dvd drive being IDE and the hard drive being sata. On my board it does work fine that way. Might be yours is just quirky.
 
Did you try resetting your BIOS to the default settings and start from scratch configuring your settings? That seems lame but it has worked for me a time or two in elusive situations.

Read carefully and take your time selecting the proper settings, there are so many boards with different methods to set the boot device it can be tricky.

Its worth a try...
 

Zorg

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Yes it "should" work but there can be problems. There have been problems since the 965 mobos when the SATA was on the Jmicron controllers. It may not be your problem but for $30-$40 it is worth it to get the DVD off of the add on Marvell 88SE6111 controller and onto the ICH9. Also be sure that your SATA HD is plugged into the ICH9 and not into the SATA Marvell controller. Additionally, just make sure that the SATA is set for IDE emulation not AHCI, I believe it is that way by default, but check.