is it a motherboard problem?

[TheTeZ]

Hey Everyone.
I have been trying to get this computer running for sometime.... its not my first build but deff, it is proving to be my mot difficult... although i dont see why....

So ive got a lanparty LT p35 with 4 gigs of memory, ive got an intel core http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core 2 duo dual core processor, and the hard drive http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive .... well this is the problem...

The computer will start to boot up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting . but it gets to "boot disk failure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failure insert new disk ..." now i know its not a bad drive.... because it does the same with all 3 that i have tried (that i know work) the bios does see the hdd. i tried an install of windows xp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP (an oem 32 bit just to try it) the install starts well, but then when the compute reboots (which is normaly for the xp install) i get the boot disk error again.

anyone have an ideas? all my drives are IDE

 

[pbrigido]

Check your RAM and your HD. MemTest86 and DFT are some very basic but nice programs that should help. Also, remove any USB devices you have plugged in.

Do you have more than one harddrive installed in your system?

 

[Drez143]

Yeah, if this is doing this with multiple hard drives, then I would have to say this sounds like a ram issue. The fact that everything else seems to work makes me think the motherboard is not the causer.

 

[fleakiller]

What is your boot sequence silly i know but like to ask

 

[pbrigido]

Yeah, boot sequence is my main question. That's what prompted me to ask about the number of HDs you have in the system. Just to be safe, keep the one you intend on using as your primary drive connected by itself...and no others.

 

[TheTeZ]

well i have 1 hard drive in for this (ive tried with 3 differnet drives) i have tried with only 1 stick of memory in it. i dont have any usb plugged in. and my boot sequence, well i have changed it tried switchin gthe sequence, but the one i have it set at now is CD USB Harddrive. i have had it harddrive cd auto...

 

[chunkymonster]

might sound dumb but try a different IDE ribbon cable, if you ahven't already.

 

[TheTeZ]

i have.... i tried 2 before the one ive got in now.... i really thought it was that 1st one..... this problem really stinks.... its a pain!! i am pretty good with computers and i cant find a solution... keep the ideas coming people! hopefully one will work

 

[TheTeZ]

and i can deffinitally see the hard drives.... i have booted into a couple different live CD's and can see the hard drive... as well as start a windows install onto it....

 

[vmardegan]

If you are pretty sure it's not the boot sequence, you can try check how the partition is being set up (primary, logical, active, MBR, etc...)

Right of the bat I would assume it's a boot sequence issue, but I have seen this kind of error also when you install the OS in a partition that it's not bootable and still can be accessed by a boot disk...

Give a try to FDISK (or similar) thing...

By the way, you're not running RAID arrays are you?

 

[TheTeZ]

no i am not running Raid... i will try setting up the partitions with Gparted... that way i KNOW whats going on

 

[TheTeZ]

well i cant run gparted it tells me half way through booting the cd it cant find it... thats nice....

 

[fleakiller]

TheTeZ can you please tell us the boot sequence that is in the bios please there should be four listed

 

[TheTeZ]

no problem...

1st - Cd/DVD
2nd Hdd
3rd - USB
4th Boot Other Device - Enabled

 

[fleakiller]

Do you have harddrive and cd rom on one cable? If so so is harddrive/cd rom master / slave settings right? harddrive master cd slave

 

[fleakiller]

look at page 69 in manual

 

[TheTeZ]

Yes, i do have the jumpers set correctly. drive master and cd slave.

i really do appreciate the help... i just wish something would work!!!

 

[fleakiller]

IT WILL did you read page 69 in manual? what kind and how much mem do you have

 

[TheTeZ]

yes, i read page 69, i have known that, thanks though. i have two 4 gig sticks, but i only have one in while im trying to do this stuff...

Adata DDR2 800

 

[TheTeZ]

i was thinking maybe i need to unplug all my usb connections, all ... everything.... and see if it works with video memory and motherboard, (plus processor) and plug little in by little to see if its any of the usb connections (to case) or audio to case... or anything else that might be hooked up...

 

[TheTeZ]

Fleakiller ... do you have this board? or did you look up the manual online? curious if you have the board what bios version do you have...

 

[fleakiller]

looked up manual online http://us.dfi.com.tw/Support/Download/manual_download_us.jsp?PRODUCT_ID=5816&STATUS_FLAG=A&SITE=US

 

[fleakiller]

Adding a Second IDE Disk Drive
When using two IDE drives, one must be set as the master and the
other as the slave. Follow the instructions provided by the drive
manufacturer for setting the jumpers and/or switches on the drives.
The system board supports Enhanced IDE or ATA-2, ATA/33,
ATA/66 or ATA/100 hard drives. We recommend that you use hard
drives from the same manufacturer. In a few cases, drives from two
different manufacturers will not function properly when used together.
The problem lies in the hard drives, not the system board.
Important:
If you encountered problems while using an ATAPI CD-ROM
drive that is set in Master mode, please set the CD-ROM drive
to Slave mode. Some ATAPI CD-ROMs may not be recognized
and cannot be used if incorrectly set in Master mode.

 

[TheTeZ]

i know this, but i only put one hard drive in at a time, and 1 cd drive, i have he hard drive set as master and the cd set as slave.

 

[fleakiller]

What i got out of it was if you have two drives on one cable you might have problems if you have or can barrow a drive so that you can put one on ide and other on sata just to see if that helps