Normal boot into Windows disabled when SATA drive is enabled

NedZ123

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I have installed a new Seagate SATA HD and partitioned it to be used as an additional drive for storage of documents and, in a second partition, to contain a disc image of my original IDE hard drive in a Dell desktop. The new drive and partitions are recognized in My Computer and the drive appears to work. I had to go into BIOS to turn on the SATA port. When the SATA port is enabled, however, the bootup process hangs up after the Dell Logo and will not boot into Windows. In order to get it to do so, I have to enter into the Boot Device Menu (F12 on Dell computers) , and enter a choice. The “#1. Normal”, which is the default, does not boot, and the #5. Hard-Disk Drive C:” does not boot. Both simply hang with the cursor blinking on the black screen. “#3 Primary Master Drive” however, does boot into Windows after the usual 5-second delay. There seems to be no way to save this choice, however, and the next boot defaults to #1 and won't boot. Booting into Windows has to be done manually each time by entering the Boot Device Menu and choosing #3 again.

Changing the boot sequence is of no use: it specifies the diskette drive first, then the Primary Master Drive and then the CD Rom.

Any way to get my computer to save the choice, or to boot to Windows on #1 Normal so that I don't have to intervene manually on every bootup?

Second question is whether my choice to save the disc image backup in a partition structured as a logical drive is the correct choice. Seagate's instructions simply noted that you cannot boot from a logical drive, and I am assuming that one uses the backup image by recopying it to the C: drive.

Any help given would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 


This is the boot sequence. There is most likely someplace in the bios that will specify the boot drive too. You need to set the OS drive as the boot drive. You can't boot from an image file. You can restore an image file to a drive.
 

NedZ123

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I think that the Boot Device Menu is the place that specifies the boot drive. The C: drive still contains the OS, and the first choice in the Boot Device Menu, "Normal" used to cause the computer to boot into Windows, from C:, but no longer does. In the Boot Device Menu choosing "Hard-Disk Drive C:" doesn't work either. However choosing the "Primary Master Drive" choice does work. But I think that is just another way of describing the C: drive. I have to manually indicate it by entering the Boot Device Menu, because the automatic default into "Normal" no longer works. I'm glad to be able to launch Windows, but I'd like it to happen automatically. That's the problem I'm trying to fix.

I think your last two sentences address my second question, and I think confirm my suspicion that using the disk utility that came with the drive, I can restore the C file from the image stored on the new SATA drive, configured as a logical file. Inotherwords I am not going to try to boot into Windows directly from the new SATA drive.
 

NedZ123

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Oh, and if I turn off the SATA port in setup, Windows boots automatically, as it did before installing the new drive. After turning off that port it will manually boot from "Normal" , from "Hard-Disk Drive C:" and from Primary Master Drive. Somehow when the new SATA Port is enabled, whether it's the primary or the secondary, depending on which port the drive is connected to, opening the port disables "Normal" and since the SATA choice precedes the others and the OS isn't there, the system never boots.
 
Are you sure you are enabling/disabling a sata port? It sounds more like you are switching the port from IDE mode to SATA mode. If this is the case, it won't work. You would need to have the port in SATA mode before installing XP, then use F6 during the installation to load in the AHCI drivers.
 

NedZ123

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Well I think I'm enabling the SATA port. In setup I can set the primary and secondary SATA drives to OFF or AUTO. They were OFF when I first installed the drive. Once I set the one the drive was connected to to AUTO and formatted the new drive the drive was recognized and could accept data copied to it. XP was already installed on the original C drive and no changes were made. I didn't use F6, nor load any drivers. The thing seemed to work fine. It's just the boot process that seems to be amiss.
 

NedZ123

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OK. Sorry for the delay in getting this back to you. Thanks.

Computer is a DELL Dimension DIM 4600i
Pentium 4 CPU running at 2.8 GHz
1.5 GB Memory @2.79 GHz

Phoenix ROM Bios Plus Version 1.10 A10

Windows XP Home Edition V 2002 SP3

Motherboard is labeled E210882
and the white tags on the motherboard are AA C23438-502
DS/N CN-OF4491-48111-456-01L3 [C/O CN
DELL Rev. A02


The Device Manager file reads as follows:

Resource Summary Report - Page: 1
******************** SYSTEM SUMMARY ********************
Windows Version: Windows 5.1 Service Pack 3 (Build 2600)
Registered Owner: Ned
Registered Organization:
Computer Name: D4FX0951
Machine Type: AT/AT COMPATIBLE
System BIOS Version: DELL - 7
System BIOS Date: 05/17/04
Processor Type: x86 Family 15 Model 3 Stepping 4
Processor Vendor: GenuineIntel
Number of Processors: 1
Physical Memory: 1534 MB
******************** DISK DRIVE INFO ********************
Drive A:
Type: 3.5" 1.44MB floppy disk drive
Total Space: 1,474,560 bytes
Heads: 2
Cylinders: 80
Sectors Per Track: 18
Bytes Per Sector: 512
Drive C:
Type: Fixed disk drive
Total Space: 79,949,717,504 bytes
Free Space: 5,253,890,048 bytes
Heads: 255
Cylinders: 9726
Sectors Per Track: 63
Bytes Per Sector: 512
Drive F:
Type: Fixed disk drive
Total Space: 898,216,992,768 bytes
Free Space: 898,103,799,808 bytes
Heads: 255
Cylinders: 121601
Sectors Per Track: 63
Bytes Per Sector: 512
Drive G:
Type: Fixed disk drive
Total Space: 101,976,985,600 bytes
Free Space: 101,905,506,304 bytes
Heads: 255
Cylinders: 121601
Sectors Per Track: 63
Bytes Per Sector: 512
******************** IRQ SUMMARY ********************
IRQ Usage Summary:
(ISA) 0 System timer
(ISA) 1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
(PCI) 3 Intel(R) 82801EB SMBus Controller - 24D3
(ISA) 4 Communications Port (COM1)
(ISA) 6 Standard floppy disk controller
(ISA) 8 System CMOS/real time clock
(ISA) 9 Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System
(ISA) 12 Microsoft PS/2 Port Mouse (IntelliPoint)
(ISA) 13 Numeric data processor
(ISA) 14 Primary IDE Channel
(ISA) 15 Secondary IDE Channel
(PCI) 16 Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
(PCI) 16 Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D2
(PCI) 16 Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24DE
(PCI) 17 SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
(PCI) 18 Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D7
(PCI) 18 Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
Resource Summary Report - Page: 2
(PCI) 19 Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D4
(PCI) 20 Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
(PCI) 22 Conexant D850 56K V.9x DFVc Modem
(PCI) 23 Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
******************** DMA USAGE SUMMARY ********************
DMA Usage Summary:
2 Standard floppy disk controller
4 Direct memory access controller
******************** MEMORY SUMMARY ********************
Memory Usage Summary:
[00000000 - 0009FFFF] System board
[000A0000 - 000BFFFF] PCI bus
[000A0000 - 000BFFFF] Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
[000C0000 - 000FFFFF] System board
[00100000 - 00FFFFFF] System board
[01000000 - 5FE6FFFF] System board
[80000000 - FEBFFFFF] PCI bus
[E8000000 - EFFFFFFF] Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
[FEAEF000 - FEAEFFFF] Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
[FEAF0000 - FEAFFFFF] Conexant D850 56K V.9x DFVc Modem
[FEB7F400 - FEB7F7FF] Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
[FEB7F900 - FEB7F9FF] SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
[FEB7FA00 - FEB7FBFF] SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
[FEB7FC00 - FEB7FFFF] Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
[FEB80000 - FEBFFFFF] Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
[FEC00000 - FEC0FFFF] System board
[FECF0000 - FECF0FFF] System board
[FED20000 - FED8FFFF] System board
[FEE00000 - FEE0FFFF] System board
[FFB00000 - FFBFFFFF] System board
[FFC00000 - FFFFFFFF] System board
******************** IO PORT SUMMARY ********************
I/O Ports Usage Summary:
[00000000 - 00000CF7] PCI bus
[00000000 - 0000001F] Direct memory access controller
[00000020 - 0000003F] Programmable interrupt controller
[00000040 - 0000005F] System timer
[00000060 - 00000060] Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
[00000061 - 00000061] System speaker
[00000062 - 00000063] System board
[00000064 - 00000064] Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
[00000065 - 0000006F] System board
[00000070 - 0000007F] System CMOS/real time clock
[00000080 - 0000009F] Direct memory access controller
[000000A0 - 000000BF] Programmable interrupt controller
[000000C0 - 000000DF] Direct memory access controller
[000000E0 - 000000EF] System board
[000000F0 - 000000FF] Numeric data processor
[00000170 - 00000177] Secondary IDE Channel
[000001F0 - 000001F7] Primary IDE Channel
[00000274 - 00000277] ISAPNP Read Data Port
[00000279 - 00000279] ISAPNP Read Data Port
[00000376 - 00000376] Secondary IDE Channel
[00000378 - 0000037F] ECP Printer Port (LPT1)
[000003B0 - 000003BB] Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
[000003C0 - 000003DF] Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
[000003F0 - 000003F5] Standard floppy disk controller
[000003F6 - 000003F6] Primary IDE Channel
[000003F7 - 000003F7] Standard floppy disk controller
[000003F8 - 000003FF] Communications Port (COM1)
[000004D0 - 000004D1] Programmable interrupt controller
[00000778 - 0000077F] ECP Printer Port (LPT1)
[00000800- 0000085F] System board
[00000860 - 000008FF] System board
[00000A79 - 00000A79] ISAPNP Read Data Port
Resource Summary Report - Page: 3
[00000C00 - 00000C7F] System board
[00000D00 - 0000FFFF] PCI bus
[0000DF38 - 0000DF3F] Conexant D850 56K V.9x DFVc Modem
[0000DF40 - 0000DF7F] Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
[0000ED98 - 0000ED9F] Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
[0000EDA0 - 0000EDBF] Intel(R) 82801EB SMBus Controller - 24D3
[0000EDC0 - 0000EDFF] SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
[0000EE00 - 0000EEFF] SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
[0000FE00 - 0000FE07] Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
[0000FE10 - 0000FE13] Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
[0000FE20 - 0000FE27] Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
[0000FE30 - 0000FE33] Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
[0000FEA0 - 0000FEAF] Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
[0000FF20 - 0000FF3F] Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24DE
[0000FF40 - 0000FF5F] Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D7
[0000FF60 - 0000FF7F] Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D4
[0000FF80 - 0000FF9F] Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D2
[0000FFA0 - 0000FFAF] Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
 
I couldn't find the 4600i on Dell's site, so I used the 4600C. Hopefully it uses the same bios. Here, it shows boot sequence. Sorry, but I don't see anywhere in the bios to specify the boot drive. I know Dell cripples their bios to avoid overclocking, but I didn't think it would be this Spartan. Sorry I couldn't be more help. Hopefully someone else will have a solution for you.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4600c/sm/syssetup.htm#1102196
 

NedZ123

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Thanks for your effort, Hawkeye. I haven't compared the manual page to the Setup page on my computer to acertain that it's exactly the same, but it looks to be pretty close to what comes up on my screen. Maybe someone else can chime in here, but looks like I will have to learn to live with entering Windows via the Boot Menu each time and manually specify that Windows boots from the primary drive. I appreciate you trying.

Anyone else have any ideas?