Help with computer booting

[nmartin89]

Hello,

I have recently built my first computer. I am using an ASRock Z77 Extreme4 motherboard. I had successfully installed my processor (i5 3570k), memory (Corsair Vengeance 8GB), and graphics card (HD 7850) outside of the case and was able to get the system to POST with no problem

I then installed everything inside the case and I was able to get the system to boot with no problem once again. I am going to be using an SSD for the OS (Windows 7) and a HDD for storage, so I had only plugged in the SSD at this time. I was able to successfully install Windows 7, but not activate it since I was not connected to the internet yet.

I was inside Windows and installed AVG from an external hard drive before I connected to the internet, but once I plugged in my ethernet cable I was still not able to connect so I figured I would download all the drivers on my laptop and transfer them with a flash drive to my computer. I had temporarily shut my system down while I downloaded a bunch of drivers on my laptop, but when I booted up my system again it would not get past the ASRock loading screen. I am unable to press DEL or F11 to enter the BIOS or access the boot options. The motherboard is giving a code of A2 which means 'IDE Detect' which makes absolutely no sense to me. Any suggestions?

 

[o1die]

You may have to start over with a fresh windows installation. Try each drive one at a time. One of them should get you to the post screen or permit you to reinstall windows off the dvd. You need to let windows configure your internet connection during installation (have your cable from the modem plugged in and let windows detect your internet address). Then all you should have to do is click on the explorer icon to get online. You may also try resetting the bios by removing the motherboard battery with the power supply unplugged. I use hardrive software to clone my drives; saves about three hours of installing windows files, especially security updates. The software for seagate drives is maxblast 5.0. After cloning, disconnect the drive you want for backup; boot up to the ssd and connect the other drive so windows will automatically configure it as a secondary device. Then if the ssd fails, with a fully cloned drive, you simply disconnect the ssd and the backup drive will work as your new boot drive.