Friends Is Having Huge Problems

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Soldato
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25 Oct 2005
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Hey guys,

A friend of mine bought a whole new rig that arrived today, almost the exact same spec as my machine (965P-DS3, E6300, GeIL DDR2-800, X1900XT) but we're having no end of problems getting it to work where setting up mine was seamless.

This thread may need updating with more problems, God forbid, so I will be blunt: -

1.) After the selecting/formating a partition phase when installing Windows XP, the system requires a reboot. Upon rebooting, and after waiting through the prompt to boot from CD, he gets a message saying "error loading operating system" or some such message.

He is attempting this on a fairly old 40GB IDE disk, but it has worked flawlessly until today with many OS installs. He also cannot even boot from a Ubuntu live CD, it just hangs as it's loading the kernel.

Any thoughts? We called OcUK as a last-ditch effort before they shut tonight, but the guy on the phone was just as stumped as we are, and agreed with us that the next plan of action should be to try a SATA disk drive instead. Last I knew, my friend was trying that as I left his house, but I've not heard from him since (suggesting that it did not work.)

Thanks in advance for any insight, seems there is always one gremlin in every upgrade.

Sincerely yours,
Ulfhedjinn.
 
BillytheImpaler said:
It's possible that something in the PATA system is borked. You might end up RMA'ing the motherboard.
Click to expand...
I thought that, because it seems like his hard disk and the IDE interface on his motherboard really do not like eachother at all. I'm temporarily using a 40GB IDE disk with mine until I have the funds for a 250GB SATA, but luckily I've not had a single problem.

It is almost as if he can write to his hard disk just fine, but not read from it at all.
 
It could be a dodgy stick of ram, he could try running memtest or installing XP with just one stick.

Since a CD boot fails as well, it's probably not the HD at fault.
 
We did test the RAM with two sticks in alternate slots and both sticks on their own but there was no difference I'm afraid, I think the RAM is fine. The HDD could still be at fault in regards to the Ubuntu live CD not working, as the CD itself boots fine that build puts a bunch of files on the HDD if I recall correctly and it goes mental when loading up the kernel for it.

From what I can tell the problem must lie with the motherboard, or the CD/HDD (or both), completely at a loss to anything else. I will personally try his HDD in my computer over this weekend, and we will try my HDD in his computer as mine has the perfect chipset drivers and other drivers already on it.
 
run the manufacturers tests on the hard drive, that should (in theory) show up any problems with it.
 
Werewolf said:
run the manufacturers tests on the hard drive, that should (in theory) show up any problems with it.
Click to expand...
Aye that's what one of your helpful lads suggested on the phone today. I am not even sure what make of hard disk he has at this point, but I'll be sure to make note of it and give that a try when I see if it works in my computer. :)

Would I be able to get these tests from the manufacturer's website? This HDD is quite old and has no disc, could even be OEM.
 
its not reading the boot sector on the hard drive, could be a number of issues.

i would run memtest and then the hard drive manufacturers test as these are easiest without swapping componants.

something to try

when the system reboots, physically turn it off. wait a few seconds then turn it back on, keep pressing the 'F8' button continously, hopefully a small blue box will appear in the middle of the screen, and this will allow you to select the hard drive you have just installed windows onto. let us know how you get on with doing this.
 
Ulfhedjinn said:
Hey guys,

A friend of mine bought a whole new rig that arrived today, almost the exact same spec as my machine (965P-DS3, E6300, GeIL DDR2-800, X1900XT) but we're having no end of problems getting it to work where setting up mine was seamless.

This thread may need updating with more problems, God forbid, so I will be blunt: -

1.) After the selecting/formating a partition phase when installing Windows XP, the system requires a reboot. Upon rebooting, and after waiting through the prompt to boot from CD, he gets a message saying "error loading operating system" or some such message.

He is attempting this on a fairly old 40GB IDE disk, but it has worked flawlessly until today with many OS installs. He also cannot even boot from a Ubuntu live CD, it just hangs as it's loading the kernel.

Any thoughts? We called OcUK as a last-ditch effort before they shut tonight, but the guy on the phone was just as stumped as we are, and agreed with us that the next plan of action should be to try a SATA disk drive instead. Last I knew, my friend was trying that as I left his house, but I've not heard from him since (suggesting that it did not work.)

Thanks in advance for any insight, seems there is always one gremlin in every upgrade.

Sincerely yours,
Ulfhedjinn.
Click to expand...

i get this error all the time when trying to install on my 150gig raptor... its because the windows installer for some unknown reason makes the disk CHS instead of LBA.... which makes the disk useless untill its reformated as LBA.

why, i dont know, but ive YET to get around to getting a working XP, or Vista install on my raptor.

so i guess thats where to start.... when the bios goes through the HDD's does it say LBA or anything else?
 
I'd diagnose the HD - since it could either be that the IDE controller or HD are broken.
 
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