Newbie comp builder needs some help :P

Ragnaros

Ragnaros

Ragnaros

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21 Mar 2006
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Solved: Newbie comp builder needs some help :P

Today i built my first computer. It was a horrible experience that took hours but i got through it with a little help from some stickys on this forum. :)

But i don't know ho to install Windows. Or atleast, i don't know what i should be doing with this partitioning... I have a 250Gb HDD, and it's brand new so is unpartitioned. I did this in college a while back but i've completely forgotten which way it should be partitioned.

Can anyone help? :S

Also, my other problem is that the BIOS didn't detect my DVD-drive. I put two in so i used the other one to put the Windwos disc, but is there any way i can get it to detect it without taking it back out? I forgot to do the runners thing but i can't remember seeing them on the back. I wouldn't care which was the master and which was the slave aslong as i could use them both. The one it recognises is the Slave, by the way.

Anyway, thatnks for any help. :P

~Ragnaros
 
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Ah, ok. I wasn't sure if i had to do multiple partitions, and if i was meant to use all available space.

About these SATA drives (yeah i have a SATA2 drive), i've been told that Windows doesn't need the drivers ALL the time. But what happens if i try to install without them? Will it realise right away or will it not be until like half way through? >_>

I guess it doesn't matter haha. It's just that i'm relying on a slipstreamed version of WinXP, that has the drivers in (i used nLite).
 
It took me all day. It was a pain in the arse basically, and my fingers hurt. >_>

Oh, and now my BIOS won't let me boot from CD. I installed Windows but there was an error, and now it won't let me enter Setup again. ¬_¬
 
Yeah, i want to, but i can't.

I set the BIOS to boot from CD-ROM first, and HDD second. But everytime the boot screen comes up it says "Press any key to boot from CDROM"

". . . . . . ."

Nothing i press works, and then after about 10 seconds it boots from HD (which obviously it can't because Windows didn't install properly).

Should i just reset the CMOS?
 
I've tried booting from both, and besides, i was able to do it the first time so what has changed since then? :/ All the cables are fine. Is there anything else i can do?
 
When i installed Windows, the drive was completely partitioned, so do i assume the slipstreamed drivers worked? (Just wondering)

And resetting the CMOS didn't help...

It must be a hardware problem but i thought i had everything done fine. Is it possible to mess up RAM installation? I'm pretty sure it's fine.

Guess i'll need to go over everything again tomorrow. Christ, i never want to build a computer again. 1200 quids worth of hassle.

>_<
 
Damnit, nope.

The RAM was fine, but i refitted it anyway. Still no joy. I rechecked the IDE cables and tried using only one dvd-rom drive, but still it won't let me boot from CD. I'm all out of ideas.

Only thing left is the DVD itself? Does failing a Windows installation corrupt the data on the disc or something? Because if not i'm completely screwed.

>_<
 
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
RAM: OCZ 2Gb PC3200 Dual Channel Platinum Series
GFX: PowerColor ATi Radeon X1900XTX
HDD: Western Digital Caviar 250Gb SATA2
Mobo: DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D
PSU: Tagan 530W
DVD: Pioneer DVR-111DBK DVD-RW Dual Layer ReWriter
 
I turn it on, and the LanParty nF4 logo comes up (i press del if i want to get into the BIOS), but then it goes to the booting sequence. Says the CMOS is ok, and it then boots from CD. It says "Press any key to boot from CD..." but even though i press the keys it doesn't boot. After about 10 seconds it tries to boot from HDD, and then it stops there.

If there is no CD in the drive then it skips that part. Resetting the CMOS removes the LanParty logo, obviously.
 
YAAAAAY

It worked! :D

I guess the thing wasn't getting a chance to boot because it switched to the HDD so quick. Weird problem. :S

Omg that is such a load off my mind, atleast now i'll know what to do if i mess up again.

Thanks so much xirokx for your help (and everyone else).

w00t :D
 
Yeah, good thing i decided to buy all new parts or else i woulda took some outta this and would have been stuck without the net. XD

Also just realised i hadn't hooked up the little FDD power connector up. It's been sandwiched been my graphics card and my Scythe Ninja. Guess that'll be the card coming out then. :P
 
Haha, thanks for the advice. I've never oc'd before but i want to give it a go. I actually bought the mobo and CPU on the basis that they were meant to be good for that sort of thing.

But first i'll play some games. I've had Oblivion on the shalf since release and i haven't played CS:S in over 2 months. Been starved, gaming-wise. The PSU on this is way past it and every time i start a game it gets noisy... Like holiding the vacuum to your ear noisy.

XD

Thanks again, though. Just gonna install Windows now.
 
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