System won't install windows

Joe42

Joe42

Joe42

Soldato
Joined
18 Jan 2005
Posts
4,171
Location
Northants
I've got a bit of a problem here and i need some help.

The problem is, when i install windows after its completed the first part of the installation and rebooted, instead of continuing the installation all i get is either a blank screen, or an 'NTLDR is missing' error.


This is what i've tried so far:
-3 different windows disks.
-Two different cd drives.
-Got rid of my overclock.
-Ran memtest and it passed fine.
-Formatted the harddisk several times.

Specs:
Opteron 175
A8n32 sli deluxe
Two 74gb raptors (older double platter versions)
OCZ 2gb ram
6800gt
Audigy 2 ZS platinum pro
Seasonic S12 500
Two lg cd drives, one burner one reader.

If you more detailed system specs let me know.

I have already got windows installed on a 2nd harddisk and this works fine. I've tried unplugging this disk when trying to install windows on the 2nd disk and still nothing. The copy of windows i already have was installed on this system about a year ago using all the same hardware and it installed fine. I'm using a recent bios. The harddisk i'm trying to install it on has been working fine for the past two years.


Whats left for me to try?
I'm completely flummoxed.
 
Could try a different SATA port I suppose? Are you installing the SATA drivers during setup by pressing F6? Could try slipstreaming them in with nLite if you are :)
 
I'm not installing sata drivers, i don't think i ever had to before. However i have had problems with one of my boards and sata, i forget which one. I have a secondary sata controller so i'll try that, and first i'll try pressing f6 for sata drivers.

Thanks for that suggestion, i'll report back shortly.
 
Joe42 said:
I'm not installing sata drivers, i don't think i ever had to before. However i have had problems with one of my boards and sata, i forget which one. I have a secondary sata controller so i'll try that, and first i'll try pressing f6 for sata drivers.

Thanks for that suggestion, i'll report back shortly.
Click to expand...

Cool, no probs :)

Firegod said:
It's nothing to do with the Boot Order in the BIOS is it? Or if the hard drisk is set to Master/Slave?
Click to expand...

I doubt the boot order would affect it and as he is using SATA drives, there is no master/slave setting on them :)
 
Firegod said:
It's nothing to do with the Boot Order in the BIOS is it? Or if the hard drisk is set to Master/Slave?
Click to expand...
Yeah no master slave on sata. It set to boot from cd then harddisk, obviously after i've done the first part of setup i'm skipping the boot from cd prompt. But i'll try removing the cd from the boot order just in case after i've done the first part of setup.
 
Trigger said:
Cool, no probs :)

I doubt the boot order would affect it and as he is using SATA drives, there is no master/slave setting on them :)
Click to expand...

Ah, nice one Trig, sorry I got confused when he said "I'm not installing SATA drivers. I mis-read. :o

Have you tried perhaps "fixmbr" and "fixboot" etc?
 
Ok, i've pressed f6.
It gives me an error moaning that i don't have a floppy. I've never had a floppy with this system so i can't have done this the last time i installed windows.

I also don't have a floppy disk with drivers on it. There is a utility to create one on the driver disk for the board i think but its only for the secondary controller.

I'm going to try using the secondary sata controller now.
 
Try going to the options for the hard disk in the BIOS and running the installation a couple of times with the access mode set to 'Large' and 'LBA'. Sometimes the BIOS picks the wrong mode and nowt will install.
 
Tried messing about with the boot order, nothing.
Mattus said:
Try going to the options for the hard disk in the BIOS and running the installation a couple of times with the access mode set to 'Large' and 'LBA'. Sometimes the BIOS picks the wrong mode and nowt will install.
Click to expand...
I've got an option which says 'LBA/Large Mode' and its either auto or disabled. By default its auto, shall i try it disabled?

I haven't tried the secondary sata controller yet, trying that now.
 
Right, with the formatted disk plugged into the secondary sata controller, and the first disk with a working copy of windows on it unplugged, i get an error 'A disk read error occured, press ctrl alt del to restart'.

So i'm going to try going into windows setup again and formatting the disk again.


This disk did definitely work before and i checked the smart attributes recently and it was all ok.

The sata controller picks it up ok as does the bios.
 
Create the SATA driver floppy and use that with F6. Your system cannot access the boot device properly after the initial install of the windows system files and source code, using the SATA drivers would be a good start.

I presume you've tried using only 1 disk ?
 
Joe42 said:
Right, with the formatted disk plugged into the secondary sata controller, and the first disk with a working copy of windows on it unplugged, i get an error 'A disk read error occured, press ctrl alt del to restart'.

So i'm going to try going into windows setup again and formatting the disk again.


This disk did definitely work before and i checked the smart attributes recently and it was all ok.
Click to expand...

Yeah, try it with a clean full format (None of this quick business :D ) and clean install and hopefully that will work :)
 
Trigger said:
Yeah, try it with a clean full format (None of this quick business :D ) and clean install and hopefully that will work :)
Click to expand...
Right, this wonderful little sata controller wants a driver, and it also wants a floppy disk, and i don't have a floppy disk drive.
Create the SATA driver floppy and use that with F6. Your system cannot access the boot device properly after the initial install of the windows system files and source code, using the SATA drivers would be a good start.

I presume you've tried using only 1 disk ?
Click to expand...
The nforce sata controller doesn't need a driver, i've installed windows with it before without one, and it doesn't come with one on the disk. Windows picks up the disk when its connected to that controller and i can format it.

The secondary controller which i am now trying does need a driver, windows says it can't detect any disks.

And yes i'm using only one harddisk atm.
 
Hmm, you got another PC you could steal.. ..I mean borrow a floppy drive out of? :D Of course you'd have to make the disk from the motherboard CD first though :)
 
Had a check about and as I read from the Internet the SATA controller doesn't need a driver unless you are using RAID.

I read a website which said pre-format using Win98 boot disk. http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1135938&page=2&pp=20

Not sure how that would help other than an older boot record but I guess its worth a try.

However, I still suspect the SATA driver, did you re-install or format last time it worked ?
 
Its laughing at me. :(

dscf0008xd2.jpg


It hasn't done that before. What have i done to upset the god of software problems? Called him a ******* too many times i suppose :eek: .
 
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BigP said:
Had a check about and as I read from the Internet the SATA controller doesn't need a driver unless you are using RAID.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, granted- a lot of SATA drivers are included in SP2 but there are still a few which are not and not RAID systems.


BigP said:
I read a website which said pre-format using Win98 boot disk.
Click to expand...

I doubt that will get him anywhere as it will not allow him to format in NTFS and in this day and age, FAT and FAT32 is next to useless when it comes to security and file size etc.
 
Trigger said:
Weird, have a read of this :)
Click to expand...
I think its just a red herring (well a red smiley face anyway), just something the programmers put in for some reason. Its not graphical corruption or anything.

I can steal a floppy but its a hell of a job, a last resort really. If windows can access the disk and format it when its connected to the nf controller i can't help but assume that thats not the problem... although i'll have to try a floppy if thats the only thing left to try.
 
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