New build: Can't boot from CD/DVD

radiospan

I was hoping I wouldn't have to post one of these threads after building my new PC...

The specs are:
ABIT IP35 Mobo
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz
Gainward GeForce 8500GT 256MB DDR3, PCI-Express
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB SATA2
Corsair TWIN2X 6400 DDR2, 2048MB CL5 (two 1GB sticks)
Optiarc 48X DVD Drive

Everything seems to go okay in the BIOS, and my IDE DVD drive is detected, and I have it set as the first boot device.

During boot-up, it gets as far as reading the DVD drive and recognising that it is a bootable disk. After this, nothing happens. The data read light on the DVD drive stop suddenly, and the cursor keeps flashing (under Verifying DMI Pool Data...)

I've tried with no DVD in, and I get a boot disc not found type error as expected, I've also tried with a non-bootable disc, and I get the same. (So it is recognising the bootable disc, but not getting to whatever the next step is). I've tried with three different bootable discs (Vista, XP and a diagnostic boot CD I downloaded)

I've also tried a different DVD drive, same problem. I have also tryed it without the SATA HDD connected but no difference.

Anyone know what this could be? (or any ideas on other tests I could try?)

py2006

I had similar problems a couple days ago with my build. I eventually got it working. I am really not sure how, I think it decided to work by itself. I set the boot sequence in the bios. So I was able to get it working and install vista.

But now its not working again! I think it maybe a PSU problem. Did you get a psu with your new build?

radiospan

Yeah I should have said. It's a 600W Nesteq. It's a bit unusual, it has something called Easy Connector System or something like that, so it comes with all the power leads separate, so you only use the ones you need.

At what stage of the boot-up does your build stop at?

Two things I can think of trying, which I'll do later, is trying with only 1 stick of RAM, and trying to boot off a hard-drive which already has Windows installed (although I realise it would go ape with all the different hardware).

py2006

plazzTT wrote:

Yeah I should have said. It's a 600W Nesteq. It's a bit unusual, it has something called Easy Connector System or something like that, so it comes with all the power leads separate, so you only use the ones you need.

At what stage of the boot-up does your build stop at?

Two things I can think of trying, which I'll do later, is trying with only 1 stick of RAM, and trying to boot off a hard-drive which already has Windows installed (although I realise it would go ape with all the different hardware).

Well initally I was getting some sort of boot disk error. But now I can boot right into windows.

I havent heard of your psu but it has plenty of power in 700watt.

What people always suggest is stripping things down to the bare bones and start adding hardware until you find the problem.

Start it up with just the motherboard, 1 stick of ram, processor and graphics card and see what happens.

radiospan

I got this to boot from DVD, although I have no idea how.

I put another IDE hard drive on the same channel as the DVD drive, and that worked. I don't understand why this works, unless the IDE cable is dodgy.