Selfbuld nightmare!

8kvscdpglqnyr4

I managed to successfully build my first PC (HTPC) and install Vista on it with no problems. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.

I had it running perfectly for one day when the trouble started. For some reason, the DVD drive and Hard disk have become unreliable! Both are connected via SATA. At boot up, sometimes the BIOS recognises the DVD drive and Hard disk, other times it doesn't. Also, when it does recognise them, it might fail to read them properly.

Here are the steps I have taken so far to try figure out what's the underlying problem.

1. Windows Vista install DVD in the DVD drive and boot. "Fails to load BOOTMGR". I gave up on Windows it gives me zero visibility into what was causing the problem.
2. Knoppix (live Linux CD) in the DVD drive with and without hard disk connected. Each boot is different in this scenario - sometime it fails to verify the kernel because of CRC errors, other times it manages to load the kernel but fails further along the boot process ... kernel panics, etc ... (different each time I boot!).
3. Got an IDE hard drive from another computer with XP and Ubuntu on it (dual lboot) and stuck it in with no other drive connected. I tried to boot Ubuntu in debug mode so I could see the kernel message to the screen. Again, it wasn't the same each time I booted. Sometimes it go further that others but at no time did it boot successfully.

Has anybody seen anything like this before? Any ideas where I can look next?

This evening I'm going to put the SATA DVD drive and SATA Hard Disk into another PC and verify they are both OK.

uberpixie

check the bios settings.

What mode are your SATA devices set to?

8kvscdpglqnyr4

uberpixie wrote: »

check the bios settings.

What mode are your SATA devices set to?

I've checked the BIOS settings and all is fine. I might take everything apart again and rebuild and see if it makes a difference.

blackgold>>

Would be handy if we knew your chipset etc and all the hardware your using.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

blackgold>> wrote: »

Would be handy if we knew your chipset etc and all the hardware your using.

Sorry, I should have specified.
Full list here:
http://www.komplett.ie/k/shoplist.aspx?mode=receive&si=583997&su=32C590FF-3136-4089-AA5B-383DC5EA7BD1

blackgold>>

Is this your first time building?
I noticed your memory isn't on the motherboard support list but thats hardly the problem.
One thing I would try is reinstall your chipset drivers again.
Set your bios to defaults again aswell.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

blackgold>> wrote: »

Is this your first time building?
I noticed your memory isn't on the motherboard support list but thats hardly the problem.
One thing I would try is reinstall your chipset drivers again.
Set your bios to defaults again aswell.

This is my first build and up until last night, I thought it pretty easy! How wrong I was.

How do install the chipset drivers again?

blackgold>>

Feels good to build your own doesn't it
You should have got a dvd with your motherboard.
Ya it's fairly easy to build them ,the only thing is picking the correct parts .

8kvscdpglqnyr4

blackgold>> wrote: »

Feels good to build your own doesn't it

It felt great initially when everything was working and Vista booted for the first time.
But when things stopped working and now I'm struggling it doesn't feel so good.
Thanks for all your help by the way - much appreciated:)

blackgold>> wrote: »

You should have got a dvd with your motherboard.

I got a DVD with my mother board, but I can't boot into windows to install any drivers.

blackgold>>

Ok since you didn't install the drivers for your motherboard chipset then that seems to be the problem
Ok what happens when you start the computer?
Have you set your hard disk as the first boot device?

Just a rule you should follow when doing this the next time .
First install windows
then install service packs , security updates
then install your motherboard chipset drivers from the dvd.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

blackgold>> wrote: »

Have you set your hard disk as the first boot device?

Yes.
I can hit F12 while the BIOS is loading and chose another boot device (e.g. the DVD)

blackgold>> wrote: »

Just a rule you should follow when doing this the next time .

Next time!!! Never again.

blackgold>> wrote: »

First install windows
then install service packs , security updates
then install your motherboard chipset drivers from the dvd.

That's exactly the steps I followed. After initially installing Vista I applied all the patches. Then I stuck in the DVD that came with the mobo and installed an ATI driver, a driver for my NIC and some more that I can't remember.

blackgold>> wrote: »

Ok what happens when you start the computer?

The BIOS loads and sometimes it recognises the SATA DVD/Hard drives, other times it doesn't, sometimes it only recognises 1 of them. If I have the IDE hard drive in there, it always recognises it.

It will NEVER boot to an OS.

As I said, I have tried a live Knoppix CD and no joy.
I have tried the Vista install DVD and no joy.
I tried XP install CD and no joy.

And it's slightly different each time I try. Is there any more info I can give that might point me in a direction to debug further. I'm running out of ideas!

blackgold>>

I thought it was the way you forgot to install the motherboard drivers. haha

blackgold>>

Ok i found some info in the manual.
Reset your bios and try boot with one sata hard drive in.
It should ask you to run it in ide mode or ahci mode.
Choose no
Oh and as far as I know ahci is not enabled by default on vista.
So try running your sata drives in ide mode and see what happens it's no different really.
Try that.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

blackgold>> wrote: »

Ok i found some info in the manual.
Reset your bios and try boot with one sata hard drive in.
It should ask you to run it in ide mode or ahci mode.
Choose no
Oh and as far as I know ahci is not enabled by default on vista.
So try running your sata drives in ide mode and see what happens it's no different really.
Try that.

Thanks for that. I'll give that a try tonight and let you know how I go.

I remember being asked initially to chose between IDE mode or AHCI mode. I chose IDE mode.

blackgold>>

Atleast you know you did ide give ahci a shot.To be honest it's always hit and miss trying to help on the net.
Have you searched other sites and things about it much? Nothing worse having a new computer acting up.
Your windows install is grand anyway i'd say all that is preboot stuff thats happening.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

blackgold>> wrote: »

Atleast you know you did ide give ahci a shot.To be honest it's always hit and miss trying to help on the net.
Have you searched other sites and things about it much? Nothing worse having a new computer acting up.
Your windows install is grand anyway i'd say all that is preboot stuff thats happening.

I've also posted on http://www.tomshardware.co.uk
No real interest from posters there though.

I'm not worried about the windows install. I only have the pc running for a day so I had nothing on it. If I have to wipe the hard drive I don't mind.

One thing I should mention, is that when the SATA drive with Vista on it is connected and when the BIOS recognises the hard drive it will attempt to boot Vista ... but it gets stuck on the green timer box forever or complains that a file on the disk is corrupt.
Also, when I put the Knoppix CD in I have much more visibility so I can actually see what's happening during a linux boot. The Knoppix Linux boot sometimes fails to unzip the kernel with CRC errors. Sometimes it gets past that but failed loading some other module. It never makes it as far as login.
Ubuntu on the IDE drive is similar.

It feels to me like data on the IDE/SATA bus is prone to being corrupted and that corruption doesn't alway happen at the same time. Sometimes it happens during BIOS load when the BIOS is trying to recognise what's hanging off the SATA/IDE buses, other times the corruption doesn't happen there but further along the boot process.

blackgold>>

It's obviously nothing to do with vista or unbuntu so really all is happening to early on.
Have you tried other sata cables?

8kvscdpglqnyr4

blackgold>> wrote: »

It's obviously nothing to do with vista or unbuntu so really all is happening to early on.
Have you tried other sata cables?

I haven't tried other SATA cables. I've tried an IDE hard disk and it didn't work so I think that might rule out the STAT cables being a problem. What do you think?

gamer

SEE what memory type is recommended for that mobo, buy 1 stick ,512 or 1gig.place in slot 0 ,remove all other memory stick, i think that memory is,nt fully compatible with that mobo,try removing second memory stick 1st,see if that works, a pc will boot on 256meg ram.
MAKE sure in bios ,all drives o to 4 are set to SATA, set sata to auto, sata enabled.ARE you sure you loaded the sata drivers for the motherboard?IS boot order hardrive drive o,then drive 1 second hardrive.IF YOU HAD an old ide hd you could install xp,or vista on it, no drivers needed 4 ide drives.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

Thanks blackgold and gamer for your suggestions.

I didn't have much time last night but here's what I tried.

1. I took the SATA hard drive from self build PC and put it into my Dell - worked no problem.
2. I took the SATA DVD drive from self build PC and put it into my Dell - worked no problem.
3. Took 1GB RAM out of my Dell and put it into the self build and sill the exact same problems as described earlier (took the A-DATA RAM out of the selfbuild). The BIOS even printed a message saying it had recognised new RAM.

Do you guys think it could be a problem with the motherboard?

8kvscdpglqnyr4

gamer wrote: »

ARE you sure you loaded the sata drivers for the motherboard?

Yes. But that doesn't really matter now as I can't boot into windows!

gamer wrote: »

IF YOU HAD an old ide hd you could install xp,or vista on it, no drivers needed 4 ide drives.

I already mentioned that earlier in the thread - sorry if it wasn't clear. I have an IDE hard drive with XP and Ubuntu on it. If I disconnect both SATA drives and connect the IDE hard drive and boot the PC, it successfully loads GRUB from the MBR of the IDE drive. I can then chose XP or Ubuntu. If I chose Ubuntu in debug mode, it will attempt to load the OS but always fails and fails at a different point each time - I can see the kernel messages in debug mode. XP starts the boot process but never finishes.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

One other thing I forgot to mention previously. I managed to do one other thing last night and that was a memtest from the Knoppix live CD and it passed.

spannerotoole

Abit tend to Hi-brid boards when it comes to SATA, this is not a good thing.
Are you running more than one hard drive, Do you use a Raid, Have you tried another SATA Port on the MOBO. How many IDE Cables did you try, Can you boot from a USB Knoppix to see if it detects your system specs (run lspci to find all this out from xterm)

Bios Settings are very rarely the issue in cases like this, If it is a BIOS Problem, and I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it, Have you tried replacing the BIOS Battery?

poggy

it could possible be a power issue what psu do you have?

8kvscdpglqnyr4

spannerotoole wrote: »

Are you running more than one hard drive

No

Do you use a Raid

No

Have you tried another SATA Port on the MOBO

Yes - same problem on all.

How many IDE Cables did you try

2 - both failed.

Can you boot from a USB Knoppix to see if it detects your system specs (run lspci to find all this out from xterm)

Didn't try this - might give it a try.

Bios Settings are very rarely the issue in cases like this, If it is a BIOS Problem, and I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it, Have you tried replacing the BIOS Battery?

I tried resetting the BIOS but this didn't work either.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

poggy wrote: »

it could possible be a power issue what psu do you have?

I have a 430W power supply that came with the Antec Fusion 430 case. Somehow I doubt that's the problem as it's driving very little. Graphics is on mobo, no sound yet.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread.

I finally got to the bottom of the problem. It was a dodgy mobo. I ordered a replacement from komplett and worked fine dtraight out of the box. No problems at all. The new HTPC is now sitting under my new 40 inch HDTV.

spannerotoole

So your MOBO was Fuxxored, Glad to hear you got it all up and running