can't boot from cd-rom

**Ronin** · June 27th, 2004, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by ilovetheusers

I was just going to mention that. My old PC-Craps board does the same ting to me. You need that setting on to be able to boot from floppy even if boot from floppy is selected.

Well, well, well, the same problem happened again but with a twist this time.
Here's what I'm working with:

Same motherboard
IDE-0 connects to my hard drive(master) & dvd-rom(slave).

IDE-1 connects to new cd-rom(master) & cd-rw(slave).

All jumpers are correct and I have disconnected everything except the hard drive & cd-rom in question. Still, I am unable to boot anything from the cd-rom.
Call me crazy but I think the motherboard is just a p.o.s. I'd love to replace the motherboard with an Abit or Asus but my financial consultant, E.F. Nuttin', says no. Any ideas? Thank you.

**NooNoo** · June 27th, 2004, 02:30 PM

ok, if it will only boot from cdrom, then it is possible you have lost the boot files from the hard drive.

What windows? 9x/me, get a boot diskette and fdisk/mbr followed by sys c:

2k/xp boot from the cd - repair console, fixmbr and fix boot.

**Ronin** · June 27th, 2004, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

ok, if it will only boot from cdrom, then it is possible you have lost the boot files from the hard drive.

What windows? 9x/me, get a boot diskette and fdisk/mbr followed by sys c:

2k/xp boot from the cd - repair console, fixmbr and fix boot.

Possibly I mispoke but my problem is that I can't get the cd-rom to boot anything upon startup. The hard drive is running fine. I wonder if there's a way I could wipe out the bios and then install the latest version.

**NooNoo** · June 27th, 2004, 03:03 PM

ok the bios for the motherboard or the firmware for the cdrom? And no you didn't - long weekend here, I misread it.

**Ronin** · June 27th, 2004, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

ok the bios for the motherboard or the firmware for the cdrom? And no you didn't - long weekend here, I misread it.

I believe the problem stems from my motherboard because I've read many reports from other PC Chips M810 owners who claim their motherboards are flakey. Once Windows is loaded, that cd-rom works fine. I doubt there's a problem with the cd-rom firmware. Last time I altered the cd-rom firmware, I ruined my brand new cd-rom drive. Also, the cd-rom in question is a new Sony cd-rom from www.newegg.com and I know they're decent drives because I've built many computers with them without a single problem.

As much as I can't afford it, I'm willing to bet a replacement motherboard would cure the problem. Anyway, I appreciate the responses and I'm well aware of the long weekend scenario. Question is: weekend of too much fun or too much work. Mine's always the latter. :^(

**Ronin** · June 28th, 2004, 12:34 AM

Get a load of this. I went to start my computer and it couldn't find the hd until I set the jumper to Cable Select. Sometime ago while on vacation, the temperature dropped inside of my house and froze everything. It was so cold that my pc couldn't start. There was a power light but the drive wouldn't spin.
I'm wondering if I have a bad hd & mobo combo. If that's true then I have to wait because E.F. Nuttin' says that I'm broke.

**NooNoo** · June 28th, 2004, 04:34 AM

sounds like a logic board is misbehaving then.

**Ronin** · June 28th, 2004, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

sounds like a logic board is misbehaving then.

Time for a new motherboard?

**Ronin** · June 30th, 2004, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

sounds like a logic board is misbehaving then.

What do you make of this?

The hd wasn't detected by the mobo at all until I switched the jumper to Cable Select then back to Master.

**NooNoo** · July 1st, 2004, 05:17 AM

It could be either the hard drive or the motherboard. I have seen faulty hard drives stop a computer from posting.... as well as faulty ide ports producing apparent hdd errors. Even a bad cable between them can do it.

You have to test the hard drive in another machine. Replace the ide cable etc. Narrow it down.

**Ronin** · July 1st, 2004, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

It could be either the hard drive or the motherboard. I have seen faulty hard drives stop a computer from posting.... as well as faulty ide ports producing apparent hdd errors. Even a bad cable between them can do it.

You have to test the hard drive in another machine. Replace the ide cable etc. Narrow it down.

My computer is equipped with a removable hd tray and my other drives work fine with the newly installed round ide cable. I took my hd and tried it in my other computers and it posts fine. All I know is that I was unable to get the hd drive seen as the master until I moved the jumper to cable select then back to master. Keep in mind that this is a 5 year old PC Chips motherboard. I'm willing to bet that a new Abit motherboard would work better.

**NooNoo** · July 1st, 2004, 02:04 PM

hey if it gets another pc chips board out of circulation, I am all for it!

**Ronin** · July 4th, 2004, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

hey if it gets another pc chips board out of circulation, I am all for it!

O.k., I think I have this one solved. The hd and the motherboard need to go because posting behavior changes but not that often. I tried a different hd in this pc and it posted fine so this 5 year+ hd should probably be replaced.
In addition, I'll swap the PC Chips with a real motherboard but of course, I have to wait for available funding.

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