Can't Install OS

[C Dub]

Hi guys,

I'm pullying my hair out on this one. Finally built my new rig (specs in sig), and when I try to install an operating system on it, it fails miserably.

I am NOT overclocking. According to the hardware monitor in the bios, my cpu is sitting at around 34 degrees, which is within perfectly normal limits (especially given the really high room temperature due to me not having A/C in the california summer).

If I try to install Windows Vista, it first "loads" some stuff in the very first screen of the setup process, and then the Windows Vista logo screen is supposed to "fade in." The system locks up on the first frame of this fade, and I can very faintly see the progress bar as it tried to display.

So if I try to install XP, it lists my hard drives, and when I choose one to install to, it gives me an error saying there are no Windows XP compatible partitions on the drive. I go back and create a partition, select it, and it gives me the same error.

Thinking I might just be missing drivers, I copied the JMicron RAID drivers to a floppy and F6'ed on WinXP setup. This time it worked and copied all the system files, but when it rebooted I got "NTLDR is missing."

Oh yeah, Memtest86+ runs for 3+ hours without any errors.

Any ideas?

 

[Raduque]

Try an IDE drive?

 

[C Dub]

I'm out of IDE ports, and PCI slots to add a controller.

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: C Dub
Hi guys,

I'm pullying my hair out on this one. Finally built my new rig (specs in sig), and when I try to install an operating system on it, it fails miserably.

I am NOT overclocking. According to the hardware monitor in the bios, my cpu is sitting at around 34 degrees, which is within perfectly normal limits (especially given the really high room temperature due to me not having A/C in the california summer).

If I try to install Windows Vista, it first "loads" some stuff in the very first screen of the setup process, and then the Windows Vista logo screen is supposed to "fade in." The system locks up on the first frame of this fade, and I can very faintly see the progress bar as it tried to display.

So if I try to install XP, it lists my hard drives, and when I choose one to install to, it gives me an error saying there are no Windows XP compatible partitions on the drive. I go back and create a partition, select it, and it gives me the same error.

Thinking I might just be missing drivers, I copied the JMicron RAID drivers to a floppy and F6'ed on WinXP setup. This time it worked and copied all the system files, but when it rebooted I got "NTLDR is missing."

Oh yeah, Memtest86+ runs for 3+ hours without any errors.

Any ideas?

Silly question, but did you leave the driver floppy in the drive when you rebooted after starting the Windows XP setup? That "NTLDR is missing" error usually comes from booting a floppy disk formatted in XP that is missing the kernel files.

 

[SuperSix]

Whay are you using Jmicron drivers? Why not the Chipset SATA drivers?

 

[savvy]

Update BIOS to beta?

 

[C Dub]

I gave up. I believe my board was defective (or had some incompatibility). It froze at a DOS prompt FFS. I went out and got a Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 and am having no troubles now.

 

[Blain]

Your MB is not defective. I get the "NTLDR is missing" message from my Raptor drive after it's been disconnected for a time.
Your issue is HD or HD>BIOS related. It's an easy fix once you learn what is acting up with your settings.
It's frustrating I know. But try changing some of the SATA/IDE settings in your BIOS or double check your HD connections.