• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

HEEEELLLLPPP!!!!

Rado45

Member
Hi, I'm in desperate need of help...

I'm setting up my first computer,
specs :
AMD Athlon Tbird 900mhz (not overclocked)
2x 128mb PC133
Asus A7v w/o sound with dipswitches and ATA100 (promise)
Sony G400 monitor
CL geforce2gts
CL PCI128 soundblaster
300watt case
LG 52x CDROM
IBM 75gxp 46gb ATA100

It's this last one which is causing trouble (HD). I have just put everything together and everytime I boot up, after all the detecting I get
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

I does detect them (CDROM and HD) and I can access the CDROM (when I put a in boot diskette and win98 CD) I go to the setup screen of win98 (2 choices : start win98 from Cd or HD, it hangs when I choose HD...). I can go a bit further in the next menu choices but most of them lead to crashes.

This is the first time that I set up a computer myself so I'm probably doing something wrong. Please tell me how to set up my IDE (master or slave for HD? in manual it recommends slave) and jumpers on the HD and CDROM.

anyone with preverably the same motherboard and also an ata100 HD (or someone else who knows a lot about this kind of stuff) :
PLEEEEEAAAAAASE HELP ME !!!!
 
I assume you have the HD hooked to your promise card. Have you tried setting the boot sequence in the BIOS to SCSI first? (or ATA66, sometimes it has that option).

If that dont work try taking out the promise card for now and hook the HD up to the motherboard's controller.

Good luck,
-Durron
 
the problem is that I can't get my HD to work whatsoever. If I hook it up to either the integrated ATA100 or the other regular one (I assume ATA66) it still doesn't do anything, still the same error message, does anyone know what settings I should use (I know there are a lot of people with IBM 75gxp and Asus A7v out there)? All help much obliged.
 
Oh... when you have bought brand new hard drive, you first have to make partition(s) on it, set first one active, format it and then you can make it bootable and install OS. Best bet is to make bootable floppy and copy format.com, fdisk.exe and sys.com on it (thought you need another working machine for that operation... )
 
yeah I know but I can't even acces it! All i can do is insert the boot disk I got with the new CDROM (MSCDEX and Msdos extensions) and insert win98CD. Then it goes to windows setup, and I can get out of it, and then I go to A: prompt. This is the CDROM, not the disk drive (I typed dir and I got the files from the Win98 CD)!
HELP!
 
What do you mean by "can't even acces it" ? Does f-disk shows no disk drives ? Try to boot without CD-ROM and Windows setup-crap (hitting F8 during the boot might help). Then run f-disk...
 
well I am a bit new at this but tell me, what is supposed to happen when you start up your computer? I thought after the post and bios blah it goes to c: prompt, but in my case if I don't insert any bootdisk with a CD and an OS on it, I get that error that I described.
 
When you start up a system with a brand new hard drive, you must boot with a floppy first. Then run fdisk to partition your drives. After a reboot, you will need to format each partition. Finally, you need run setup to install an operating system.

~Ladi
 
Okay thanks, but I think something is wrong then : when I start up the computer it first detects the primary slave and master and then the secondary slave and master. AFTER that it detects the ata100 devices, and I get on the screen my HDD and CDrom detected. After that, I get the error message, even when I put in that MSCdex with MSdos extensions floppydisk and nothing in the CDrom-drive. Why am I getting the error (what does it mean btw).
 
Okay..I just did this last night..same thing as you...put your system boot disk in the floppy drive. Boot up WITHOUT CD support. When you get the "A" prompt type fdisk and make a DOS partition (which is the default)just hit enter a couple of times when it ask you the questions. When you have set up your partition reboot again WITHOUT CD support. At the "A" prompt type "format c:/s" without the quotes and follow on screen directions. When format is done reboot WITH CD support and then go to your cd and start your OS up...

Hope this answers your ???'s
 
thanks for all the help but I cant even get to the floppydrive !!!

Oh yeah, with boot disk do you mean the disk that I got with the CDrom player (it says "MS-DOS CD-ROM EXTENSIONS WITH DEVICE DRIVER) ?
 
yeah..that disk should do...if you can't get your floppy to boot up....you do have a problem..try this..reverse the ide cable on the floppy...I have many times had the cable on backwards with the FDD...
 
Radio I don't know if this is the cause of your problem but you should hook up your CD-Rom On your ATA-66 connector not your ATA-100 connector with your hard drive. Also you have to turn on the ATA-100 support for the hard drive with a utility downloadable from IBM.

I have the same drive and mother combo you do here is what I did. Hooked up hard drive as master on primary side of ATA-66 controller. CD-Rom master secondary controller. Then follow stockjock's directions for setting up the drive. After it is up and running and make sure you install the promise drivers from the Asus CD. Use the IBM utilities to turn on the ATA-100 for the drive itself. Shut down windows and switch the hard drive to the primary controller of the ATA-100 port on the board.

I read on another thread that non ATA-100 drives should not be put on the ATA-100 controller

I hope this works for ya.
 
thanks for the help!

I now think that the problem is with the floppy drive and not the HDD. I have another floppy drive from my old computer so I'm gonna try that.

Also : I noticed that on the back of the HDD and the CDrom drive there are jumpers to set it up as a master or slave and some other stuff. I tried changing them once and my 46gb IBM 75gxp changed into a 30gb 😕 ...

I just saw that I wasn't allowed to connect the ATA100 with the CDROM drive, I already changed that. I'm gonna try to put the HDD also on ATA66 like you said, but I already tried that and the problem persisted.

Basically, my hopes are on that floppy drive that I'm gonna switch now.
 
did you try turning the cable around on the FDD yet...like I said ..I've had that cable on the wrong way before...one way to tell if you have it on the wrong way is that the FDD lite will stay on...
 
again, thanks, all of you.

Well good news! I put out the old Floppy, hooked it up, put all of the ATA66 settings (CDROM sec master and HDD prim master) and the floppy works (maybe this time I put the cable on right and with the other one I didn't, I'll try that later).


BUT : of course I am to be tormented further by the message : INVALID SYSTEM DISK, REPLACE DISK AND PRESS ENTER.

wee... I thought that boot disk was OK (I described it in an earlier post), well I'll try to find my old boot disk, maybe that'll work

maybe...


Again thanks a bundle guys!
 
make yourself one of those emergency startup disk ..if you don't know how..goto control panel, install remove programs, startup tab...I think thats what its called. then hit make a startup disk...
I wish I could be a little more precise..but I'm at my office and we use NT..and its a little different..
 
Okay next update :

I'm almost there, the old boot disk of my 4year old gateway worked, it goes to MSdos setup and from there I can exit and I have acces to the floppydisk and CDROM drive.

But again there is a but : I can't format the HDD. I typed at the A: prompt "format c:/s" but it says "INVALID DRIVE SPECIFICATION"

I don't have a clue how to fix this though.

Oh yeah : you were right stockjock, I needed to switch the cable
I feel horribly embarassed...😱

thanks again everyone (and please continue to help me 🙂)
 
Back
Top