New System Set Up Problems

githanis

Member
Jan 3, 2002
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Ok, I just bought a whole new system and got it all put together. I have had more than one problem so far, as it seems I always do when building a new system.

First I put everything together and it all worked...so it seemed....at one point when windows was just starting it went to a blue error screen and stopped. So I reboot and try again...the next time I don't get the error screen, but only because the system just shuts down...no beeping, no error lights...just shuts itself off (spooky, lol). So, I try again, this time not letting it go into the loading of windows, but instead have it go into the bios...after about 10 seconds in the bios, it shuts off again. So I pull everything apart and put it all back together again from scratch.

After starting over from scratch I run into a tottally different problem. This time my system posts, and I can go into the bios and it doesnt shut itself off (so far), but I can't try and load windows because I can't get my cd-rom to work. Here's the problem. I plug everything into the cd-rom it doesnt work. I unplug the ide cable and it lights up and will open/close...plug the ide cable back in and the light goes out and it wont open/close. I have tried two different cd-rom drives...same thing happens. I have tried three different ide cables...same thing happens. I have tried both IDE 2 and IDE 3 on the mobo, and yes...the same thing happens.

I'm about at my wits end with this new system. Any help would be appreciated. Below are my new system components.

Case: SuperAlien w/500w psu
Mobo: MSI 915P Combo-FR
Proc: Intel Pentium 4 - 540
RAM: DDR 512MB 3200 CAS 2.5 400 mhz
HardDrive: Maxtor 250 GB; PATA/133; 16mb buffer; 7200rpm
Video: ATI X700Pro 256mb PCI-E
Sound: CLabs Audigy 2 ZS
CD-Rom: Memorex 16x Dual/Double Internal DVD/RW
CD-Rom: LiteOn DVD-Rom
Speakers: Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
Monitor: Sharp 17" LCD
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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1) If you've been hot-plugging the CD-ROM's IDE cable while the system is running, stop doing that before you blow something up :p

2) If you're using the freebie power supply that came with the case, that could be the problem causing the automatic shutdowns. Cheap power supplies are an increasing problem with the demands that the latest video cards and CPUs are putting on them, combined with multiple optical and hard drives for media storage.

3) Try the optical drive's IDE cable on the IDE channel hosted by the Intel ICH6 southbridge. Your manual should show which of the three IDE connectors this is. I'd look it up except I'd need to download the manual via 56k and that takes a while. My guess is that it's the blue one that sits by itself.
 

githanis

Member
Jan 3, 2002
31
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Ok, heres what I got now.

I got the cd-roms to work by changing a setting on my bios. Under Integrated Peripherals, I changed the PCI IDE BusMaster from disabled to enabled. Once I did that they were both detected, and started working.

Now the next problem, or actually one of the original problems. When I try and load windows xp from the cd, it loads some files and then when it says "loading windows" it goes to a blue screen that says:

"A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

If this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check for viruses on your computer. Remove any newly installed hard drive controllers. Check your hard drive to make sure it is properly configured and terminated. Run chkdsk /f to check for hard drive corruption, and then restart your computer.

Technical information:

*** stop: 0x0000007B (0xF7C7A524,0xc000034,0x00000000,0x00000000)"

I have tried this with two different brand new hard drives and got the same thing with each of them.

I also noticed from viewing my mobo user guide that a part of my bios doesn't look it does in the book. Under Standard CMOS Features, the book shows how the IDE Primary Master has the hard drive, and then the IDE Third Master shows the CD-Rom. In my Bios my hard drive shows up under IDE Third Master and everything else shows Not Detected. The only place the CD-Roms show up are under the Boot Sequence. I don't know if this means anything or not.

I have my hard drive plugged into the "blue" IDE 1 spot on the mobo, one cd-rom plugged into a "yellow" IDE 2 spot, and another cd-rom plugged into another "yellow" IDE 3 spot.
 

githanis

Member
Jan 3, 2002
31
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The manual says that the hard drive(s) must go on IDE1 "blue", but it doesn't say what goes on the yellow, I guess I just assumed it was the cd-rom drives that went there. If I don't plug them into tIDE2 or IDE3 (which are both yellow), then where do they plug in? I haven't found any other spots on the board that they would plug into...
 

montag451

Diamond Member
Dec 17, 2004
4,587
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The end connectors are for the mobo and MASTER device - usually hdd.
The middle connector is for the SLAVE device - cd or hdd or whatever.

Make sure that the jumpers are set correctly on the back of the drive.
If you only have one device [hdd] on a cable, then set it to SINGLE DRIVE if there is that option