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Old Epox 8k5a3+ XP install problem

H

holabr

Member
I'm trying to recycle an old Epox 8k5a3+ MoBo into a usable basic system for a friend. I am only using the IDE channels with one dedicated to a single 120G HDD and the other to a CD Rom drive. I also have floppy drive in the system connected to the FDD controller. Nothing is connected to the HTP374 chipset supported channels. I am trying to install XP on this system from a CD. When I boot the system after several minutes the BIOS screen appears and lists the HDD on IDE1 Master and the CD Rom on IDE2 Slave. It then takes take what seems like several more minutes to start booting the XP Setup in the CD Rom drive. (I have it set in the BIOS as first boot drive) I then get a single line that says Windows is examining the system hardware configuration. Again after several minutes the blue Windows setup screen appears and asks if I want to install, repair or exit. I select install and the setup starts loading all the drivers. Finally when that is all finished Windows informs me that it can't find a HDD to install the operating system on.

What is wrong? The BIOS sees the drive but Windows can't. What can I do to fix the problem? Could the MoBo or CPU be bad?
 
Set the CDROM on IDE2 to Master since its buy itself on its own channel and see if that makes a difference.

Or if its set to cable select then change the end of the cable connector to the master end.
 
I changed the jumper on the CD Rom drive to Master and it now shows as IDE2 Master in the Bios, but XP setup still does not see the HDD. I also ran the Western Digital diagnostics from the CD. Although it seemed to take a very long time to boot up the diagnostics, once they were loaded the HDD was found and both the quick test and the extended test found no problems. If there was a memory or CPU problem, would the Bios POST test flag them? Do you have any other suggestions?
 
Based on feedback from the Operating system forum, I'm suspecting the MoBo is having a problem. Is it worth trying to salvage anthing from the old system? i.e. power supply, memory, tower etc. Will the old PS (Antec True430) work with the newer MoBos?
 
holabr said:
Based on feedback from the Operating system forum, I'm suspecting the MoBo is having a problem. Is it worth trying to salvage anthing from the old system? i.e. power supply, memory, tower etc. Will the old PS (Antec True430) work with the newer MoBos?
Click to expand...
The first thing I would check is the caps on that board. Epox had a problem with them back then.
 
try swapping out ide cables. Maybe try putting the HDD/CD on the same Cable then try different ports. Try a different HDD if you got one. Maybe you gotta low level format it?

Sounds like the HDD is acting up to me or not set right Set the HDD to master and CD to slave then try the first IDE port if that doesn't work try the second one, then swap out the cable. Get rid of the floppy if you don't need it remove the cable and power.

Other then that you could also try swapping the power cable with another one on HDD. Just keep swapping stuff out till it works ... If it's not the cables or the power supply then it's probably the HDD itself. If it's not that then it's the IDE port on the MB, Maybe reset the BIOS on the MB.

Good Luck!
 
format the hard drive on another computer and then install it on the epox board..ive run into this several times over the years..this has always worked for me when windows dosent see the drive...
 
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