System wont boot with SATA disk

[Almighty187]

I bought a Pentium 4 system with an ABIT AI7 motherboard last week. But unfortunately it doesn't work. The problem is that my system won't boot from my hard disk, which is a Seagate SATA 160GB. I try to install windows XP pro and when the setup program reboots the system to get into the graphical part of the installation my system doesnt boot. An error message saying "A Disk Read Error has occured" comes up. It sometimes alternates with another error message "hal.dll is missing or damaged". I've flashed to the latest BIOS and also tried a different windows CD but it still hasn't helped. I've also tried every single setting in the BIOS.
The system and also Windows XP setup finds the hard disk without any problems and I can even format and partition it but I just cannot boot from it (I loaded the SATA drivers by pressing F6 in XP installation aswell).
I suspected the hard disk being defected so I installed it in my friend's computer who has an identical system to mine except that he has a MSI motherboard. The hard disk worked perfectly in his system, it booted and installed windows without any problems. I also ran a disk utility to scan the disk for errors and it was error free. So the only conclusion I can draw is that my motherboard might have a defect.
Please assist me in solving this problem.
Thank you

My System:
CPU: Pentium 4 - 3.0GHz (800FSB)
RAM: 2 X 256 MB DDR400 Corsair
Motherboard: ABIT AI7
HD: Seagate SATA 160GB
Graphics Card: Gainward GeForce FX 5900
Chassi: Antec Sonata 380W

 

[mechBgon]

Welcome to the Forums Almighty187 That will be a nice rig once you get this ironed out. Start by resetting the CMOS to ensure that you're at the starting line with no unintended settings to track down and undo.

Now have a look at the manual, starting on page 3-4, and you see them comment that "IDE3 Master" and "IDE4 Master" will only show up when the OnChip SATA is set to the "Enhanced" mode. These are your SATA headers it's talking about.

To set the OnChip SATA to "Enhanced" mode, jump to page 3-13. In the Integrated Peripherals menu, go into the OnChip IDE Device sub-menu and you'll see "OnChip Serial ATA" and that's where you set it to "Enhanced."

Now jump to page 3-7 and you see them talking about Hard Disk Boot Priority. You'll want that set to OnChip SATA.

On page 3-8, they show the item called "First Boot Device," "Second Boot Device," etc. Pick "IDE3 Master" if that's an option, or "IDE4 Master" if it ended up on that channel. If you don't see those listed and the system still insists on not booting, try "SCSI," because motherboards tend to think of almost any non-standard disk controller as "SCSI," whether they are real SCSI or, say, an add-in PCI IDE card or whatever.

Incidentally, what model of Corsair modules are yours, exactly? Sometimes the low-latency modules ask the mobo for timings that the mobo cannot actually handle very well, and in these cases an adjustment of the BIOS settings usually fixes the resulting instability. More on that tomorrow, I've got to call it a night here. :moon: Good luck there

 

[Almighty187]

I reseted the CMOS and have the exact settings you described and it still keeps giving me the "Disk Read Error" whenever it tries to boot from the HD.

I tried installing windows XP on a PATA disk and it worked perfectly. It just doesnt work with the SATA disk. All the BIOS settings are set the way you instructed.

My Corsair Modules are Value S PC3200 DDR-DIMM 512MB
Kit w/two matched Value Select 256MB

 

[ragazzo]

once you boot up into winxp setup and it prompts you to hit F6, do so. You will need the SATA driver diskette handy.

 

[Almighty187]

I did press F6 and install the SATA drivers. My system has absolutely no problems finding the hard disk, I can partition and format it in the XP setup. I just cant seem to get it to boot from the hard disk. It boots fine in another computer just not in mine.

 

[mechBgon]

Press the key at startup that allows you to see the POST screens. Is there any prompt that says something along the lines of "Press Alt + F2 to enter Intel ICH5R Setup Utility" or anything similar? If so, go in there and assign the drive as bootable. I'm sorry not to have better suggestions but I don't have this motherboard and I don't know if this is an abnormality or if I'm just on the wrong track I'll try to find you some more ideas once I get home from work. Hang in there

 

[Almighty187]

There is no "Intel ICH5R Setup Utility" and ALT-F2 brings me into the AWARDFLASH utility(which is for flashing the BIOS). What setup utility do you mean?

 

[orion7144]

Originally posted by: Almighty187
There is no "Intel ICH5R Setup Utility" and ALT-F2 brings me into the AWARDFLASH utility(which is for flashing the BIOS). What setup utility do you mean?

THere are several things you need to look at that I will list below and if they do not work go to
this site for more help.

1. You obviously can see the drive or the F6 option wouldn't have worked. Unless when you chose a drive to install you chose the PATA drive. This would cause the disk error when booting.

2. You have the AI7 and I am using the IC7-G and IS7 so things may be alittle different but in the BIOS under "Integrated Peripherals" and make sure "Onchip Serial ATA Mode" is NOT set to RAID. Also make sure to set IDE Bus Master to enabled.

3. In "Advanced BIOS Features" set Hard Disk Boot Priority to "Bootable add in device". Select "Onchip SATA" to boot from the array on the ICH5R.

4. Unplug all other PATA drives before installing.

5. As a side note if you have the USB 2.0 bracket attached to the back I would disconnect anything from them before installing XP as well.

 

[orion7144]

There are some more things that I forgot to mention.... (I just flashed my BIOS and had to go through the same thing).

Under Hard disk Boot priority make sure Bootable add in device is set to "OnChip SATA" Then you need to shange the Hard disk boot priority to make sure that "Bootable add in device" is selected first or it will not boot to SATA.