Screamin' new Machine, Same Old Problem!

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

New machine: AMD Phenom 9500 processor ASus M3A Board. Two GB memory. Moved the hard drive (SATA 250GB) from my old machine. I formated C: and D: (it also has E: and F Smile

and am trying to put XP on the C: partition. XP reformats the partition and copies files to it. It then says Windows will start in 14 seconds and reboots. Then it starts again with the reformat and copying files. I've done this about twelve times.

Anyone know whats going on?

drc

goretsky

Hello,

Out of curiosity, is the SATA controller set to compatibility mode in the BIOS and are you installing the device drivers for the SATA interface during the installation process?

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6325

I've had that happen before. I think it when the XP install gets to the point where it's ready to start installing all those files and will restart. Then you get a message to press any key, etc. So you do. And it loops to the beginning.

This link has a nice install instruction, complete with pictures. Scroll down a bit to get to:

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

Aryeh,
There is an OnChip SATA channel choice in the bios. It is set to enabled.
There is also a OnChip SATA type which is only there if you choose enabled to the OnChip channel. It gives choices of IDE, Raid and AHCI. It's set to IDE. I have tried installing the drivers from floppy disk and not installing. Same result.

Momma Bear,
That is a very useful reference. Thank you. Unfortunately when I get to the point where it says press any key I have tried it both ways and it still starts the process all over again when the computer restarts.

drc

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 2238 Location: Central FL, USA

I don't remember just off hand the version of Windows, but after the installer has copied files from the CD, it reboots to finish the install from what's already on the HD. If you don't remove the CD, it will reboot from it and start the whole process over again.

SO.....when it does that first reboot, snatch the CD out of the drive and let it boot from the HD. It may want to see that CD again, but NOT during the reboot.

Well, that's been my own experience anyway.
I feel so stupid when I get that reboot from the CD, because I know better.

Good Luck,
Doc

alphanumeric · Joined: Jun 02, 2004 Posts: 651

Is that hard drive listed as one of the devices in the BIOS boot order? What I mean is, is it listed as the next boot device after your CD drive? You may want to go in and change the boot order putting that drive first and see if the PC can then boot off of it.

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

Alpha.
Boot order is floppy>CD > SATA.

Doc,
That was Momma Bear's advice also. I'll try it today.

drc

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

Having tried all your kind suggestions I am still without a solution. I have reformatted the drive , but even then it tells me there is another operating system on the drive and that it is not recommended to add Windows to this partition. I have received various results from "missing operating system" to just going back to the beginning of the process after files have been copied.

Asus' manual is quite cryptic. It has this to say about the "OnChip SATA type" (IDE, Raid, AHCI). No comment about what those choices consist of.

This is the second Asus board I have had this same problem with. I guess this time I will learn.

drc

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

YeeeeeHaaaaa! Got it! I finally got tired of it's telling me that there was an operating system on the partition and let it delete the partition and reformat it. It apparently didn't like the format that Universal Boot disk put on it.

So after formatting it itself (Windows) the operating system went right on. No need to pop the CD out or anything.

Thanks again for your posts!

drc

rovingcowboy · Joined: Jan 26, 2003 Posts: 1515

sounds like the ubcd was trying to control the format and leave something there to retreive if needed, but windows wants to control everything so it did not like being second in command. Rolling Eyes