Motherboard Problem

[Nemeth]

A while ago i got a Boistar M7NCC 400 AMD 3200+ 64 bit motherboardand processor, last night i spent 2+ hrs trying to set it up, i sorta hit a problem, ive tried installing windows on, it went throught the setup, then it reboots and for some odd reason it refuses to read the HDD (western digital 160GB), we used a Seanix Win XP disk (installed but didnt work), then we used a eMachines Win XP disk (installed but didnt work either)

could it be the fact the XP disks arent just Win XP but belong to a certain comp?

[Hajo]

You probably hit it right on the head when you said it belonged to another machine.  Usually when you purchase a PC with software that includes Windows any version you usually get is an OEM version that was made for that manufacturer for that system by Microsoft. What Dell buys from Microsoft might not be bought by HP.  Each has their own configuration of systems.

You can get OEM versions of WinXP not made for any specific machine.  I did I got WinXP Pro OEM version but not for EMachines, Compac, Dell, etc.
You'll more then likely have to get a clean version of Windows to install it on that new HD.

I purchased  WinXP Pro for 139 Dollars....OEM version.  You just don't get some of the un-needed buttons, whistles, and bells.

Maybe someone with more expertise in this area will answer your Post.  But in my opinion Windows versions for those systems won't operate on your machine.

[Nemeth]

ok thnx, thought so

[Hajo]

Also......you stated that you did install Windows but the machine rebooted and did not see the HD.

Was the disk still in?  If so was it a bootable disk? Is your bios setup properly for boot devices?  Check your BIOS.

These are possibilities also.  But I'd try a clean version of windows first before I'd putz around with the BIOs.  Changing the BIOs can be lethal if you're not sure of what you are doing.

[x0847Marine]

Originally posted by Nemeth
A while ago i got a Boistar M7NCC 400 AMD 3200+ 64 bit motherboardand processor, last night i spent 2+ hrs trying to set it up, i sorta hit a problem, ive tried installing windows on, it went throught the setup, then it reboots and for some odd reason it refuses to read the HDD (western digital 160GB), we used a Seanix Win XP disk (installed but didnt work), then we used a eMachines Win XP disk (installed but didnt work either)

could it be the fact the XP disks arent just Win XP but belong to a certain comp?

If thats the case, Google "slipstream XP" to create a bootable generic XP disk... that will have every update / patch / whatever included in the 1st install.

To make sure its not a hardware issue, remove (unplug) everything except 1 stick RAM, 1 HD, Video card and a CD-ROM... then install.

Check for BIOS updates too.

[Nemeth]

Originally posted by Hajo
Also......you stated that you did install Windows but the machine rebooted and did not see the HD.

Was the disk still in?  If so was it a bootable disk? Is your bios setup properly for boot devices?  Check your BIOS.

No it seen my HD, but it doesnt load from it, and the bios is setup properly, 98% of the time the factory setings are right anyways

[Easyscor]

Sounds like you forgot to set the BIOS to boot from the HD.

[Nemeth]

nope, changed that, had it to boot from the HD then the CD drive,nothin else

[Hajo]

Hmmmmmmm   HD should be the last inline to boot from.

if you have a floppy drive boot sequence would be floppy, CD, then HD.

HD should always be last to boot from.  If something goes wrong and you have to put a disk in the PC to start and the disk is in either of those two drives it will boot from the floppy or the CD. Assuming that there is a boot disk in that drive.

It will boot from the HD after looking at the other drives in the sequence.  If the system finds no disks in the floppy, or CD drive then it will go to HD to boot.

[Nemeth]

no.... on every comp ive had i booted the HDD, then HDD2/CD then CD/DVD, i never boot from floppy, always askes me to insert bootable disk and doesnt load.

When i installed windows i had  it CD then DVD, after installation, it was set up to boot from the HDD only, and if it goes far enough to boot from CD then u can acess the BIOS

[68DevilM]

comon mistake, best thing to do is buy a clean version. i got mine at newegg, plus you have all the advertisment crap that comes with the mass produced peices of garbage that most of the majior computer manufactors are pumping out these days.

[Nemeth]

Yeh but im a cheap f***, im not afraid to admit it, ill just borrow a norm copy off a friend and use the serial from the comp im on right now, its legal, aslong as i dont use this comp anymore... but even if it is illegal... its only $145 that the multi billion dollar corp. wont b getting from me agn  

[Roscoroo]

if your using a retail pc specific version .. its loading the wrong drivers ect during the install and will never work on a diff mb/ combo .

your gonna need a stand alone OEM verson of xp .

(and thats why i hardly ever use xp )

[Nemeth]

um XP installs generic drivers that will work on any system that can support XP...

And does anyone kno if Windows 98SE will work with a 64 bit processor??

[ozrocker]

Go to Bootdisk.com  They have a lot of excellent resources for doing clean installs, amongst many other useful utilities. They also have a program that will load all of the windows "generic" sys 32 stuff that might be away around the oem garbage. And yes, 98 will work with 64 bit sys.
 Good Luck!
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