Mikola

Hi, I finally decided to get a new computer after 4-5 years of using a bad HP pre-built so I decided to order parts and build it myself. Bear in mind that I know nothing about the actual setup of a fresh computer.

Specs:
Asus P5N32-SLI Premium http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813131071
Intel Core 2 Duo e6400 http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819115004
DVD Drive is a Samsung SD-616
HDD is a 200gb Western Digital (ex-slave drive to my old computer, I wiped it to use as the master drive)
The DVD and HDD are from my old computer, so they work, I know that.


The problem is that when I go to boot the computer up, I can access the BIOS and change settings in there. The only things I have changed are the boot order. But that's as far as the computer will boot basically. I have arranged the drives on the IDE cable as HDD master with ODD slave, I have done the vice versa of ODD master with HDD slave.

I have even purchased an I/O Flex Ultra ATA/133 PCI Raid Controller(Model: IOFLEX-PIR133) to use when I fully transfer from old computer to this new one because my ODDs and HDDs are IDE connected while the motherboard only has one connector(for the HDDs). I mention this because when I first tried to boot the computer to install the OS and such, I had my HDD on the PCI Raid controller and the ODD on the IDE controller on the motherboard. That didn't work, so I changed them and put the HDD on the IDE controller and the ODD on the PCI Raid controller. That didn't work either.

I don't know which settup got me the furthest, but I have gotten errors such as "NTLDR is missing" which is because where is no OS. I have gotten "Disk Boot Error: Please use a boot disk" or whatever it said, but when I put the XP Installer DVD into the DVD drive, it would not read. And then my most prevelant problem is just a black screen with the cursor blinking in the top left corner.

All of these errors are after the initial screen when you start the computer and the BIOS boots and offers you to enter the setup. I can't get any farther than that.


[Edit]
My friend who was trying to help me earlier tonight over the internet(it's much harder not being able to see the hardware in this situation, right?) was asking me if there were any beeps and I told them that the only beep was right before the cpu fan turns on. and I just looked in the BIOS alarm beep sticky thread and according to it(the BIOS is a Phoenix build, completely unupdated though because I can't even get past that) that one beep means that everything is normal and fine. So my only guess is something is seriously wrong.

Deleted090308

Hi and welcome to TSF,
What graphics card and PSU do you have? Also - it may be a good idea to do a "bench test", following these instructions (thanks to mattlock138):


A) Place the motherboard on top of the motherboard box with nothing under it but the box >>> anti static bags are only anti static on the INSIDE not outside

B) install the cpu, thermal grease, heat sink & fan plug in the cpu fan wires

C) plug the psu power connectors to the motherboard (should be a 24pin connector and a four pin 12volt cpu power plug needed aslo

D) install one stick of ram (check mobo manual for the proper slot to use with a one stick configuration)

E) install the video card >>> you may have to hang the motherboard over the edge of the mobo box to allow the cards riser to extend beyond the bottom of the mobo >>> this is why I love the mobo box trick

F) connect video card to the monitor

G) connect keyboard and mouse to the motherboard

H) hold the motherboard up to eye level and examine the cpu and heat sink carefully >>> makes sure the heat sink is not bearing any pressure on any of the mobo "guts" several weeks ago I was servicing a sytem, the user installed a cpu cooler that squashed the snot out of a capacitor, all he had to do was rotate the heat sink 180 degrees and this would not have happened >>> it was an offset style heatsink >>>>> the mobo at eye level helps alot !

I) on another note >>> before plugging in the PSU connectors into the mobo connectors >>> check to be sure there are no tiny pcs of plastic shavings in the two mobo plugs 24 pin and 4 pin cpu plug !

J) you can use either a precision screw driver (small blade) place the case real close to the mobo bench build and use the case switch connected to the motherboard jumper for the PWR switch on the mobo

fire that baby up >>>> at this point we are only looking for a bios screen >>> if the cpu fan spins and stays spinning and you get a bios screen then you are ready for step #2

Step 2 / shut down and install rest of your memory only

Step 3 / connect a hard drive outside the case also >>>> install OS

if all is cool >>>>> put it together in the case >>>> here is where things get clumpy >>>> less room for your hands; so your bound to wiggle something loose and not get the smoothest of sailing on your first fire up inside the case >>>> but you KNOW all components work! you proven that outside the case >>>> you at that point just double check all connections and jumpers.


Nicholas

speedster123

http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archi...ey-to-restart/

Check the ide cables, replace them if their ancient.
Recheck the daisy chain configuration
Boot with the minimal hardware installed, dont gum up the works with add ons
Boot to a 98 floppy boot disk

Mikola

Hi and thanks Eneles.

my graphics card is a BFG 8800 GTS OC and the PSU is a Raidmax RX-500 ATX12V Power, it came with my case.

so far that box trick has worked. I dont know why, I dont care, but it's allowed the OS to boot off of the disk. just my luck though that the only XP disk I have is an upgrade -.-;; gotta hound my friends when they wake up for an installer, hope one of them has one.

thank you so much again Eneles.

and thank you speedster for the comment. I was only saying that the NTLDR error was coming up among the other errors I got to help possibly find a problem to the solution, I knew that NTLDR was due to no OS being installed.

Deleted090308

I think you're underpowered. Run Power supply calculator (in my sig). Add 30% to the result.

Mikola

I just used the PSU calculator. I put in all the things I was planning on using and it gave me a 366w recommended(with no capacitor aging) and when I set the capacitor aging to 30% it gave me 476w. I'm not sure if I was doing something wrong, pretty sure I put everything in correctly, but that is what it gave me.

speedster123

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...tx_g80/18.html
No, with that card, you should have at least the antec 650 trio power supply.

Falconoffury

It is possible to install windows xp using an upgrade cd. Boot to a boot floppy disk with cd-rom drivers. Put the upgrade cd in. Run d:\i386\winnt.exe where "d:" is whatever cd drive letter you have.

Mikola

I suppose I can understand if my card was the 8800 GTX, but I'm running the 8800 GTS. Now if you mean that the GTS also runs at higher wattage(which the article didn't state specifically, only the GTX) then I can understand what you're trying to say about needing a better PSU.

[Edit] sorry if that sounded rude or anything. I understand that you guys are trying to help and all. I'm just annoyed at how much more difficult this is turning out than it should have been originally.

Deleted090308

PSU's that come with the case are usually very inefficient and do not have enough Amperes on the 12V rail. When you "bench tested" the hardware - did you run it with 1 HDD? If so - you have to take a look at the drive configuration again.

Mikola

yes, during the bench test I attached the hdd(to slave) and dvd-rom(to master), set boot priorities to floppy > cd > hdd in the bios and I was able to boot the OS off of the disk. thank you for the help eneles. I just need a full version to install the OS now that I know that the system will boot past the bios screen(which was the original problem).

Deleted090308

I've never done this - why don't you have a try, Mikola. If you don't have a boot disk you can download it here.