New system and SATA problem

M

MIchaelM

Weaksauce
Joined
Dec 15, 2003
Messages
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I just put together my new athlon64 system with the MSI K8T MB and set up the cmos so it reads the SATA. In fact, the promise driver at startup sees it. I also have a cdrom and dvdrom hooked up using the PATA. Now, when I put the windows xp disk in the cd drive it runs until it wants to know where to install the OS. BUT, it shows no HD! If I just push enter I get a blue screen of death.

PLEASE HELP!

I also reset the cmos too. In fact a couple of times the system just froze up and I had to physically unplug it . Reset didn't work.


hellllp.
 
When you run the XP setup disk watch it when it first starts.

It should say press F6 to install 3rd party RAID or SCSI device at one point. Press F6 and throw the promise raid driver floppy in when it asks for the driver.
 
I've got the files on a floppy now, but when I hit f6, then s, it asks to insert disk into A drive. I do this, but the A drive doesn't spin! I've tried a combination of things and files on the disk, but it never seems to access it. Also, in the BIOS is see that it sees the floppy as A drive. In fact I've even switched out the floppy with another I know works. Still no spin. What gives!
 
Never mind. Figured out the problem. The fricken floppy cable was flipped. I thought these only fit one way! Doh!
 
ahhh

yea, some of the newer models have it so the cable can only fit in one way with the notch in the connector.

most are still plug and pray and see if the light stays on or not =P
 
Now I have new problems. THe system locks up every once in a while. I'm trying to install XP service pack 1 and get constant lock ups. In fact the last one was so bad the system just started booting over and over again, never able to get to windows. I wonder if its the twin 512 corsair Low Latency Ram dimms I'm running. I took one out to see if it would make a difference.

Also, I notice the board, an MSI K8T Neo sees the 3200 ram as 333mhz. If I adjust the bios to be 400, it locks up immediately. At the Auto setting it keeps it at 333. Have to call Monarch where I ordered the system to see whats up with that. Any ideas anyone?
 
It seems to be the Ram. i took out one of the 512 dimms and it seems stable (so far). Guess it doesn't like the 2x512 Corsair LL. Someone said to try it in diffenent slots. I'll give that a go I guess.
 
Update the bios, I hear the new MSI bios for that mobo is a lot better than the one it shipped with
 
run a memtest on the stick you took out, or see if with that other stick it will boot into windows and run alright.

Could be just 1 bad stick of ram.
 
someone I know mentioned I need to change the voltage on the Ram. It's Corsair XMS3200 Low Latency 2x512. Anyone know what I should set it at?
 
default is prolly 2.6v try setting it at 2.7

Shouldnt really be any problems as long as they have heat spreaders.
 
Yeah, even though heat spreaders don't do anything, and 2.7 volts is wimpy. I run my Hyper X at 3 volts constantly, and others running all sorts of ram at even higher, namely BH5 stuff.


I do agree that you should try 2.7v, absolutely no reason not to, especially to eliminate that variable.
 
I dunno. Personally, if a brand new system doesn't work right, I'd run tests before bumping voltage.
google memtest. It works.

Are there any other accessories plugged into the system? sound card, NIC, etc?

Start up with minimal, one stick of RAM, Vid card, CPU. See what happens.
 
I bumped the voltage up to 2.65 and it seems to work now, I also moved the dimms to the slots closest to the CPU. Ran memtest overnight (24 times) and it worked ok. Ran a benchmarks this morning and no probs. I'm doing the "torture test" program (somthing95, I can't remember) while I'm at work.

By bumping up the voltage even more is that overclocking? What difference does it make if it works at 2.65?
 
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