I think its motherboard problems

[Hoodwinked]

Hi all first off im using windows xp home edition ..

ive been browsing the site for a few clues as to what my problem might be and it might be a motherboard problem ..heres whats matter

 

Ive got a pc that was working but had never been formatted ..hardly any space left on hd etc so thought id format it.

 

I have a couple of 80g harddrives and its the same thing on both so its not the harddrives i dont think ...

Basically when i formatted it ..it goes as normal ...then it loads up the new files ya no copying windows ...then it gets to the reboot in 15 seconds etc and it dose ...but ...an heres the problem ...when it comes back on after the reboot its completly the same and it runs all over again checking your computer etc and it goes back through asking me if i want to format ..an if i say yes its around n around always back to the same place.

 

ive tried nipping into bios an changing how it boots up but it dosnt help no matter how i try to boot up ...it did ask me to boot up in floppy ..it always sayins cant find boot floppy etc ..then it looks for boot cd rom etc but i never get anywhere as there isnt a floppy plugged in to boot from and ive not ever booted from a floppy.

 

Anyone any ideas ?...ive removed the bios battery for a bit to try reset it but that didnt work either so im lost lol

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Hello Hood

 

Welcome to FPCH

 

When you format and it asks you to "Press any key to boot from CD" are you pressing a key again when it asks you to later?

[Hoodwinked]

Hello Wolfeymole an thanks for the reply

 

It dosnt actually ask me if i want to run from the cd it automatically kicks in when i turn on the pc ...like i pop in the recovery cd and then restart and it just kicks in ...if i dont pop anything in the drive it just says boot from floppy an looks for it like then dosnt find it and goes to the cd ...i'll redo it i'll just need turn this off cus i have to use the one monitor ..i'll jot it down but from what i remember its always trying to boot from floppy

[Dalo Harkin]

You need to set the first boot device in the BIOS to CDROM and then load the OS and when the OS is fully loaded, re enter the BIOS and set the first boot device to HDD and disable the others.

[Hoodwinked]

Hi Dalo and thanks for tryin to help.

Ive tried what you said but still no luck.

I go into bios and get it to boot from cd....i reboot the pc and it kicks in and says checking your system etc and then asks me if i want to install windows xp ...then it asks if i want to format it ...ive hit ok format ...it goes all through the format process fine then loads up the windows files then comes the reboot .....now i no normally it would just kick back in after reboot an carry on loading up windows but this dosnt ..when it reboots it comes back on and asks me ...well says drive A failer or sumot select proper boot device and reboot ...so ive tried settin it to boot from hd ...i reboot and back it comes with the drive A failed select proper etc or hit f1 an i dont get anywhere basically ....ive tried restorin to default settings but nothing seems to work

 

..any ideas guys ?

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Ok Hood

 

What it seems you are failing to do is Save the settings on exiting the bios.

 

Here's what to do;

 

1: Go into the bios and change the boot order by either using the up/down arrows or page up/down and make the first boot device the cdrom.

 

Consider this picture at this link

 

http://www.fujitsu-siemens.co.uk/rl/servicesupport/techsupport/Consumer/MediaCenter/FAQ/Images/RecPro/RCD1/Bios-BootPriority.jpg

 

2: Insert your XP disk.

 

3: Once you have set the cdrom as first boot device press F10 to Save the settings and then Exit the bios, it will ask if you are sure, press Yes.

 

4: The bios will then look for boot files which are on the cd and, once done so will ask you to "Press any key to boot from CD"

 

It will ask this again when it reboots twice more, DO NOT press anything.

 

Enter your 25 digit/character key and location information when asked to do so and just let everything install.

[Hoodwinked]

Hi Wolfeymole and thanks for trying to help but ive done all that already m8 its ....well it is exactly what ya say its like asif soon as its formatted an loaded up the xp files ..it reboots an loses its memory kinda thing but its not me lol..ive been hittin f10 all time to save the settings it just dosnt save them...ive got screen shots of what it says with me fone i will have load em up...but thats why i think the motherboard might have a problem as iam saving the settings.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Have you tried replacing the CMOS battery Hood?

[Hoodwinked]

http://extremetechsupport.com/forum/motherboard-issues/4724-think-its-motherboard-problems.html#post34000

thats a pic although it dosnt really show alot ....and no wolfy i did actually forget to put it back in at one stage but not tried replacing it ..will give it a go thanks

[Guest Wolfeymole]

What concerns me here is this pic where it detects a secondary master but not a primary master.

 

Computer Help & PC Help Forums - Provided By Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help - Hoodwinked's Album: my pc - Picture

 

Any ideas on this?

 

In theory, not detecting the primary master indicates it's dead, this is why you may be getting these errors.

[Dalo Harkin]

Also an A:/ drive error reports that the floppy disk drive is either not present - or if it is present you have left a floppy in :)

As Wolfey has said replace the CMOS battery and all should be ok.

[Hoodwinked]

Right guys this is what ive just done

swapped the cmos battery

booted it up and it tried boot from floppy

i went into bios disabled the floppy drive cus for some reason it reads one yet its unplugged and removed completly so i dont no

whats goin on there but ive disable it

then ive swapped the 1st boot device from floppy to cd rom ...then ive hit f10 saved it an rebooted

it runs the cd and inspects my computer etc....asks me if i want to install windows hit f8 to agree an all that

and formats it ..installs the files and then comes to the reboot in 15 seconds ..i let it and soon as it comes back on

the cd kicks strait back in with the inspecting your computers hardware etc ...or it said drive A failed etc ...so now im just lost lol

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Hood

 

Again I have to ask if you are pressing any key when it asks again after the the first reboot?

 

DON'T PRESS ANYTHING

[Hoodwinked]

Lol im not pressing nothing ...ja mean when it says bla bla hit a key to run from cd or sumot ...im not honest not touching a thing the pcs just screwed up lol

[Dalo Harkin]

Go into the BIOS and set the first boot device to CDROM - (if you are trying to run the OS) and then disable the 2nd 3rd and 4th options.

when the PC boots it will say press any key to boot from CD ROM - press the 'any key' lol (homer joke there) press any key a few times and it will then start loading the OS.

When the OS is loaded and its gone through the motions of restarting - if it then asks you to press anything again at the post screen DONT - it will run itself.