Got new computer built...can't get anything to load, can't get back to BIOS...

Martingale00

Martingale00

New Member
Hello all, I just put a new computer together. Upon startup it went through the self check. It recognized my HD and CD-ROM drive and correctly identified my RAM, CPU, ect. It then gave me two options, press delete to enter BIOS or press enter to continue. I though there was more self check so I hit enter. Now it's saying...

VERIFYING DMI POOL.......
BOOT DISK:
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

Now this is all it will do, I can't even get back to BIOS with ESC or Delete or anything. I've tried loading up Windows and the software for the motherboard...neither will load. I've rebooted a bunch of times hoping to go back to self check, switched the CD-ROM and HD around on the MoBo (HD is old school ribbon ATA, not SATA), switched the jumpers around on the DVD-ROM...I really can't figure out what it wants. Right now the HD is in the primary ATA input and the CD-ROM is set to "master" and in the secondary ATA input per instructions that came with the MoBo. Any ideas on where to go from here? I think it's trying to boot an Operating System when the MoBo software isn't installed. Help! :D Thanks in advance
 
Reset the BIOS using jumpers? o.O
That way you can get back to the delete to enter bios, enter to continue screen.
Maybe?
What do I know anyway -.-

Do you have the Boot Order set to the CD drive first? and have a funny CD in there?
But it's not like you can get in the bios to check.. so :/
Take any CDs out?

Is there anything installed on the ATA HDD?
Use a Floppy drive startup disk?
 
Martingale00 said:
Hello all, I just put a new computer together. Upon startup it went through the self check. It recognized my HD and CD-ROM drive and correctly identified my RAM, CPU, ect. It then gave me two options, press delete to enter BIOS or press enter to continue. I though there was more self check so I hit enter. Now it's saying...

VERIFYING DMI POOL.......
BOOT DISK:
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

Now this is all it will do, I can't even get back to BIOS with ESC or Delete or anything. I've tried loading up Windows and the software for the motherboard...neither will load. I've rebooted a bunch of times hoping to go back to self check, switched the CD-ROM and HD around on the MoBo (HD is old school ribbon ATA, not SATA), switched the jumpers around on the DVD-ROM...I really can't figure out what it wants. Right now the HD is in the primary ATA input and the CD-ROM is set to "master" and in the secondary ATA input per instructions that came with the MoBo. Any ideas on where to go from here? I think it's trying to boot an Operating System when the MoBo software isn't installed. Help! :D Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

You have to reboot the computer. What is happening is that the post-boot has past its seek...

Restart the computer, hit "del" go into the BIOS. Check the date, time, and if it actually sees the HDD and optical (CD) drives.

Then, make sure, depending on the mobo, that you set the priority of it booting to CD first! This way, when you insert your OS in the drive (CD) that is... the mobo will seek the CD drive first and boot from the OS and start it's installation. Basic computer building 101. (No insult intended). It's like asking...

Question...

"Why isn't the light coming on after I screwed in the light bulb?"

Answer...

"Well, did you turn the switch on?"

Always check for the most obvious first. That is making sure that the BIOS is seeing the CD drive first, and that the OS is in it too boot up from it.

See if that helps!?

:o

P.S.S. You stated:
Martingale00 said:
Right now the HD is in the primary ATA input and the CD-ROM is set to "master" and in the secondary ATA input per instructions that came with the MoBo.
Click to expand...
May I suggest also, if the CD-ROM drive is attached with a regular IDE cable by itself, leave the drive to master. And use a second IDE cable to your ATA HDD and select -or set the jumper to master/Cable Select... then try booting as I said above. See if your problem disappears.
 
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I didn't know you could reset BIOS using the jumpers. My BIOS jumpers read "protect" and "disable protect", do I just set it to disable and that resets it? I would just try it but it's unplugged right now as I'm the monitor/keyboard/mouse to get on this computer.

I actually don't know if the boot order is set to CD first because I never got into BIOS. This is what I do know, before it gives me that error message it says "Primary master" and then a whole bunch of numbers (I'm almost sure that's the HD) and "secondary master" is the CD drive. I have switched these around at the ATA slots though so I've reversed this order and that didn't work. It's recognizing both the HD and the CD, both are set to master, and both primary and secondary have "slave" as "none". In the book for the motherboard it said to set both to master and stick the HD in primary and the CD in secondary so that's what I did but now I'm stuck. I am thinking about getting an SATA drive like I should have the first time around.
 
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Buy-It, I wanted to check the boot order, my problem was getting back into BIOS in the first place, lol. Rebooting and then pressing and holding delete let me back in to BIOS, it wasn't letting me in by tapping it. Anyhow I'm in it now. The disk boot order was floppy (I don't have that), then HD, then CD-ROM. I switched the boot order to CD-ROM first and the HD second (disabling the third). That still didn't work. I also found this menu for HD Boot Priority, the options were "Ch0 M:ST3120814A" (which I think is the HD number) and the other option was "bootable ad in cards". I switched these with no luck.

The windows CD is in the disk drive and I can hear it spinning on start up. I saw an IDE listing in BIOS that I think points to that I have the jumpers and ATA inputs correctly set. It said:

IDE Channel 0: Master - ST3120814A
IDE Channel 0: Slave - None
IDE Channel 1: Master - LITE-ON CDCOMBO
IDE channel 1: Slave- None

The jumper on the HD is set where it was when it was shipped. It doesn't have the jumper settings listed on the exterior of the casing but I have switched them around and where's it's at now is the only setting in which the compter will recognize it and I'm 95% sure this setting is "master".

I appreciate the help you've supplied. Any other ideas now that the boot order is set? I'm stumped...I keep looking through BIOS for any clues but I don't want to start messing with stuff I don't know.
 
are you sure the windows disc is bootable?

as a test you could put it in another pc, boot it up, and see if it comes upto the windows setup screen.
 
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Try to reboot the computer , if not check your HDD or Your CD ROM AND FLOOPY MAKE SURE THEY WORK. if so the bios is screwing up. So that means on your MB ( Motherboard ) there is an Jumpter it should have 2-3 pins and it will give you a setting ill find a picture:

Image2.jpg


if not make sure the CPU is not over heating.
 
Hi everyone, thanks for the suggestions. I tried everything that you all suggested. After having no luck I started swapping hardware... PSU, RAM, everything I could think of that I had replacements for. Turns out the CD drive was defective! I swapped the CD drive and Windows started the initial installation process immediately. I hate to bother you guys over a simple hardware issue but I was really stumped and the CD drive in there was brand new and was being recognized in BIOS and I could hear the CD spinning. I feel like an idiot spending all night trying to load Windows through a defective CD-ROM. Oh well, it's fixed now. Thanks for all of your help.
 
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