Hardware

Ask something
Question Locked

Intel D975XBX2 desktop board drive problems

0 helpful
15 replies

by zlitocook 1 view

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I have been given the task of installing a configuring this main board. I have made a few computers in my time but this MB is a real pain in the rump!
It is a new MB, new Corsair memory (2 1gig DDR2), an Intel quad core CPU and fan. Two used SATA 2/80 gig drives, a used DVD R/W drive, a used IDE zip drive, a floppy drive and a new P/S 800WT.
I will post more if needed, install went great. No problems with anything, BIOS found all drives and the other drives. The floppy drive light stayed on after I hit the F6 key.
I booted to the XP Pro CD and no HD found, fine since it has SATA drives I will load the drivers with F6 at boot. The provided Floppies did not work; the floppy drive light was on after I hit F6 but not before.
I checked the floppy disk on another computer and worked great, I used a known good floppy drive with the same results, I used another known good floppy drive cable.
I have tried the F6 to load drivers; I used both the blue cable and the black drivers.
I tried booting in to the RAID section and selecting RAID, I just used one drive and using known good SATA cables.
I have used every thing on the MB we site and can not get to the drives even though the BIOS can see them. Help

15 replies

by rob miners

and this is about all that I can come up with as there are only a few things to do when a Floppy Drive wont work. Anyway something else to think about.

You have obviously followed all the right steps.
Double check the BIOS settings and check that the Floppy is being detected as a 1.44.
It could be a bad Floppy IDE port on the board itself or if the IDE port is freestanding make sure that pin 1 is on pin 1.
Check that the Hard Drives are Partitioned.
Reset the BIOS by clearing CMOS.
Update the BIOS.
Get a replacement Motherboard under Warranty.

If this PC is not mission critical and you dont need to use Raid or AHCI why not just install in IDE mode.
First Hard Drive on Sata0 second on Sata1 and if the DVD R/W is Sata connect it to the last Sata port.
If the DVD R/W is an IDE set it as Master on the Secondary IDE along with the ZIP Drive set as Slave.

Let us know how you get on ;)

by rob miners

I will just add a bit to it. :)
Just set up BIOS in IDE mode and use the XP CD in Recovery Mode to create the Partition if that is the problem.

Description of the Diskpart Command-Line Utility

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415

Boot from your XP CD and press the first R to enter the Recovery Console. At the recovery command prompt type in diskpart /add

This will bring up a Menu with the Drive highlighted. Press C to Create a Partition.
You will now get another screen that will allow you to Create or adjust the size of the Partition. It is displayed in (MB) so remember a Partition of 20Gb is 20000MB. Press C to create the Primary Partition.
The next screen will display the Partition information. Press Esc to exit. Press the Reset button to restart the PC and enter BIOS to change the Drive settings. ;)

by zlitocook

Tried doing, I did most of what you replied with. I tried a known good floppy drive and then a good cable. The cable only connects one way, there is a notch one each side of the cable. I have tried each of the settings like (Raid, AHCI and IDE) I did try the F9 set to default. The DVD/ZIP drives are both set on an IDE cable. And both are seen by the BIOS, I disconnected the second SATA drive so there would be only one drive to be used at first.
The thing I do not understand is why the floppy light stays on after hitting F6 to load third party drivers. It will go out after I hit cancel or exit. The floppies do contain the files needed; I checked them on a second computer. It comes with two floppies one for the blue connectors and one for the black.
How can I format the drive if I can not get XP to see it? I have tried other XP cd's, I have my corp. one for work and a Dell one that works on computers that supposedly only support Vista and an upgrade version that has worked on a few computers.
Thanks

by rob miners

light is useually on when the Drive is reading the Floppy Disk. You would soon know if it was cabled improperly as the light would be constantly on.

Are the Hard Drives being detected in BIOS. If they are what are they detected as.
Have you got another PC to connect one of the Hard Drives to, to make sure that it is Partitioned.

You certainly have a good one on your hands. ;)

by oh smeg

Of the floppy. That is with no Folder as the Windows Installer [b]Can Not[/b] navigate the Floppy. You need to make your own floppy with the Correct Driver for your OS copied to the Floppy and just the Driver no folder.

I'm assuming that is what you are asking and there is nothing about how to make a Floppy actually work on this M'Board right?

OH BTW have you gone into BIOS and told this M'Board that it actually has a Floppy Drive Connected? Intel Boards like you to do that and it's very important to them for some reason. :D

Col

by zlitocook

The BIOS, it comes with two floppys and both are good.

by oh smeg

Also are they Swapped?

OH stuff it this is taking way too long just make your Own Slipstreamed install XP CD with the SATA Driver on it and boot off that.

You will need another computer with a CD Burner and access to the Net to download nLite here

http://tinyurl.com/e2mo4

Grab the Install Disc of XP and copy that to a temp folder on the HDD and then the Floppy with the right SATA Driver and copy that to another folder. Install nLite and just make your own Install XP Disc it will save the time & effort in messing around and wasting your time.

Just make sure to look at the nLite Destructions on the Guides part of the Web Site.

I personally include the Product Key for XP and any service Packs that are not on the Install Disc and that way once the install starts it doesn't require any input to monitor the install but I'm lazy. I also make a ISO File to burn the Install Disc from as I find it easier to work with ISO images but that's just me.

Col

by aries

There is nothing to worry about. Take this hardisk out and install it in some other system. Don't configure it to boot from this Sata drive. Boot normally from that System's hardisk. When windows loads, go to computer management. Locate your Sata Drive. Select it's first partition or the partition that you want to install windows on. Just set the selected partition to ACTIVE. Remove hardisk after shutdown. Now install windows when you place this hardisk back into it's MB.

by zlitocook

Are ether IDE or SCSI I do not have a computer to add it to. I am now buying a add on toster to be able to do this. I have worked with many computers and laptops with out this kind of problem.
Why would a main board maker make it so hard to load an O/S? I may load a free Linux O/S and partition the drive so I can load stupid Windows. What a pain, I see a utube video in the works now.

by zlitocook

The problem is that I can not load the RAID drivers from the floppy drive.

by zlitocook

The drives are partitioned and the floppy cable only goes on one way because of the notch in it.

by rob miners

that you have downloaded the correct drivers. That is about all I can suggest other than taking OH Smegs advice on doing the slipstream. Some info.

How To: Slipstream your XP installation
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/How-To--Slipstream-your-XP-installation

BartPE
http://www.bonochromatic.com/bonologue/how-slipstream-sata-/-raid-drivers-your-windows-xp-boot-cd

Integration of the Intel SATA AHCI or SATA RAID drivers by using nLite
http://www.msfn.org/board/Integration-of-Intel-Sata-and-Raid-drive-t107504.html

by zlitocook

After emailing back and after almost a week with talking with John in india the main board works.
It was after a BIOS flash that they had in testing worked. I did not even have to laod the third party drivers! XP found the drive and installed with no problem.
I am now happy again and will keep the flash ISO on CD for the next nightmare.
Thanks for all the help!

by rob miners

I noticed the other day with HP Support that they now suggest flashing the BIOS before contacting them. Not something that I would normally suggest but it appears to be a sign of the changing times. ;)

They just don't make em like they used to. :)

This discussion is closed to new replies.