I'm back ... new mobo, same problem!

[ecarmody]

Hello,

Last week I was wresting with the problem of no cdrom driver being found when trying to boot from a Windows install/bootable disk. During the course of working on the problem the mobo (Gigabytes P35 DS3L) stopped working comletely. I RMA'd it back to NewEgg (NewEgg is great) and bought the abit IP36 Pro as a replacment. Very nice board.

So, my current spec is:

Abit IP35 Pro
Intel Quad Q6600
G.Skill 2Gb ram (2 sticks) plus Crucial 2Gb ram (2 sticks)
Seagate Barricude 250Gb sata drive
Samsung S202J CD/DVD optical
Antec Sonata III 500 watt case/PSU

The computer posts, bios works. I have downloaded and burned ISO's images for stuff like memtest (www.memtest.org) which makes a CD boot straight into memory test program. Also download image for disk testing, boots straight into harddrive test program. These boots work! Test programs run. No memory errors reported. Hard drive tested good.

I have 2 other bootable Windows disks. One is a Win98 installation CD. Another is a WinXP that I made. Both of these bootables work on my other older computer.

On the new computer, when booting either of the windows boot cd's, it gets as far as detecting cd drive, reports error cd drive not found. It drops to the cd drive command prompt and I can "dir" the root folder of the cd disk, but does not show any of the subfolders (i386).

I created windows bootable floppy. It boots fine from floppy but still reports no cd drive found. Using floppy boot I am able to fdisk/format hard drive.

With Gigabyte mobo, had the original error. Moved to abit, still get the exact same error.
Went out and bought 2Gb Crucial ram and changed to using that (no G.Skill). Same error. Took the cd drive out and put in old computer; boots find there using the same Windows boot cd's. Took old cd drive from old computer put in new computer ... same error!!!
Changed pci video card to old one from other computer; no effect. Changed keyboards; no effect.

Now I have literally changed every part on this new computer except for the CPU and the case/PSU. I am not joking, just incase you think I trying to play with you all ! :(

I tried bios safe and bios optimized. No effect. I have disconnected the sata hard drive and the floppy and only left cd drive plugged in; no effect.

I have no other sata supporting computer to plug my sata harddrive in to install windows on.

What jumper should cd drive be in, master?

Argh! Down to just the CPU and PSU. Can those be causing a cd drive not found issue? :confused:

Eric

[chunkylover53]

Argh! Down to just the CPU and PSU.

Well, not exactly. The other thing you haven't tried is a fresh new copy of XP. I understand they work fine on other machines, but the bootable disks you made are the other constant that might be having an impact.

[ecarmody]

Well, not exactly. The other thing you haven't tried is a fresh new copy of XP. I understand they work fine on other machines, but the bootable disks you made are the other constant that might be having an impact.

Well ... yes, that is true. Getting a new Windows install boot disk means going out and buying a new copy. I would have to borrow one first, to make sure it does indeed boot. I guess that is worth a try. I will see if I can.

Thanks,
Eric

[chunkylover53]

Shame you have to try that next, cause it might be the prob and might not be the prob. Cheapest route is going to be an OEM copy... I guess $90 isn't too bad.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116056

[ecarmody]

yeah, well, shelling out $90 just to see of that is the problem, is a problem.

My Windows98 is an original installation CD. Also, the other is a functioning WinNT boot cd. Are we thinking that a new WinNT installation cd contains newer versions of the OAK generic cd drivers, or whatever drivers that come on the NT install disk.

I am drawning the conclusion that since the new cd drive works (boots) when installed on my older computer, its isn't the cd drive itself.

Using either the Win98 installation cd or the WinNT boot cd, the generic OAK drivers that those boot cd's use, are working to run the new cd drive in the old computer.

[ecarmody]

Well, good news ... my QUAD is working! YEAH!!! :D

I have to blush and say all along my issue has been my bloody Windows98 boot cd. Looking back, I never had any hardware issues. The Win98 boot cd is not corrupt or bad, its just not compatible with this generation of hardware.

The first hardare configuation, mobo (Gigabyte P35) startup right up but I got the same cd boot driver not found error as I was getting with the new replacement abit IP35 board. The Gigabye board died however, after only a couple days. The abit replacment has been great.

Both mobo have sata drives connections and were P35 chipsets, running the Intel Q6600 Quad cpu. I tried two different sets of memory. Nothing ever affected/changed the problem I was having, and that being the inability to boot off the Win98 boot installation cd.

Turns out the WinXP boot cd I made was actually a win98 boot cd; just a boot disk, not an OS install, but it had the same boot error as the Win98 install disk. After I went out and got a WinXP boot installation disk, it booted and installed flawlessly.

So, lesson learned, and something for everyone to consider. I don't know what aspect of the hardware combination, but Windows98 boot disk does not boot on a P35/Quad combination. Perhaps its the sata drives, althought the CD was connected via IDE, or perhaps its just the new generation of hardware???

Anyone have confirmed ability booting a win98 on such a configuation?

Heh heh ... I look at Task Manager and I have 4 cpu activity chart graphs!!

Even though this was my first build, and doing it has been a hassle, I've learned alot about the latest hardware and I would definately do it again. Next time I need to upgrade computers, I will just replace parts and not go out and buy a store shelf crapo box.

Cheers,
Eric
:)

Final specs:
Antex Sonata III case/500 watt PSU
Abit IP35 Pro motherboard
Intel Q6600 Quad cpu
2Gb G.Skill plus 2Gb Corsair Balistix memory
250Gb Seagate Barracuda hard drive
Creative EAX sound
8500Gt 512mb video card
19" wide Acer LCD
WinXP Pro

[ecarmody]

Well, not exactly. The other thing you haven't tried is a fresh new copy of XP. I understand they work fine on other machines, but the bootable disks you made are the other constant that might be having an impact.

Specific THANK YOU to Chunky for pointing out the obvious that I was overlooking. I had "hardware problem" on the brain and didn't consider the disk itself.

[shyster]

I do not know for sure that 98 does not work on newer software, but because it can only format drives to fat or fat32 it would lack the ability to fully ultilize your harddrive and that could possibly cause problems.

Other than that though, the only issues I see with it are that all the hardware companies say it supports XP and Vista, if there stuff still supported older OS's they would probably mention it.

[ecarmody]

I do not know for sure that 98 does not work on newer software, but because it can only format drives to fat or fat32 it would lack the ability to fully ultilize your harddrive and that could possibly cause problems.

Other than that though, the only issues I see with it are that all the hardware companies say it supports XP and Vista, if there stuff still supported older OS's they would probably mention it.

I agree; that they mention only support for WinXP and Vista is probably the telling point.

BTW ... I only use the win98 to get the disk formated and os installed so the computer boots. Then I use my WinNT upgrade disk to go to NTFS and install winxp. Because the winxp upgrade isn't bootable, I had to go the win98 starting point. But, now that I got my new winnt boot install, the need for the win98 is history.

[The Wise Monkey]

Good catch, chunky. :)

Glad you got it sorted out now though - enjoy your new PC! :D