Emergency !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[myth]

I have killed my mobo!!!!!!!!!!!! I am now on my emachines!

I have called the manufacture of my pc ABS and they said I needed to buy a new one threw their site! FINE!!!! But they dont sell it! (They implant a bios block into all their mobos preventing the windows cd from being used on another mobo) The only mobo they sell is the ASUS "P4C800 DELUXE" i875P But its not the E version!!!!!! I have read bad things about this mobo!! Such as the Promis Raid is ****!!!! But I'd have to use it for my raptors! So what I'm asking is does this mobo rock or not?

Was my GA-8KNXP better?

Thanks for taking the time to help me out

P.S. sorry about spelling!

[funnelhead]

mmm tell us more about this 'bios lock' and why you cant just buy a mobo from someone else..... i mean if you replace the mobo then the bios lock is gone...... and i cant see them modifying the actual windows cd to only work with their mobos..... or do you have a recovery cd?? tell me more cos i'd like to help ...

[myth]

mmm tell us more about this 'bios lock' and why you cant just buy a mobo from someone else..... i mean if you replace the mobo then the bios lock is gone...... and i cant see them modifying the actual windows cd to only work with their mobos..... or do you have a recovery cd?? tell me more cos i'd like to help ...

Its a recovery cd / full windows Its a magwell CD! So i'd have to buy a mobo from them if I wish to use there windows cd! They add that dam bios thread so when I go to instal windows the CD first serches bios for the thread!

I'd hate to have to buy a new mobo and windows XP! The mobo wont even boot to bios even after I cleard cmos! I was wondering if I should try to get the same mobo as I got now or if I should go for the ASUS?

Edit: so much for me getting the ATI 800 xt! Now I cant afford it!

[malfunction]

Right,

First off - how did you kill your mobo? And what are you getting out of it? No POST at all or a failed POST? (i.e. black screen no beeps or anything or an error message?)

2nd is that if you change to another motherboard with the same chipset you'll might find that the Windows CD will still boot. I've never heard of a restore CD being specific to hardware other than it having the drivers pre-installed so same chipset = same drivers = no problem (in theory!)

Also - ditch this company - you must have paid god knows how much for a top spec system and they don't include a real XP CD? How much did that lot cost you? And what's with all the HDDs?

[nichomach]

Right,
I've never heard of a restore CD being specific to hardware other than it having the drivers pre-installed so same chipset = same drivers = no problem (in theory!)

Um, sorry but manufacturers frequently lock CDs so they'll only boot in their own machines. Try booting a Dell-supplied XP Pro CD in a non-Dell machine and see what happens - they ARE a full copy of the OS, but they check the BIOS to see whther they're running on a Dell (HP/Compaq do the same, and I believe Tosh do, quite a lot of system manufacturers, in fact).

edit: If you've got the serial number, and you could get hold of a non-manufacturer-specific disk of the same OS version, that might work?

[spazman]

My old evesham XP recovery CD was apparently locked, would load on any machine though

[myth]

Right,

First off - how did you kill your mobo? And what are you getting out of it? No POST at all or a failed POST? (i.e. black screen no beeps or anything or an error message?)

2nd is that if you change to another motherboard with the same chipset you'll might find that the Windows CD will still boot. I've never heard of a restore CD being specific to hardware other than it having the drivers pre-installed so same chipset = same drivers = no problem (in theory!)

Also - ditch this company - you must have paid god knows how much for a top spec system and they don't include a real XP CD? How much did that lot cost you? And what's with all the HDDs?

It didn't come with the raptors! Or a monitor! the system originaly coast me 1905.00 US After I bought the speakers and raptors and LCD and also the cooling and a new case I now have a sum total of 4025.00 US ops:

And you can never have to many HDD's

My new mobo! I am considering buying it.


http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...127-158&DEPA=1

This will alow me to add 2 more raptors and put them in a 4 X raid

Oh and I flashed the bios and it went well till I found out my audio was gone! Actualy all my PCI slots were gone
So I restored my bios but it never came back on! no beeps no display! It will only beep once I remove the ram.. beep beep beep realy fast!

[malfunction]

Um, sorry but manufacturers frequently lock CDs so they'll only boot in their own machines. Try booting a Dell-supplied XP Pro CD in a non-Dell machine and see what happens - they ARE a full copy of the OS, but they check the BIOS to see whther they're running on a Dell (HP/Compaq do the same, and I believe Tosh do, quite a lot of system manufacturers, in fact).

edit: If you've got the serial number, and you could get hold of a non-manufacturer-specific disk of the same OS version, that might work?

Well should have said I was thinking of smaller places - check out the ABS website (www.abspc.com) - they list the actual motherboard you're getting so it would still suprise me if they'd modified the BIOS / boot CD to lock it down that much (unlike Dell, etc who do have components custom made for their PCs and as such can build that sort of thing in easily).

myth:

$4,025



If it is locked then surely by buying a replacement motherboard for the PC from ABS they ought to be able to provide an updated restore CD that will accept the new mobo?

Otherwise, yes, that's supposed to be a good mobo (though I'm all AMD so someone else will know better) and I can't see where it says it supports 4 SATA ports... 4 PATA yes but not 4 SATA (check www.abit.com.tw to be sure).

Edit: Just checked abit's website myself and it does have 4 SATA but again it's a promise controller (which you said you didn't like on the Asus board)... Though AFAIK it's hard to get onboard SATA that isn't promise based unless you use the ones in the south bridge...

If you're going to drop some dollars on it you could always get an OEM XP CD (with your new mobo which is perfectly legal... AFAIK you only have to buy a retail CD if you don't buy hardware with it)

[myth]

it suports 6 SATA drives He he! 4 via the silicon image chip and two via ICH5R

Thats the only reason I'm interested in it! I have a ligit cd key for home and PRO! So now all I have to do is get a cd! This whole deal just sucks I was saving for the new ATI XT, but now it looks like that won't hapen ops: I do have XP PRO instaled on the two raptors I had raided, so could I just stick them on a new mobo and let windows update the drivers? Or would the mobo not reconize the raid array? It could be a temp fix for now! That is if it would work!

EDIT:I have been on the phone for 3 hours and talked to 4 tec and sales reps! Finaly I got transferd to an awnsering machine! No one can seem to tell me how to order a replacement mobo!

And besides maybe it dying was a good thing! It's memory bandwith sucked! And I was unable to accsess their timings! Plus the mobo didn't like my memory!

[malfunction]

it suports 6 SATA drives He he! 4 via the silicon image chip and two via ICH5R

Thats the only reason I'm interested in it! I have a ligit cd key for home and PRO! So now all I have to do is get a cd! This whole deal just sucks I was saving for the new ATI XT, but now it looks like that won't hapen ops: I do have XP PRO instaled on the two raptors I had raided, so could I just stick them on a new mobo and let windows update the drivers? Or would the mobo not reconize the raid array? It could be a temp fix for now! That is if it would work!

EDIT:I have been on the phone for 3 hours and talked to 4 tec and sales reps! Finaly I got transferd to an awnsering machine! No one can seem to tell me how to order a replacement mobo!

And besides maybe it dying was a good thing! It's memory bandwith sucked! And I was unable to accsess their timings! Plus the mobo didn't like my memory!

You *might* be able to access the array on a new mobo if you use the same controller (i.e. ICH5-R or whatever it was)...

[myth]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...102-143&depa=6

Please do not talk about illegal antics

[malfunction]

No - not legal AFAIK - and the mods here (quite rightly) don't allow warez related talk...

You *might* want to consider XP home if cash is a problem... I'm still running 2000 though so I can't really tell you what the major differences are.

[G4Z]

AFAIK it IS legal to download the software or to obtain a copy if you have a valid license for that version, doesnt matter what the media is or where it comes from, if some1 inspected your PC (and of course I doubt FAST are gonna come kicking his door down anyway) they would be looking for a valid license not original media. Every IT dept I have worked at has stored the install files for windows on the network, I dont see how this is any different from downloading it from the net.

I would also point out you will need to get the exact version of windows for your license for it to be legal (or for they key to even work).

[Jonny M]

I'm sure if you have 4 grand to spend on pc bits, then you have the relatively small amount of cash to get an OEM version of XP Pro, which you could buy with your new motherboard as it's a piece of hardware.

The restore CDs are inteded to restore your pre-bought PC back to how it was when you got it. Since you are going to replace the motherboard, that is essentially a new PC, hence you will need a new XP license, as OEM licenses cannot be transferrred from one PC to another.