Computer not loading windows error!!!!! PLz help me :(

[Supershanks]

You should check in bios :-
Manual Section 3.5
Integrated peripherals:-
Sata Mode need changing from ide to raid

3-17~3-18
IDE Bus Master
This option enables or disables the IDE bus mastering capability under the DOS environment.
SATA Mode
This item determines the mode for on-chip Serial ATA.
[IDE]: The on-chip Serial ATA served as IDE mode.
[RAID]: The on-chip Serial ATA served as RAID mode.
[AHCI]: The on-chip Serial ATA served as AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mode for advanced performance and usability.

also check the settings
Onboard pci devices
for the sil controller if using that section 3-19

if u haver the drives plugged in there

[MSIC]

This might be way off here, but i recently wrestled with a whole bunch on non-booting, motherboardy-BIOSy problems, turned out to be the battery on the motherboard had gone and that BIOS couldnt remember any of the changed settings.

[acrobat]

Not sure I read right, but have you tried re-installing windows yet? You could install it from scratch on your new hard disk. If that works then you know its a windows problem. If it doesn't work, you know its a hardware problem. If its a windows problem, you can just copy all your stuff across from the other disk onto your new disk with the fresh install of windows. It would be good to know whether its windows first though, before we go through all the hardware possibilities.

[greektony]

I have tried installing windows on the new HDD and I get the same error message so it is a hardware problem somewhere. I will try the sata suggestions in th bios and get back with the results!`

[greektony]

another without trying to sound dumb question: How do I update the bios? lol

I have downloaded the latest bios revision from the Abit website, then quick formatted a fdd and copied the files from the download onto the floppy. I set the bios to only boot from floppy (not second or third boot devices) and I just get a message after post of:

Remove disks or other media
Press any key to restart

What am I doing wrong? I am a bit of a n00b when it comes to bios manipulation This is really starting to get annoying as I really needed to do some photoshopping this weekend and I havent managed to get any of it done yet

Please continue the help!!!

[aidanjt]

Nice thing about Asus boards is you can flash the BIOS... from the BIOS

There should be BIOS update instructions on the manual. Probably near the back.

[greektony]

There isnt anything I can see which explicity says how to update the bios. Is it not the same pretty much for all different make motherboards?

[aidanjt]

Well, with the old floppy method you had to create a DOS system disk, iirc, you did this by formatting the floppy and ticking 'create system disk' or something like that, then you copy the awflash/amiflash utility along with the bios image file. then reboot off the floppy and run the flash program with the bios to be updated as the argument.

Sorry for being vauge, it's been a very long time since I've had to do this.

[redlight]

Go here
http://www.bootdisk.com/
download this "Driver Free Disk For BIOS Flashing"
copy that on to your floppy along with the bios from Abit
set your rig to boot from floppy and follow the instructions.

[greektony]

I followed the instructions on this website for updating the bios:

http://www.ecsusa.com/downloads/flashAward.html

and now my PC no longer boots!!! awwwwww ****e. Any help anyone can give me or have i screwed the motherboard?

[just_laze]

You've killed it.

I'm not entirely sure about modern boards, but 'back in the day' the only way forward now would be to 'hot flash' the BIOS on your board.

I believe this involves, replacing the failed flash BIOS with a working one, booting into the BIOS flashing utility and then switching out the working BIOS for the failed flash BIOS and beginning the flash process.

I may have missed it, but it didn't seem like you bothered running Memtest86+. Very foolish if you didn't as you may have found the problem there and then and not got yourself into this mess.

Now you need someone who's willing to lend you their BIOS to perform a hot flash.

laze.

[Thorsson]

Did you change the position of the BIOS jumper? If so did you change it back afterwards?

If you didn't change the BIOS jumper try changing the position now and remove the battery too. Wait a couple of minutes and then put them back. Procedures are on Pages 2-3 & 2-4 of the manual.

PS Why did you go to ECS for instructions for an ABIT board?

[greektony]

as that what came up when I searched for abit ab9 bios. As I said in my original post, both memory modules passed memtest fine so it wasnt the memory, it was something to do with AHCI not being installed on the motherboard.

Screw it, if changing the bios jumper suggestions from thorsson dont work, i'll just have to go out and buy a cheap asrock board, I have had nothing but problem with the abit since the day i bought it

[Supershanks]

1) why are u using AHCI there's no reason to just select raid. Yoiu don't need to be running a raid array, it handled single sata drives perfectly.
2) Have the drivers available on floppy or usb when u install xp & press [f6] to load them

[kungpo]

Just so we're all sure, what BIOS did you try to flash to the system with? I trust the BIOS update program ran successfully? Or did it error in some way?

The BIOS installer program would (*should*) normally check the BIOS is suitable - you shouldn't be able to just install any old BIOS.

[aidanjt]

as that what came up when I searched for abit ab9 bios. As I said in my original post, both memory modules passed memtest fine so it wasnt the memory, it was something to do with AHCI not being installed on the motherboard.

Screw it, if changing the bios jumper suggestions from thorsson dont work, i'll just have to go out and buy a cheap asrock board, I have had nothing but problem with the abit since the day i bought it

Nooo no no, Asrock boards are horrendus. I swear by Asus boards, Gigabyte aint horrible either. I know they aint cheap, but they are stable and wont fry your rig