I'm looking at a two yr old AMD K6-2/500 with SIS 530 chipset, running Win ME. On boot up, the HD is not found, yet the CDROM is. They are both on the Primary IDE. Same results on the Secondary IDE. I've reseated the RAM, reseated the CMOS battery (which tested OK), tried KNOWN good HD's in it, reset the BIOS to defaults, and tried booting without the CDROM connected. All results are the same. I can boot using a boot disk, and again the HD is not found. FDISK does not see it either. Inside the BIOS, the AUTO DETECT cannot find it either. Right now, I am thinking mobo replacement, but would welcome any further suggestions before I do that. By the way, the HD does boot up my other machine. This trouble happened all of a sudden. Thanks in advance for any help.
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Disk Boot Failure-HD not present-CDrom-present 1
- Thread starter jimmy69
- Start date
have you tried changing your ide cable ? or connected the hard drive to where you connect the cd rom to to prove the connector.
Also have you stil got the jumper set correctly for Master on the back of the drive near to where ide connector is ?
Also have you stil got the jumper set correctly for Master on the back of the drive near to where ide connector is ?
- Thread starter
- #3
razled,
I've tried replacing the ide cable and used the other connector also. The jumper is set properly. I used the hard drive to boot up my other system. I also tried clearing the CMOS after I tried reseating the battery. Nothing different.
I've tried replacing the ide cable and used the other connector also. The jumper is set properly. I used the hard drive to boot up my other system. I also tried clearing the CMOS after I tried reseating the battery. Nothing different.
- Thread starter
- #4
I'd also appreciate any feedback on this trouble if you agree that it's the mobo, since this is the first time I've ever encountered this trouble in over 10 years of working on computers. Thanks in advance for anyone who cares to offer any advice.
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1
- #5
- Thread starter
- #6
twpb,
This is very strange--but I'm not complaining. The BIOS was up to date--but I downloaded the same one again. When I attempted to flash the BIOS, after booting into DOS, using "awdflash.exe"--it came back and told me that the program could not be run under DOS. We both know that is NOT true. You need to flash BIOS from DOS. At any rate, I tried it twice and then pulled the floppy out and rebooted. Amazingly enough, it read the HD but failed and then on reboot--read it properly and booted up. I have no idea why--but perhaps this mobo is on it's way out anyway. I think I'll exercise it a day or so to be sure before returning it. Thanks for the suggestion. Whatever it did or didn't due--obviously shook up the BIOS.
This is very strange--but I'm not complaining. The BIOS was up to date--but I downloaded the same one again. When I attempted to flash the BIOS, after booting into DOS, using "awdflash.exe"--it came back and told me that the program could not be run under DOS. We both know that is NOT true. You need to flash BIOS from DOS. At any rate, I tried it twice and then pulled the floppy out and rebooted. Amazingly enough, it read the HD but failed and then on reboot--read it properly and booted up. I have no idea why--but perhaps this mobo is on it's way out anyway. I think I'll exercise it a day or so to be sure before returning it. Thanks for the suggestion. Whatever it did or didn't due--obviously shook up the BIOS.
- Thread starter
- #8
Here's an update to the Flash BIOS program for this BIOSTAR M5SAA mobo. To run AWDFLASH for this mobo, you place the floppy in the A drive and start booting, at the bottom of the screen you'll see a message that says "Press ALT+F2 to Enter AWDFLASH". It's the second half of a repeat statement about entering the BIOS. Apparently, the FLASH runs right from the post rather than directly from DOS mode. I figured I'd put the info in here for safe-keeping and to help anyone else who might have this beastly trouble. However, it still hasn't failed from before, BUT I'm watching it ands still cleaning up the hard drive from the crash.
- Thread starter
- #9
Ok guys--here's the latest--after experiencing inconsistent behaviour with the computer while loading different programs, I decided to try to REALLY "FLASH" the BIOS, and possibly make it a bit more stable, IF, the inconsistencies were being caused by it. Bottom line is that, if the same problem happens again--it's time to replace the mobo. Per the instructions in my last post, I tried the same and the BIOS refuses to be flashed. Therefore, I think it's time for a real upgrade to a different mobo and system. I told the customer, thank GOD she's a friend, that once it fails again, kiss it goodbye--and it will need a new board. She agrees and decided to take my advice and we will be upgrading this computer to something real within the next three weeks. Hopefully the BIOS chip will hold out. Hope this further info helps someone else with a similar problem.
As daft as it sounds can you not get a new bios chip ?, I had similar problems 2 years or so back with my firt pc thinking back and the shop where I brought it from changed the bios chip, I had a SHUTLLE socket 7 board, Obviously it was done under warrenty so cost was not the issue, it maybay possile to get a new plug in bios chip, or it an old soldered one ?
Could save money, ( I never did like spending) lol.
Could save money, ( I never did like spending) lol.
- Thread starter
- #11
razled,
Yes I could get a new BIOS chip--but with the technology outpacing the mobo's, why spend money on a dinosaur. I can use her RAM on a new mobo and create something that will let her do what she knows she needs and at a speed that will give her comfort. I appreciate your thoughts though. She will have the money to do a mobo upgrade in three weeks. This alien should last till then
LOL--Hopefully--if it fails tomorrow, I'll float her for a few weeks, she's a real nice friend for many years. This site has been very useful and knowledgeable. A super find
Yes I could get a new BIOS chip--but with the technology outpacing the mobo's, why spend money on a dinosaur. I can use her RAM on a new mobo and create something that will let her do what she knows she needs and at a speed that will give her comfort. I appreciate your thoughts though. She will have the money to do a mobo upgrade in three weeks. This alien should last till then
LOL--Hopefully--if it fails tomorrow, I'll float her for a few weeks, she's a real nice friend for many years. This site has been very useful and knowledgeable. A super find- Status
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