Boot Failure: System Halted. Unable to even boot from CD

[tomsresults]

This is a real mystery. I just built finished building a computer and I can't get it to boot from CD to install Windows. I've spent all day yesterday trying to figure this out.

By all accounts everything should work.

What happens is that the system completes POST successfully, but then I get a flashing underscore for a couple of seconds, and then that message comes up. It doesn't matter if I set it to boot from HD first or CD first, that message comes up either way.

BIOS detects HD and CD drives. Check. That means cables are OK too, right? CD spins for a couple of seconds during POST, too.

CD drive set to boot first. Check.

CD drive is fine because:
1. Tried two different ones.
2. Second one is brand new from Best Buy.

Tried multiple boot CDs. Windows 98SE, Windows XP, Fedora Live CD. None work.

CD media is fine because it boots from laptop.

Able to boot system using Linux from external HD. Check.

Tried even removing HD so that it would pretty much have no choice to boot from CD, still get that message.

CMOS battery good. Check. (saves settings, and was able to change boot order and successfully boot from external).

Motherboard is a 10 year old (albeit brand new and unopened) Intel D815EEA2U.

What gives???

 

[Toxxyc]

Motherboard is a 10 year old (albeit brand new and unopened) Intel D815EEA2U

Well THERE'S your problem.

BIOS is probably screwed or incompatible with the hardware. I'd recommend flashing it and updating it, but I have no idea where you will find BIOS software compatible with such an old motherboard.

 

[tomsresults]

Motherboard is a 10 year old (albeit brand new and unopened) Intel D815EEA2U

Well THERE'S your problem.

BIOS is probably screwed or incompatible with the hardware. I'd recommend flashing it and updating it, but I have no idea where you will find BIOS software compatible with such an old motherboard.

What do you mean? All the hardware is 10 years old. I specifically built this computer for Windows 98 gaming and made sure all hardware is compatible. I know this for a fact. And even if there was hard incompatibility, at this point it would only be in terms of CPU (which wouldn't even let me complete POST if was the case), HD (it's a 60GB IDE drive... they're all compatible) memory (again, wouldn't complete POST) and video (I wouldn't see a screen)

And I'd flash it... but I can't as you can see ATM.

Just because it's 10 years old means nothing. There are computers still running that are 20+ years old. Electronics don't die in this short of a period of time. Just take a look at school computers...

And as I said, it booted Linux just dandy from an external HD. Removing the assumption that BIOS is screwed up or any compatibility issues really.

 

[tomsresults]

According to the Intel website, there's a BIOS update that fixes the following:
Fixed issue where boot order would become corrupted when the boot device configuration
changed.

But how can I update the BIOS with no OS and no ability to even install an OS since I cannot get it to boot from a CD?

edit: no way. The BIOS files for this mobo are only available in .exe format. So it requires DOS or Windows

 

[jsc]

No. You can download the .exe BIOS file with another computer. You can also use the other computer to expand the files and write them onto a floppy.

Then you use that floppy to try to update the old system BIOS.

 

[tomsresults]

No. You can download the .exe BIOS file with another computer. You can also use the other computer to expand the files and write them onto a floppy.

Then you use that floppy to try to update the old system BIOS.

You need a Windows OS to update the BIOS. With no OS such as DOS, it is not possible to update the BIOS. At least for this mobo, because Intel does not offer .BIO files for this one. Only .exe

 

[tomsresults]

OK Linux recognizes the hard drive and is able to see the Windows CD. Sigh.

So I formatted the hard drive within Linux and now I no longer get that error. Just a flashing underscore forever

 

[Toxxyc]

You can install the BIOS from a flash drive as well, not only from a floppy. Not sure if the BIOS would support a flash drive booting though...