MBR/Sata Problem with AX8

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Hello,

I just ordered a new system (well the parts) and I am having a wierd
problem.

I first tried install windows with just a sata drive and an optical
drive installed. Sata drive is seagate barracuda on SATA-1, Sony
Optical drive master on IDE1.

This is where the weirdness starts. Upon startup, it does the standard
"press f6 bla bla", I cannot press f6. That’s ok, it asks me later,
and I do the "S" to specify devices, and it lets me pick the drivers
off the floppy.

They are labeled:

"Step 1 Install VIA SMARTX Bus Driver"
"Step 2 Install VIA SMARTX Port Driver"
"Step 3 Install VIA SMARTX RAID Driver"

That goes fine ( I tried just using step 1, then just step 1+2, etc).

It can then see the hard drive, format and install the files to the
drive. It then prompts me to reboot.

I reboot. Nothing.

I then check the bios, no mention of the SATA drive in teh boot order.


I then put in my IDE drive, I still have to isntall the SMARTX
drivers, but I am able to install AND boot from that drive.

What could possibly going on? I’ve been building my own systems for
years, this is just my first experience with SATA.

I’m guessing the problem lies in the way the board handles the MBR?

Please excuse the grammer as I am typing this from my best friend’s
laptop .

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

On 21 Jun 2005 11:35:34 -0400, phpmonkey
<UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I just ordered a new system (well the parts) and I am having a wierd
>problem.
>
>I first tried install windows with just a sata drive and an optical
>drive installed. Sata drive is seagate barracuda on SATA-1, Sony
>Optical drive master on IDE1.
>
>This is where the weirdness starts. Upon startup, it does the standard
>"press f6 bla bla", I cannot press f6. That’s ok, it asks me later,
>and I do the "S" to specify devices, and it lets me pick the drivers
>off the floppy.
>
>They are labeled:
>
>"Step 1 Install VIA SMARTX Bus Driver"
>"Step 2 Install VIA SMARTX Port Driver"
>"Step 3 Install VIA SMARTX RAID Driver"
>
>That goes fine ( I tried just using step 1, then just step 1+2, etc).
>
>It can then see the hard drive, format and install the files to the
>drive. It then prompts me to reboot.
>
>I reboot. Nothing.
>
>I then check the bios, no mention of the SATA drive in teh boot order.

Did you check to see if the Onboard Raid ROM is enabled in the Bios?

Ak

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"Alfred Kaufmann" wrote:
> On 21 Jun 2005 11:35:34 -0400, phpmonkey
> <UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> wrote:
>
> >Hello,
> >
> >I just ordered a new system (well the parts) and I am having
> a wierd
> >problem.
> >
> >I first tried install windows with just a sata drive and an
> optical
> >drive installed. Sata drive is seagate barracuda on SATA-1,
> Sony
> >Optical drive master on IDE1.
> >
> >This is where the weirdness starts. Upon startup, it does the
> standard
> >"press f6 bla bla", I cannot press f6. That’s ok, it asks me
> later,
> >and I do the "S" to specify devices, and it lets me pick the
> drivers
> >off the floppy.
> >
> >They are labeled:
> >
> >"Step 1 Install VIA SMARTX Bus Driver"
> >"Step 2 Install VIA SMARTX Port Driver"
> >"Step 3 Install VIA SMARTX RAID Driver"
> >
> >That goes fine ( I tried just using step 1, then just step
> 1+2, etc).
> >
> >It can then see the hard drive, format and install the files
> to the
> >drive. It then prompts me to reboot.
> >
> >I reboot. Nothing.
> >
> >I then check the bios, no mention of the SATA drive in teh
> boot order.
>
> Did you check to see if the Onboard Raid ROM is enabled in the
> Bios?
>
> Ak

I tried it with that option ON and off, still didn’t work. I am
starting to suspect a faulty mothoerboard....

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"phpmonkey" <UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> wrote in message...
> I tried it with that option ON and off, still didn't work. I am
> starting to suspect a faulty mothoerboard....

A faulty motherboard is about the least likely of all the possible
explanations at the mo.

Chances are that the problem you're having is down to the boot device
priority not being correctly set in the BIOS. I don't have an AX8 and so
can't comment specifically, but in the other similar instances we've seen
here this is almost invariably the problem. Provided you've got the RAID
BIOS enabled the only real remaining explanation is that it isn't selected
as a boot device.

Have a look in the Advanced Setup page of the BIOS and make sure that
Bootable Add-In Device is set to Onchip SATA RAID (and make sure it says
Onchip, not Onboard!).

Beyond that, as I say, I don't have this board so if you could post a list
of the boot device options you're given in the BIOS, we'll be in a better
position to advise you.
--


Richard Hopkins
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
(replace nospam with pipex in reply address)

The UK's leading technology reseller www.dabs.com

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"richh" wrote:
> "phpmonkey" <UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> wrote in
> message...
> > I tried it with that option ON and off, still didn't work. I
> am
> > starting to suspect a faulty mothoerboard....
>
> A faulty motherboard is about the least likely of all the
> possible
> explanations at the mo.
>
> Chances are that the problem you're having is down to the boot
> device
> priority not being correctly set in the BIOS. I don't have an
> AX8 and so
> can't comment specifically, but in the other similar instances
> we've seen
> here this is almost invariably the problem. Provided you've
> got the RAID
> BIOS enabled the only real remaining explanation is that it
> isn't selected
> as a boot device.
>
> Have a look in the Advanced Setup page of the BIOS and make
> sure that
> Bootable Add-In Device is set to Onchip SATA RAID (and make
> sure it says
> Onchip, not Onboard!).
>
> Beyond that, as I say, I don't have this board so if you could
> post a list
> of the boot device options you're given in the BIOS, we'll be
> in a better
> position to advise you.
> --
>
>
> Richard Hopkins
> Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
> (replace nospam with pipex in reply address)
>
> The UK's leading technology reseller www.dabs.com

Well here’s the thing,

when I ONLY have the SATA drive in there, it shows no hard drives when
i try to set the hard drive boot priority order. There is not a single
mention of a SATA option ANYWHERE in the bios.... I have traversed
just about every menu in the bios.


The SATA controler works fine I can format and write files to it...

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