A7N8X-E Deluxe doesn't like 80GB Maxtor IDE drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dominic Shields
  • Start date Start date
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Dominic Shields

As the title really, I can install Windows 98 SE but as soon as I
install the NForce drivers it starts to hang. Trying to install
Windows 2000 Pro gets as far as the point where the setup tries to run
Windows 2000 and then hangs.
Dug out an ancient 1.2 GB Seagate drive, replaced the Maxtor and
Windows 2000 Pro installs OK.

System is Athlon 2600 XP with 1024 MB DDR 400 RAM.
Bios was 1011 but once I hit trouble I flashed back to 1008 to see if
that improves matters - no change.

I don't want to lose the data on the Maxtor but would my best bet be
to bite the bullet, back it up and Fdisk the drive ?

Logic tells me this shouldn't be required but I can't think of
anything else, the drive was perfect with my previous Soltek board.
 
From: Dominic Shields <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus
Subject: A7N8X-E Deluxe doesn't like 80GB Maxtor IDE drive
[snip]

Usenet 101: Place your entire query in the *body* of your article.
As the title really, I can install Windows 98 SE but as soon as I
install the NForce drivers it starts to hang.
[snip]

So have you looked for and obtained different-version drivers? (Note
"different-version" does not necessarily mean "latest-version"; nVidia in
particular is rather infamous for releasing buggy drivers; so in many cases
"downgrading" to an older version is just the ticket).
Trying to install
Windows 2000 Pro gets as far as the point where the setup tries to run
Windows 2000 and then hangs.
Dug out an ancient 1.2 GB Seagate drive, replaced the Maxtor and
Windows 2000 Pro installs OK.
[snip]

What drivers (particularly video drivers) is Win2K Setup (auto-)installing,
and is this answer the same on both cases (old drive vs. new drive)?
I don't want to lose the data on the Maxtor but would my best bet be
to bite the bullet, back it up and Fdisk the drive ?
[snip]

You mean you didn't back up the data (twice even, in deference to Murphy)
*before* you attempted a mobo upgrade? Tsk. Tsk. said:
Logic tells me this shouldn't be required but I can't think of
anything else, the drive was perfect with my previous Soltek board.

Whether theoretically "required" or not, a complete metal-up
FDISK/FORMAT/re-install is *always* good practice when changing something as
fundamental and extensive as the mobo.

If you're now caught "between a rock and a hard place", I suggest getting the
system up and running on that old 1.2GB drive; then (temporarily) install the
Maxtor as a secondary, and back up whatever data you can get to *immediately*.
Then, presuming you don't want the 1.2GB drive in the system long-term,
re-install the Maxtor as the primary/sole HDD, FDISK it, and install
everything from scratch.

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.
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Usenet 101: Place your entire query in the *body* of your article.

Sorry, personal preference there, but if there's one thing that drives
me spare its a subject such as "Help required" or "If".
So have you looked for and obtained different-version drivers? (Note
"different-version" does not necessarily mean "latest-version"; nVidia in
particular is rather infamous for releasing buggy drivers; so in many cases
"downgrading" to an older version is just the ticket).

I have tried the ones direct from NVidia as well as the Asus ones from
the A7N8X-E Deluxe download pages.
What drivers (particularly video drivers) is Win2K Setup (auto-)installing,
and is this answer the same on both cases (old drive vs. new drive)?

Sorry, its only getting as far as the blue screen W2K setup stage
where the details of what its doing whizz across the bottom then hangs
when trying to start the first time.
You mean you didn't back up the data (twice even, in deference to Murphy)
*before* you attempted a mobo upgrade? Tsk. Tsk. <~>

I have done it now as I knew I could get in with Windows 98 and back
up as long as I didn't install the NForce drivers, just wanted to
avoid the tedium.

Then Fdisked the drive, same result - W2K setup dies in the same way,
went into BIOS, selected Setup defaults then machine wouldn't even
post, removed the battery shorted the BIOS jumpers to no avail. Still
won't post, I must admit I wasn't surprised, am about to get a returns
number for the board. The drive does the same thing with the non-Asus
machine I am currently using. To paraphrase Homer Simpson : "What's
the odds of having a faulty board and disk - millions to one"

Thanks for your reply - appreciated.
 
Sorry, personal preference there, but if there's one thing that drives
me spare its a subject such as "Help required" or "If".
[snip]

Well said:
Then Fdisked the drive, same result - W2K setup dies in the same way,
went into BIOS, selected Setup defaults then machine wouldn't even
post, removed the battery shorted the BIOS jumpers to no avail. Still
won't post, I must admit I wasn't surprised, am about to get a returns
number for the board. The drive does the same thing with the non-Asus
machine I am currently using. To paraphrase Homer Simpson : "What's
the odds of having a faulty board and disk - millions to one"
[snip]

Yet, it sounds like that is exactly the case here.
Thanks for your reply - appreciated.

You're welcome. Good luck.

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unsolicited advertising sent to this domain is expressly prohibited under
47 USC S227 and State Law. Violators are subject to prosecution.
 
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