In said:
Hi, I have installed all my hardware correctly in my computer but when
the PC boots up it doesn't notice the IDE drives (HDD or cd-r) either
at the start-up screen or in the bios. Now to this I add when I put an
old hdd (ide) in the machine the operating system loads and produces
windows with hdd and cd-r working (still states that my the pc can't
recognise my ide hardware at start-up though or in the bios). How can
I boot from cd to install my new operating system when the PC won't
recognise the ide hardware?
I searched on the msi website and the problem is known; how can
I work through this though?
My guess is that either you've got the IDE cables (and jumpers on the
drives) set wrong, or your BIOS isn't set to properly interrogate the
drives.
Start out, remove *ALL* but one single drive (your MASTER boot drive)
and set it to CABLE-SELECT (usually default with no jumpers; but CHECK
the settings listed on the drive itself to be sure) at the end of the
IDE cable. See if the BIOS sees the drive and boots it. Make sure you
are using the right cables for the drive and motherboard (usually the
newer cables with all the extra wires).
Once you get the first drive working, do the same with drive number two
(again cable-select) only using the middle IDE connector on the cable).
Do the same thing now with the third drive or CD-ROM.
Generally the CD-ROM (or DVD) drive should be the LAST drive in the
system. If you have only one hard-drive and one CD-ROM, that would be
the Hard-drive as MASTER on the end, and the CD-ROM as SLAVE on the same
cable hooked to IDE-0.
Next, with two HDD and one CD, the hard-drives as MASTER and SLAVE on
IDE-0, and the CD as MASTER (on the end) of IDE-1 cable.
With three HDD and one CD, two HDD on IDE-0, One as MASTER on IDE-1, and
the CD as SLAVE on IDE-1.
It usually works better that way.
If you prefer, you can set MASTER and SLAVE on each drive instead of
CABLE-SELECT (it makes things stabler; but you have to have them done
exactly right) while making sure the MASTER selected drive is on the end
of the cable and the SLAVE is the middle connector; and that there
*always* is a MASTER on the end of the cable if it's used.
In the BIOS, make sure that the proper IDE interface *is* enabled, and
that booting from same is also enabled. Next set the drive-type to
auto-select.
Disable any IDE connector in the BIOS without any drives connected; and
also disable any SLAVE IDE devices that aren't there. (This just saves
TIME when booting; keeping the BIOS from hunting for what isn't there.)
Remember to re-enable what's needed when adding more drives of any type.