Dumb question time...

[TimPoet]

Ok, I got the thing put together, now what do I do? Heh!

I am using my old HD with Win 98 on it, but the thing don't work beyond giving me the instructions to insert boot media and hit a key, I guess cuz the mobo drivers and cd drivers arent loaded, right?

So, I burned a copy of win98 bootdisk to a cd and it won't read it. I am having insane difficulty getting a floppy with bootdisk on it. No one I know has a floppy drive.... WHy doesn't the mobo cd have a copy on it? Hmmm....

Well, I eagerly await your kind advice.

TIA

[coreywhite]

Well, far from a definitive post here, but I'll try to anticipate what the people who know what they're talking about will say.

First, they're going to need more information. Specifically, what is your setup (all components, including power supply)?

Second, if I'm understanding you right, you just built a new PC, except that you're using an old hard drive with Windows already installed, which you're trying to just plug in and go with. My impression is that that seldom works . . . you will possibly need to reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows from scratch.

Third, if your problem is just a matter of lacking a floppy drive to use for a boot disc, you might find something helpful at this site: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/.

Hope that helps . . . (though most likely not)

[TimPoet]

Originally Posted by coreywhite Second, if I'm understanding you right, you just built a new PC, except that you're using an old hard drive with Windows already installed, which you're trying to just plug in and go with. My impression is that that seldom works . . . you will possibly need to reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows from scratch.

That would be a hassle. I have some data files on that HD I want to keep.

Originally Posted by coreywhite Third, if your problem is just a matter of lacking a floppy drive to use for a boot disc, you might find something helpful at this site: [URL="http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/"]http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

Well, I got a CD with win98se bootdisk on it. I just can't get the comp to read it. I changed the BIOS to read the cd rom first to no avail....

My specs:

DYNAPOWER USA Titan C07.M3.15A1 Black SGCC Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Retail $44.99***

CyberPower 750 6 feet 7 Outlets 1250 Joules Power Surge Protector - Retail $10.99

ASUS P5L-MX Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945G Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $75.99

Hauppauge 1033 PCI Interface WinTV-Go-Plus Tuner Card - Retail $43.99

FSP Group (Fortron Source) ATX400-PA, 400W Power Supply - OEM $36.99

Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual Core,EM64T $94.49

CORSAIR XMS2 512MB DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)l CM2X512A-6400 - Retail $79.00

[newbuilder14]

Originally Posted by TimPoet Ok, I got the thing put together, now what do I do? Heh! I am using my old HD with Win 98 on it, but the thing don't work beyond giving me the instructions to insert boot media and hit a key, I guess cuz the mobo drivers and cd drivers arent loaded, right? So, I burned a copy of win98 bootdisk to a cd and it won't read it. I am having insane difficulty getting a floppy with bootdisk on it. No one I know has a floppy drive.... WHy doesn't the mobo cd have a copy on it? Hmmm.... Well, I eagerly await your kind advice. TIA

The fact that you got that far in setup is good. Let me ask you one thing - in the BIOS, is the hard drisk drive recognized? It should say the model of the hard drive. Getting an old hard drive to work with a new computer when it is the main drive is difficult.

[TimPoet]

Originally Posted by newbuilder14 The fact that you got that far in setup is good. Let me ask you one thing - in the BIOS, is the hard drisk drive recognized? It should say the model of the hard drive. Getting an old hard drive to work with a new computer when it is the main drive is difficult.

Thank you, I'm glad I got this far.

I don't think it is recognized. Any suggestions?

EDIT:
I'm using my neighbor's comp next door, so I can't exactly get to my computer immediately....

[newbuilder14]

It is IDE I assume, correct? Use the cables that you had originally with that drive and then see what happens.

[freakitchen]

If the drive isn't being recognised in BIOS, check jumper settings. If you're using a 40-wire IDE cable, jumper the drive to Master (or slave, depending on what else is on the cable). If the cable is an 80-wire, jumper to Cable Select.

If still no joy, try another IDE cable.

FK

[TimPoet]

Well, I guess I could do that. It is IDE and I am using the new cable select - the 80 pin cable, I should say. The old one was also 80 pin....

Oh- maybe I got the cable setup wrong! I'll reverse them and see.

Thanks.

[newbuilder14]

How are your system temps, Tim? My Pentium D 805 builds were always around 45C.

[TimPoet]

Originally Posted by newbuilder14 How are your system temps, Tim? My Pentium D 805 builds were always around 45C.

Can't tell. Nothing is working beyond the initial boot up.

[glc]

That motherboard does not support Windows 98. Win2K, XP, or Server 2K3 only. It should boot into a preinstalled 98 but with driver issues, none of the onboard stuff will work - no sound, no lan, VGA video only. You may have to boot it into safe mode and uninstall old drivers and hardware before you can get it into normal Windows. Reinstalling 98 is not an option.

Use the new 80 wire cable - blue end on the motherboard. Put the black end on the hard drive and the gray middle connector on the CD drive. Jumper both drives to CABLE SELECT. Check and make sure both the hard drive and CD drive are seen in the bios.

[newbuilder14]

Originally Posted by TimPoet Can't tell. Nothing is working beyond the initial boot up.

Bios - > Power - > Hardware Monitoring. That is the first things I check after I build a PC.

[TimPoet]

Originally Posted by glc That motherboard does not support Windows 98. Win2K, XP, or Server 2K3 only. It should boot into a preinstalled 98 but with driver issues, none of the onboard stuff will work - no sound, no lan, VGA video only. You may have to boot it into safe mode and uninstall old drivers and hardware before you can get it into normal Windows. Reinstalling 98 is not an option. Use the new 80 wire cable - blue end on the motherboard. Put the black end on the hard drive and the gray middle connector on the CD drive. Jumper both drives to CABLE SELECT. Check and make sure both the hard drive and CD drive are seen in the bios.

Will I be able to save my data files?
Dang! That means I have to buy XPee.
I just checked my cable setup on the drives and it seemed that since the dvd drive is above the HDD that it is impossible to put the black end on the HDD since it is below the DVD rom. Right now the black is on the ROM and the gray on the HDD. Hmmm.... Guess I'll have to twist cables around....

[newbuilder14]

Maybe you can use that hard drive just for storage (not sure if it has Win98) along with a new, faster hard drive with XP.

[TimPoet]

Ok, well I got it to boot up in safe mode, I forgot to see if it is recognizing the HDD and CD drive....
Actually, I see no reason to go any further until I buy XPee and maybe a new HDD. Don't know if I got the funds.... A kink in the works. Shucks.

Well, I got to get ready for work.

Thanks for the help so far, guys.

[ktkendall]

Probably just have 1 ide channel on that board, and it will never be great using an old ide HD as your main HD and slaving an optical drive on that same channel. That will just not work to you full advantage and potential of that board. You really want to go with a newer sata drive and leave the optical drive by itself on that ide channel.

[TimPoet]

Well, I twisted things around and got the HDD to show up. Guess I'll remove the drivers and hardware....