IT7 + Optical Drives = HEADACHE!

Fester_Silently · Feb 8, 2003, 04:51 AM

Okay Folks,
I'm putting together a rig for a friend of mine...here are the specs:
- IT7 Max w/17Dec2002 BIOS
- P4 2.53 Ghz w/stock heatsink & fan
- 1 x 512 Corsair XMS 2700
- ATI 9700 Pro
- 2 x Maxtor 80Gb
- Audigy 2
- Lite-On LTD 166s DVD-ROM
- Lite-On 24102a CD-RW
- Antec True Power 430w

I cannot get this godd@mned thing to install Windows!
Each HDD and optical drive are on thier own cable/connector.
DVD is on IDE1
CDRW is on IDE2
HDDs are on IDE's 3 & 4 (RAID), respectively

I set up the RAID array no problem, but when I set the boot order for CDROM (to load Windows), it hangs at the "BOOT TO CDROM" screen. Doesn't freeze, mind you...just hangs. For a minute or so. Then the screen blacks out for thirty seconds...then the "Windows Set Up" comes up...sloooowly...then (when it asks) I load up the appropriate RAID drivers from the floppy...it continues on...gets (eventually) to the "Windows Is Starting" screen (just prior to the "Do you want to load Windows?" & EULA screens) and hangs. Or freezes. I'm not sure which, because after over a minute and a half of hanging, I lost patience and restarted the b!#ch.
This went on throughout the day, about eighteen or twenty times, for over seven hours, each time with a variation of the above-mentioned hardware configuration: take an optical drive out; put it back and take the other one out; reseat EVERYTHING once or twice; switch the DIMM slots; take out all PCI cards; add juice to proc and/or memory; back to defaults again, etc., ad nauseum!
I am ready to chuck myself and this rig out the window, but I can't, because I promised my friend a rig by Sunday and I will not let him down.
Anybody have any ideas?

On My Last Straw,
Fester

P.S.
Yes - all drives are set to "Master"

ToshiroOC · Feb 8, 2003, 07:27 PM

Interesting problem - I have a couple of ideas - first, take the IDE cables for the optical drives, unplug everything to em, then connect ONE of the drives as a slave on a different IDE connector. Second, try to install window again... but then let the computer sit where you think it's "hanging" for at least a half-hour - it might just be that you are getting held up in that one little place and the rest will run fine...

Fester_Silently · Feb 9, 2003, 12:47 AM

...I just switched the mobo out with an D845PEBT2 (the "stock" Intel 845E board) and, despite having a slightly different configuration (doubling up HDD's and DVD/CDRW - only two IDE connectors), the SAME problem arose.
So.
Definitely a hardware problem...but WHAT? I'll try your suggestion, but, after two days of this, I'm not expecting much, n'cest pas?

Fantastically Flustered,
Fester

Feb 8, 2003, 04:51 AM	#1
Fester_Silently HardwareHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 51 Rep Power: 0	IT7 + Optical Drives = HEADACHE! Okay Folks, I'm putting together a rig for a friend of mine...here are the specs: - IT7 Max w/17Dec2002 BIOS - P4 2.53 Ghz w/stock heatsink & fan - 1 x 512 Corsair XMS 2700 - ATI 9700 Pro - 2 x Maxtor 80Gb - Audigy 2 - Lite-On LTD 166s DVD-ROM - Lite-On 24102a CD-RW - Antec True Power 430w I cannot get this godd@mned thing to install Windows! Each HDD and optical drive are on thier own cable/connector. DVD is on IDE1 CDRW is on IDE2 HDDs are on IDE's 3 & 4 (RAID), respectively I set up the RAID array no problem, but when I set the boot order for CDROM (to load Windows), it hangs at the "BOOT TO CDROM" screen. Doesn't freeze, mind you...just hangs. For a minute or so. Then the screen blacks out for thirty seconds...then the "Windows Set Up" comes up...sloooowly...then (when it asks) I load up the appropriate RAID drivers from the floppy...it continues on...gets (eventually) to the "Windows Is Starting" screen (just prior to the "Do you want to load Windows?" & EULA screens) and hangs. Or freezes. I'm not sure which, because after over a minute and a half of hanging, I lost patience and restarted the b!#ch. This went on throughout the day, about eighteen or twenty times, for over seven hours, each time with a variation of the above-mentioned hardware configuration: take an optical drive out; put it back and take the other one out; reseat EVERYTHING once or twice; switch the DIMM slots; take out all PCI cards; add juice to proc and/or memory; back to defaults again, etc., ad nauseum! I am ready to chuck myself and this rig out the window, but I can't, because I promised my friend a rig by Sunday and I will not let him down. Anybody have any ideas? On My Last Straw, Fester P.S. Yes - all drives are set to "Master" __________________ Hey - it's a pimpi lappy! Toshiba Qosmio Q870 Core i7 720qm 2 x 4GBs PC10666 500GB Hitachi@7200rpm nVidia GTS 360m Matshita UJ-141ES BluRay/DVD burner Win7x64

Feb 8, 2003, 07:27 PM	#2
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	Interesting problem - I have a couple of ideas - first, take the IDE cables for the optical drives, unplug everything to em, then connect ONE of the drives as a slave on a different IDE connector. Second, try to install window again... but then let the computer sit where you think it's "hanging" for at least a half-hour - it might just be that you are getting held up in that one little place and the rest will run fine... __________________ [img][/img] [color=White]Peace be with you, Joe.[/color] Driverheaven Staff Member (Supermoderator)

Feb 9, 2003, 12:47 AM	Thread Starter #3
Fester_Silently HardwareHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 51 Rep Power: 0	FYI... ...I just switched the mobo out with an D845PEBT2 (the "stock" Intel 845E board) and, despite having a slightly different configuration (doubling up HDD's and DVD/CDRW - only two IDE connectors), the SAME problem arose. So. Definitely a hardware problem...but WHAT? I'll try your suggestion, but, after two days of this, I'm not expecting much, n'cest pas? Fantastically Flustered, Fester __________________ Hey - it's a pimpi lappy! Toshiba Qosmio Q870 Core i7 720qm 2 x 4GBs PC10666 500GB Hitachi@7200rpm nVidia GTS 360m Matshita UJ-141ES BluRay/DVD burner Win7x64