A7N8X problems installing Windows XP Pro

My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems installing XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having to try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted, it went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some point he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of "cannot find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the same error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask him in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

Hi !

Don't waste time on trying 2 get it working.

Download zap.exe (contains 2 fils, zap.com and zap.txt) from IBM. create a
bootdisk and throw the little bugger on it.

Run zap.com "zap 0" if this is the first HDD in the system.

Zap writes 0 2 the first 128 sectors of the HDD.

Then reinstall the system.-

Jannik

"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted, it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of "cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

zap.exe(?) the very name of it sounds a bit drastic! Would FDISK do the same
job? I've used that before.

Kath

"Jannik Ebbe Brich" wrote in message
k...
Hi !

Don't waste time on trying 2 get it working.

Download zap.exe (contains 2 fils, zap.com and zap.txt) from IBM. create a
bootdisk and throw the little bugger on it.

Run zap.com "zap 0" if this is the first HDD in the system.

Zap writes 0 2 the first 128 sectors of the HDD.

Then reinstall the system.-

Jannik

"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his
first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted, it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of "cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the
jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

I found a link elswhere to download zap.exe but how do i use it?

Kath

"Jannik Ebbe Brich" wrote in message
k...
Nope !

Fdisk will look at the current MBR and work from that.

The problem is that when something went wrong with the MBR Fdisk can't
delete it all.

If u ask an IBM or seagate Tech they will tell u 2 use a tool like Zap.

It will tottaly erase MBR and u will start from scratch.

I use it all the time, because NTFS and Fdisk normally don't get along
that
wel.

Jannik

"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
zap.exe(?) the very name of it sounds a bit drastic! Would FDISK do the
same
job? I've used that before.

Kath

"Jannik Ebbe Brich" wrote in message
k...
Hi !

Don't waste time on trying 2 get it working.

Download zap.exe (contains 2 fils, zap.com and zap.txt) from IBM.
create
a
bootdisk and throw the little bugger on it.

Run zap.com "zap 0" if this is the first HDD in the system.

Zap writes 0 2 the first 128 sectors of the HDD.

Then reinstall the system.-

Jannik

"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his
first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems
installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having
to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when
I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard
disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted,
it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some
point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of
"cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this
same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the
same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the
jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask
him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

Hi Kath;
if XP is a pre SP1 version, there will probably be a hard stop error caused
by the motherboard trying to install the USB2 ports. The pre SP1 version of
XP regularly threw up ntdlr errors. I also had a problem where the
motherboard correctly detected the XP 2100+ CPU but wrongly detected it as a
Thoroughbred core when it was a Palomino; wrong vcore.

I would disconnect the hard drive, boot up holding the Delete key and check
that the BIOS settings are correct. If that is OK, then the info. on the
following URL may help (watch out for the URL wrap):
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...b_tol_zldj.asp

John

"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted, it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of "cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

U make a bootable floppy (rigth click a: in xp, choose format put mark in
option system disk.)

Put zap.com executable on to floppy

Boot 2 floppy

At command promt write: zap 0

This will zap the first HDD in the system. If u have more than one HDD make
sure u zap the right one (disconnect the second !?)

Boot from CD and reinstall XP.

Jannik





"Kath Stennett" skrev i en meddelelse
.. .
I found a link elswhere to download zap.exe but how do i use it?

Kath

"Jannik Ebbe Brich" wrote in message
k...
Nope !

Fdisk will look at the current MBR and work from that.

The problem is that when something went wrong with the MBR Fdisk can't
delete it all.

If u ask an IBM or seagate Tech they will tell u 2 use a tool like Zap.

It will tottaly erase MBR and u will start from scratch.

I use it all the time, because NTFS and Fdisk normally don't get along
that
wel.

Jannik

"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
zap.exe(?) the very name of it sounds a bit drastic! Would FDISK do
the
same
job? I've used that before.

Kath

"Jannik Ebbe Brich" wrote in message
k...
Hi !

Don't waste time on trying 2 get it working.

Download zap.exe (contains 2 fils, zap.com and zap.txt) from IBM.
create
a
bootdisk and throw the little bugger on it.

Run zap.com "zap 0" if this is the first HDD in the system.

Zap writes 0 2 the first 128 sectors of the HDD.

Then reinstall the system.-

Jannik

"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is
his
first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems
installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm
having
to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so
when
I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard
disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was
formatted,
it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some
point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of
"cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this
same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the
same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the
jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to
ask
him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

Has he connected the IDE drive to an add-in controller rather than the
standard IDE controller?
What is the exact error message?

Reinstalling XP will likely recreate the problem at this point - zapping the
disc is likely to be a pointless exercise.

If the disc drive is not plugged in to the standard IDE controller (IE not a
raid or other add in controller EG Highpoint, Promise, Silicon Image) you
may get a problem like this where a device driver needs to be supplied
during XP setup - you do so by pressing F6 right at the start - there is a
prompt at the bottom of the screen that appears during the start of windows
install. You will need the device drivers on floppy if you are going to keep
the disc drive on this interface.

- Tim



"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted, it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of "cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

I agree !

However - his MB does not contain a RAID ctrl and It does not sound like he
is using anything but the onboard ATA 133 ctrl.

Jannik


"Tim" wrote in message
...
Has he connected the IDE drive to an add-in controller rather than the
standard IDE controller?
What is the exact error message?

Reinstalling XP will likely recreate the problem at this point - zapping
the
disc is likely to be a pointless exercise.

If the disc drive is not plugged in to the standard IDE controller (IE not
a
raid or other add in controller EG Highpoint, Promise, Silicon Image) you
may get a problem like this where a device driver needs to be supplied
during XP setup - you do so by pressing F6 right at the start - there is a
prompt at the bottom of the screen that appears during the start of
windows
install. You will need the device drivers on floppy if you are going to
keep
the disc drive on this interface.

- Tim



"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his
first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted, it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of "cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the
jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

Well, the mobo does actually have SATA connectors too - its the deluxe
version. But no Dad isn't using them and the drive is being plugged directly
into the onboard IDE1 connector

Thanks for all your help. There are a few things here to try

Kath

"Jannik Ebbe Brich" wrote in message
k...
I agree !

However - his MB does not contain a RAID ctrl and It does not sound like
he
is using anything but the onboard ATA 133 ctrl.

Jannik


"Tim" wrote in message
...
Has he connected the IDE drive to an add-in controller rather than the
standard IDE controller?
What is the exact error message?

Reinstalling XP will likely recreate the problem at this point - zapping
the
disc is likely to be a pointless exercise.

If the disc drive is not plugged in to the standard IDE controller (IE
not
a
raid or other add in controller EG Highpoint, Promise, Silicon Image)
you
may get a problem like this where a device driver needs to be supplied
during XP setup - you do so by pressing F6 right at the start - there is
a
prompt at the bottom of the screen that appears during the start of
windows
install. You will need the device drivers on floppy if you are going to
keep
the disc drive on this interface.

- Tim



"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his
first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems
installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having
to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when
I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard
disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted,
it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some
point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of
"cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the
jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask
him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath

When trying to get into the recovery console he just gets the same message
about not being able to find a hard disk.

"John Boy" wrote in message
...
Hi Kath;
if XP is a pre SP1 version, there will probably be a hard stop error
caused
by the motherboard trying to install the USB2 ports. The pre SP1 version
of
XP regularly threw up ntdlr errors. I also had a problem where the
motherboard correctly detected the XP 2100+ CPU but wrongly detected it as
a
Thoroughbred core when it was a Palomino; wrong vcore.

I would disconnect the hard drive, boot up holding the Delete key and
check
that the BIOS settings are correct. If that is OK, then the info. on the
following URL may help (watch out for the URL wrap):

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...hnet/prodtechn
ol/winxppro/reskit/prmb_tol_zldj.asp

John

"Kath Stennett" wrote in message
...
My Dad has just built a PC based on the Asus A7N8X mobo. This is his
first
build and seems to be fine except that he is having problems installing
XP.
Unfortunaltely he lives a bit far away for me to visit so I'm having to
try
to help going by what he tells me.

The PC POSTs OK - I know thats right as I have heard it say so when I've
been on the phone to him! BIOS recognises the presence of his hard disk
every time he boots up.

When running setup for the first time from CD this HD was formatted, it
went
right the way through to 100%. Then some files are copied. At some point
he
got a message about "ntldr" but after a reboot that message never
recurred.
Some time after that he got an error message along the lines of "cannot
find
hard disk". Now every time he tries to restart setup he gets this same
error. I suggested he enter the recovery console but he gets the same
error
if he tries to do that too. He has checked the connections and the
jumpers
etc and is pretty sure they are all OK.

Does anyone have any ideas for him to try or questions for me to ask him
in
order to get to the bottom of this

Kath