hey, I am using Windows XP and i have get this message everytime i start my pc on the first boot screen. It does not detect the pri master(whatever that is) or anything else and pressing F2, F5, F6, F8 or F11, doesnt help at all. Afterwards, it asks me to insert a boot disk in A:. I tried inserting Windows XP CD, it says boot cd detected, but doesnt boot and freezes. Please help. I think my motherboard is at fault, but i want to make sure before i buy a new 1

Open the computer case (I assume it is not a laptop) make sure the cable that connects the hard drive are connected properly. Or even dis connect the gray cable and then re connect it. and also do the same with the power cable to the hard drive.

If this does not work then give a bit more specs about the computer.

That is what my friend told me to do. I did reconnect the hard drive cables properly. Still the problem repeats.

The computer sometimes boots up after i attempt to start it some 5-6 times, but sometimes, it takes too many attempts to start. I have to turn the power off from the main switch and start it again many times to make it work.

What other information can i give you for you to be able to help me?

btw, i did not open the CPU cabinet before this problem had started, so the wires could not have gone loose on their own.

This post has been edited by Chirag64: Sep 22 2008, 06:42 AM

Hi Chiraq,

Can you post your system specifications - most specifically the brand and model of the computer, or the motherboard model if you built it yourself?

When the system first turns on, somewhere you should see a message that says something like "Press F2 to enter setup". I'll just pretend it's F2.
Press F2, and you'll get into the system setup. Find a setting for the floppy drive and turn it off, or move it to the bottom in the boot sequence. I'd be more specific, but we don't know anything about your computer.
You could also find a watch battery on the motherboard, (unplug your computer), take out the watch battery for at least five minutes, put it back in, and see if you can start back up. You'll need to enter the BIOS and change the time back to the actual time, not January 1, 1970.

This post has been edited by The Admiral: Sep 22 2008, 06:51 AM

I believe i already mentioned, that pressing F2(yes, that is the BIOS setup key for my pc) does not work . It just says Setup-->GO, but Setup does not start.

nor does F11(to change the boot order) works. I tried to go to safe mode by pressing F8 or DEL, but that does not work too.

Here are my motherboard details:
Model P4I45Gx_PE,
Version 1.00
North Bridge Intel i845G Revision B1
South Bridge Intel 82801DB (ICH4) Revision B1

CPU Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Cpu Socket Socket 478 mPGA

System Slots 3 PCI


On the box, it says ASROCK. I hope this information about my motherboard is enough.

Setup doesn't start? Cool.... Try the battery trick.

Tried that too. Still no luck

Take the hard drive out and connect it to another computer.
If the second computer now cannot find your hard drive then your drive is defective.

Didnt work....now what?!!?

What didn't work?

What happened when you took the hard drive to another computer and tried reading it as a slave?

This post has been edited by The Admiral: Sep 29 2008, 11:47 AM

I tried to connect another hard drive to my computer and it didnt work.

Try and connect the hard drive from your computer to another computer that is working as a slave drive (like connect it instead of the cd-rom). and then see if you can see your data.

I am not able to arrange to connect my hard drive to anybody's computer because most of my friends do not own 1. Can you plz tell me a way i can check on my own computer?

It seems that your hard drive is at the end but this is not certain. If you only have a computer and friends don't then you can buy a new hard drive install xp and then see if the computer can recognize it as a slave.
But there is a chance that the mother board is dying so if you buy a new drive then you still need to buy another computer.
You an also buy a ide to usb connection Here is a link to ebay to see what it is. and this you just connect to the power and data cable and plug it into a friends computer. (you do not need to open your friends computer just connect the usb)

This may weird, but the error has stopped showing since the last 5 days so is it ok or can the problem arise again after a couple of days/months?