[nooblet]

A computer that I had just finished building has a bunch of problems that I couldn't fix after two hours of trial and error.

Well, I just built a new computer today (took about six hours), and being my first computer that I built on my own, I had a bunch of problems. I managed to fix most of them... but there are still several more...

Here are the specs:
2 Corsair 512 MB memory sticks at 400 MHz
Pentium IV with HT at 3.0 GHz, 800 MHz FSB
Powercolor radeon 9800 SE 256 MB DDR Video card
ABIT uGuru MOBO supports LGA775 processors with 800/533 MHz FSB
450 W PSU
CD R/W drive
(no floppy drive... I heard they were unncessary)
btw- its a mid-tower ATX case.

Here are my questions...
1) I got to the part where you partition hard disk drives, and I messed up there, and I want to get back to that screen where I can format/delete my partitioned drives. How would I do that?

2) While going through startup, the PC can run normally, but everyone once in a while, it just randomly shuts down on its own, and I need to restart. This has happened...
-on the XP startup (with the windows XP logo and the blue loading ticker)
-on the 'boot from cd' blue screen, after it asks me if I want to install 3rd party hard disk (Press F6) or an automatic recoverey of some sort (F2)

3) My hard disk sticks out, and whenever I put the case's cover on, the cable for the SATA hard disk always falls out and is undetectable.


I mainly want answers for questions 1 and 2. I could probably fix the third problem with scotch tape or something.

Thanks for reading all of this. Someone please help me.


I talked to someone, and they said if you didn't have those little red rings on BOTH sides of the motherboard, then it would shut down to prevent itself from being damaged. I have those red rings on the screw side only, but not between the motherboard and the studs that keep it off of the case. Does anyone know if that can help it?
I checked to see that all of the things were plugged in properly, so that shouldn't be the problem.

Edited by nooblet, 01 May 2005 - 06:36 PM.

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depending on your settings you can boot from cd to install windows. Or if you put a floppy in command prompt will take over. There are other ways to get to command prompt if you don't have a floppy but it depends on your system. From command prompt type fdisk and you can see and change partitions.
the f stands for fixed not format. SOme people are afraid to do it because they think it erases everything.

[hudihoo]

depending on your settings you can boot from cd to install windows. Or if you put a floppy in command prompt will take over. There are other ways to get to command prompt if you don't have a floppy but it depends on your system. From command prompt type fdisk and you can see and change partitions.
the f stands for fixed not format. SOme people are afraid to do it because they think it erases everything.

[nooblet]

Or if you put a floppy in command prompt will take over.

Does this have to be the XP boot disk? Or can it just be any floppy?

[Doby]

Hi,

You will need a floppy drive to do what I suggest, there cheap so I would get one.

run memtest86 to test the ram, let it run for at least 3 passes, if there are alot of errors then thats your problem. You don't need a operating system (OS) installed to run memtest that why you need a floppy.

Post back your results and we can move on from there.

Rick

[nooblet]

Alright. I'm just going to take one of the floppies from one of my old PC's and use that. I'll post my results later.