[Ferrari]

Troy,

I'm back...I have tried installing a IDE controller which a used(new to this system) dvd rom and a cd rw would be hooked up too. I realized I forgot to check the requirements and it only has drivers for 95, 98, and NT. This computer has Windows ME. So, it didn't seem to work. I took it out and hooked the drives back to the motherboard, but now my computer seems to be booting up but just stays on a black screen with a blinking "_" I believe thats called a underscore.

I also put some larger ram in there, but I have not gone over the motherboards max supported.

I don't know what to do now. You told me to break it and do it all over again, so here we are!

Thanks,

[Advertisements]

Errrr... Oh boy.

This IDE controller... if you pull it out does this system boot up fine? If not, then the extra RAM you added may not be good...

Troubleshooting... Always troubleshooting.

Let me know what you try next, and what you've already done. I'm still here.

Troy

[Troy]

Errrr... Oh boy.

This IDE controller... if you pull it out does this system boot up fine? If not, then the extra RAM you added may not be good...

Troubleshooting... Always troubleshooting.

Let me know what you try next, and what you've already done. I'm still here.

Troy

[Ferrari]

Ok...I took the pc100 that was new to the system out and put what I originally had in there(pc100 just smaller) and it was trying to boot up.

Now, it is not recognizing the master slave(which it never has) or the secondary slave which it used to. It now just says none.

After a while goes by it moves on to hard disk diagnosis or something like that and says hard disk failure.

Then it gives me the option to skip or something/kinda don't remember and either just stays on the next screen or I know a couple times it would say to insert cd and boot from cd. Which I don't have of course.

Ok so, we made a step but like always, more problems! LOL

And your going to say try this and try that...always having me try stuff

The hard drive, dvd, and cd rw are connected to the motherboard. I have the cd rw plugged in with the ide connector thats in the middle, the dvd is plugged in with the connector at the very end. There is a third connector before the cd rw just not being used. That was new too...should the ide cable only have 2 connectors?

The hard drive is connected with the very end ide connector.

Ok let me know,

Thanks,

[Troy]

Are you serious? Do you have an IDE cable with three connections? I've never seen one before... You must take a photo and upload it!

The error about not finding an OS and to insert a bootable disc and continue, is the message your computer gives when it does not find a bootable operating system.

Perhaps you may like to run a hard drive diagnostic. It's possible the hard drive has finally failed, especially if it's an older drive. What make/model is the hard drive you have connected?

Another thing for you to try, if it isn't already - try connecting the hard drive to its own IDE cable.

Cheers, I'm still here.

Troy

[Ferrari]

Sorry, I was gone for a bit.

Well, what I did was just put another hard drive in there that has an operating system on it. It still wont boot!

It doesn't recognized any of the master slave or secondary slave. You mentioned something about running a hard drive diagnostic...what's that?

And, I tried just connecting the hard drive all by it self with its own ide and nothing...same problem.

Also, it wasn't an ide with three connectors. I was wrong. One of the connectors was actually female, not male. I don't know what you would do with that...heck you could have 4 connectors all together if you branched off of that LOL

General review...it starts to boot up and does not recognize master or secondary slaves...then says hard disk diagnostic failed, then prompts me to insert boot disk.

Talk to you soon,

[Troy]

A hard drive diagnostic is a utility (usually found on the manufacturer's support website) that you can download, burn to a disc, and then boot from that disc to scan the hard drive.

To be able to complete it, you'd need a CD-ROM drive connected and working properly.

If you don't know the make/model of hard drive, can't find out, or can't find the utility, Hitachi's DFT will scan more drives than just the ones made by Hitachi... You may have some luck with it.

Troy

[Ferrari]

I'm gonna try that but it may take a bit. My family is on the main computer all the time, so trying to find time to download it online(if its a big file) is kinda hard. They still have dial up...getting high speed on February 6th THANK GOD! So, I may just wait until then. We'll see. Don't go anywhere!

[Troy]

Oh noes! You're still on dial-up?

[Ferrari]

Whoa Whoa Whoa! Please re-read my last post. I said "they" as in my parents are on dial up. My laptop has wi-fi. LOL It's only taken me about 2 years to finally get them to change. Not exagerating! I can barely stand it!

[Troy]

Don't get confused there... "they" (your parents) have dial-up, a form of connection to the internet (albeit, an older and slower form of connection).

You have a laptop with Wi-Fi capabilities, which allows your computer to connect to a wireless network. This wireless network may or may not have a connection to the internet...



Cheers

Troy

Edited by Troy, 23 January 2009 - 01:10 AM.

[Ferrari]

Say what?

I really have no idea what you are saying and I think that may have been the idea. I'll just crawl back in my little hole where all the other newbies are LOL.

[Ferrari]

Troy,

I had someone offer me a working pentium 3 computer with windows xp pro on it for the one that we have been messing with plus some other computer items I didn't need or was using. So I did it. Thanks for all your help and I still have some partial systems I will be messing with and I plan to build a new computer in the near future. I will be posting again. I learned a lot from you. Thanks,