1st Build - Major help needed

TVeblen said:

Have you deleted the 100/200MB System Partition from the 1st spinner yet?

If you have a second System Partition introduced to the system you should not be surprised if it chokes. Delete that partition and C: and you just have a data drive and you should not have any problems adding that drive or more.

srry to type so much. maybe a little too much caffeine

I have not. I am currently stuck in the Sys repair/restore loop. I think I need to take the board out and see if I can run Win w/o it installed. There have been so many common problems that have surfaced over different OS', installs of OS' and different HDs which leads me to believe that the common denominator must be the problem. The board. This thread prompted to rethink that premise.

I've had TONS of problems since I put this PC together to the point that I started to ignore restarts and bizarre anomalies and just assume they were part of this PC; however they should NOT be resurfacing over and over again.

And...I can't even boot to the DVD. Tells me to Reboot w/proper boot media. I have the manual and I'm going to read it again to see if I can operate this BIOS correctly. I've never seen a BIOS like this and I don't understand it :-/

The prompts about the board made me remember that when I installed the board I had to use some force to get the I/Os to push through the back of the case. The metal tabs that get pushed/moved when they hit the I/Os were pretty stiff. I had to put the board in place with one hand and then screw into a standoff w/the other hand in order to the keep the screw hole lined up w/the board. I will say again that I was as careful as I could be, but maybe that's wasn't careful enough.

In summary, my plan ....
Taking out the board.
reconnecting everything and putting it back in (mem/SSD (only)/DVD/front panel connectors etc.)
Clean the SSD
Format completely the SSD
boot to DVD
complete reinstall
Install 1 HD w/win
Boot to gpart
anihilate 100mb partition
reboot and hope it starts up.

This PC does NOT like any change in hardware. Almost any hardware change causes this:
can't start
repair
restore
reboot
problem/restore
boots to windows.

WIN updates did this frequently w/the spinner but less frequently w/the SSD
update
restart
problem
restore
OK . boot to Win.

In summary, my plan ....
Taking out the board.
reconnecting everything and putting it back in (mem/SSD (only)/DVD/front panel connectors etc.)
Run Memtest - at least 3 passes http://www.memtest.org/ Acceptable = 0 errors
In BIOS: Load Optimized/Failsafe defaults
In BIOS: Set SATA Mode to AHCI
Clean the SSD
Format completely the SSD
boot to DVD
complete reinstall
Install 1 HD w/win
Boot to gpart
anihilate 100mb partition
reboot and hope it starts up.

TVeblen said:

In summary, my plan ....
Taking out the board.
reconnecting everything and putting it back in (mem/SSD (only)/DVD/front panel connectors etc.)
Run Memtest - at least 3 passes http://www.memtest.org/ Acceptable = 0 errors
In BIOS: Load Optimized/Failsafe defaults
In BIOS: Set SATA Mode to AHCI
Clean the SSD
Format completely the SSD
boot to DVD
complete reinstall
Install 1 HD w/win
Boot to gpart
anihilate 100mb partition
reboot and hope it starts up.

I ran memtest a month ago for about 10 hours and it came out clean. Memtest kept running more tests and I didn't know I was supposed to stop it!

BIOS - Yes...optimal, however the bios thinks Onchip SATA should be set to IDE. I will force it anyways. I'll hit optimal, though I already did yesterday, and then switch SATA to AHCI.

Took it out of the case
There are 5 standoffs and 5 screws. I'm almost positive they are the correct screws. They don't overlap the circle where the screws go. Circle being a white circle drawn around the screw hole. Like I said earlier, one corner of the motherboard is not supported because there is no standoff there. The board is small and is not floppy and it doesn't move at all. It feels secure to me.

Power on with only monitor hooked up, can't get into BIOS.
Power on with monitor AND kb hooked, go into BIOS. lol...took me 5 times before I realized the kb wasn't hooked up.
Set to Optimal defaults and Onchip SATA to SATA. (IDE is the optimal default apparently)
Plugged SSD into SATA 0, booted to "something has changed, insert Win disc'.
Plugged in DVD, went into BIOS
Set it to boot to DVD, I get Reboot and select proper media.

BOOT option 1 is almost SURELY set to P1 ATAPI iHAS124 W which is my DVD. This BIOS makes me crazy as I'm not entirely sure how to move the boot items around but when the item is highlighted in blue that means it is the boot device; even if it's not at the top of the list.

I have no idea what to do next if I can't boot to the DVD.

I will go check out the manual until I get a response.

I dig, but I'm completely stuck because it will simply not boot to the DVD.

Even if I hit f12 and tell it to boot to the DVD it won't.

Guess I'll ask again on the Giga board.

linnemeyerhere said:

Or get out that pesky mobo manual !

About to dig into it HOWEVER; I am going into the boot screen (prior to BIOS) and selecting my DVD player but it will NOT boot to it. I get REBOOT and select proper media.

:-/
Brick wall
impasse
stuck