AMDx64 4200+ x2 - CPU (socket 939)
Asus A8N-E nforce4- Motherboard
1013 BIOS
Windows Vista Ultimate x64

Comp's been working fine for a while now with the odd exception but generally good. Since moving my computer's been acting Very funny, it's not finding my SATA drive on occasion, it's my main drive with Vista Ultimate x64 on it and all my files etc etc (I'm currently running from Ubuntu Linux CD) Today it completely fails to find it, I've taken computer apart, tried different SATA ports, BIOS options, etc still no luck.

Ideas that I'm having are something got shook out of place in the move, possibly creating some dry joint somewhere or something, odd because when it has been working I've not been moving the tower at all and Vista will freeze up I get a blue screen for a split second then reset and the Drive is no longer present in the boot list/motherboard can't detect it etc.

1st can anyone think of any causes, remedies, as it's a pretty intermittent problem but now completely dead (hasn't found itself in hours at least...)

2nd I probably need a new motherboard anyway so what can you recommend for my system. Needs to support my CPU, Gfx Card and I'd like it to be built for/with/certified vista in mind if poss (which I guess would mean no nforce4 as it's not entirely friendly with vista)

I'll be on GAIM on here for now, so i should still have some IM presence for direct replies.....

Really don't fancy shelling out for a new system or CPU yet.
Only way I'd buy a new CPU is if I were to buy a new mobo and it comes in a bundle pack with a CPU then it's a possibility but slim, very slim.

You seem to think the problem is the motherboard.  While that is possible, I would normally suspect the drive first.   A failing (now failed for good) drive explains all the symptoms you've had; it probably got bumped one time too many during the move.  If you manage to get it to work again, your first task should be to back up any data you don't want to lose.

If not, arrange to test the drive in another computer, or to try another SATA drive in this one.  Since you don't want a new CPU at this time, there is no reason for you to replace the motherboard unless you are certain it is bad.

quote:

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Originally posted by Adeptus
You seem to think the problem is the motherboard.  While that is possible, I would normally suspect the drive first.   A failing (now failed for good) drive explains all the symptoms you've had; it probably got bumped one time too many during the move.  If you manage to get it to work again, your first task should be to back up any data you don't want to lose.

If not, arrange to test the drive in another computer, or to try another SATA drive in this one.  Since you don't want a new CPU at this time, there is no reason for you to replace the motherboard unless you are certain it is bad.

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I've heard some time ago, nforce chipsets were having some issues with SATA drives... I'm going to take a look, as I don't quite rememeber where I found that.... you should check for firmware updates for the motherboard.

Anyways, I also think the problem will be on the motherboard.... but on the meanwhile as snake said.... use that hard drive on another computer...

I dunno where I can arrange to test the HDD, I don't think anyone I know at Uni has a Desktop PC, also doubt the University IT dept would want to bother/help.

My only other idea is to try and find a small computer store somewhere and hope they don't fuck me over

BTW I am aware of the Nforce4 SATA issues, I think that I fixed that from a patch from maxtor and BIOS updates pretty much when I first got the computer.

Any other ideas?

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Edit 1: Been to an IT store near me, their machines could successfully see my HDD I bought some new cables for £2 tried in my machine, still nothing, of course this doesn't rule out a HDD problem but does lessen it.

SO i'm thinking new motherboard needed, or fix this one (but tbh quicker and easier, maybe even cheaper to buy a new one.)

any other ideas or shall I crack out the wallet again?

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EDIT 2: Hmm prices on ebay for a bundle AMD 6000, Mobo and 2GB RAM aren't bad, wonder what they're like in shops?

quote:

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Originally posted by aNILEator
Any other ideas?

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Adeptus is full of good ideas and props up whenever someone has some techy problem hehe, you rock.

I might get  a SATA card if i see one in Maplin's tomorrow I'm quite happy running in ubuntu for the moment, so not desperate as of yet (AKA not bidding/buying now on ebay frantically)

Right, well I thought why not and ordered myself a new Mobo, CPU and 2GB of RAM (damn postal strike in UK at the moment though so i dunno when I'm going to get it)

Last few days my PC's been booting fine, seemed to fuck up again if ever i had the IDE hard drive plugged in and wouldn't go past the device scan stage in bootup, that's removed as of now but i still get the random lock up and managed to snap a photo of the BSOD just now, did some googling and it doesn't seem to have a set definite (I always get the rare bad BSODs ) problem and the MS KB article doesn't mention that it relates to vista so anyway here's the photo.




I should also mention that mobo can't find HDD again after this error, and the dump never happens (I'm assuming because the motherboard or whatever thinks the HDD has been removed and is no longer there)

And another just now....

These BSODs are unsurprising if you are intermittently losing the hard drive, but they shed no additional light on whether the problem is the drive itself or the controller on the motherboard.

Since you are getting a new board already, let's see if that helps and go from there...  Also, you probably already know this, but you will need to repair-install Windows with the new board -- it won't be "plug and play".

Dunno why but my last post didn't go through

I was talking to Sunshine about this yesterday before it crashed on me.

It would seem very odd and highly unlikely that both hard-drives would 'go' at the same time and cause problems booting, especially as they are on different power cables and of different types, 1 SATA 1 IDE

Now that I'm buying a CPU,RAM, Mobo Bundle, that's been tested before transit I should be able to knock off my 2 main theories; RAM and Mobo, especially as the MoBo is Vista Supported and the RAM will be of the same type and current standard. I seem to have a history of RAM issues (despite all testers giving me an all clear) of which sorted themselves out upon Vista installation surprisingly

I was aware of Vista's dynamic installation techniques thus needing to repair/re-install Vista, I plan to back up as much data as I can and then re-format/re-install Vista again before re-instating the backed up data.

Hopefully this will stop the issues, as currently I can't get vista to load fully before crashing aprox. 40 seconds after sign in, startup items will no longer continue to load, system quickly becomes more and more un-responsive till mouse locks up then either it'll BSOD or just stay like that and turn off whenever i press the main power button in (rather than hold in for 4 seconds+)

Hopefully the new parts will arrive tomorrow or Wednesday via the new courier

new parts in (proud of myself, although still gotta get front LED lights to work properly Done ) and posting from vista x64 (didn't even need to repair,re-format or re-install anything)

whatever it was seems to be eliminated so far

Addition 1:

HMMM the 0x....F4 error appears to be related to my IDE drive, as i tried to format and install XP onto it and it BSOD'd with the same STOP code each time, so it would appear i had a problem with a hard drive after all as well as my motherboard.

quote:

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Originally posted by aNILEator
although still gotta get front LED lights to work properly

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I got them about a minute after posting that (should have edited it really), I just had to flip the jumper's to face the other way, some worked either way but LED's didn't. Thanks for the reply though

stricken through it now