I fired up my new rig today for the first time with a few minor problems. One isn't a big deal - the front panel lights and switches don't work. The mobo has an on-board power and reset switch so I can use the machine while I figure it out. The other - Windows won't install - is a bigger deal.

I've got a DFI Lanparty mobo with a WD 250GB SATA drive. The drive was formatted when I started running the Windows install CD. The machine rebooted and now I'm getting this error:

'Windows could not start because of a computer disc hardware configuration problem. Could not read from the selected boot disc. Check boot path and disc hardware.'

I have it set to boot from the optical drive first and the HD second. Do I need to now switch the two? I also haven't been asked to install the RAID drivers or the SATA drivers...could this be the issue?

'Preciate the help in advance.

Try going back into bios and set cdrom 1st, fdd 2nd and hdd0 3rd.Then let your bios auto detect each device seperatly.Then reformat/partition your hard drive with manufacter software.Now try installing windows in cd-rom and reboot.See if this helps

Bought the drive OEM so I don't have any software to reformat/repartition. I had to leave the house during the format so my wife called me to let me know what the error was.

I'll switch the boot order and see what happens.

You said it was a SATA drive... Windows has no native support for SATA so you'll need to load a diskette with the SATA controller driver, and press F6 when the windows installer starts up and prompts you for a storage driver (well it just tells you on the screen).

Your manual for the DFI board will have instructions on how to do that, including how to make a diskette, etc.

Windows most certainly does have native SATA support. Now RAID on the other hand.. that's a whole different story.

I ended up reformatting the drive and starting from scratch. It wouldn't let me install the 3rd party drivers so I let it finish the rest of the basic install and rebooted from CD-ROM. The setup program then allowed me to 'repair' the installation by loading the SATA drivers from the diskette.

I finally got Windows on the machine. Next problem - random reboots and BSoD errors. I had to switch the memory to single-channel mode to get the system semi-stable. I has only rebooted itself four times since. Once was while I was installing some software and the other three were BSoD conditions after installing Norton AV.

System seems fairly stable now. Just waiting until I can purchase some good memory (I guess there is a known problem using Corsair with DFI mobos).

Quote: Originally Posted by JeffDiablo System seems fairly stable now. Just waiting until I can purchase some good memory (I guess there is a known problem using Corsair with DFI mobos).

Yeah, the problem is that DFI LanParty boards can overclock so high with Corsair Memory that it only makes sense to buy the cheaper stuff and clock it up to expensive levels. Once again, as I stated in another thread you posted, you have to know your board first.

I don't believe that "Windows would not allow me to install 3rd party drivers", of course it will if you hit F6 at the proper time and have the right floppy available. Again, that is beginner level stuff. And please, do not come back at me and claim that "I didn't have that option available" or "It never prompted me". That is just more fodder for my opinion.

Quote: Originally Posted by ariesjj Windows most certainly does have native SATA support. Now RAID on the other hand.. that's a whole different story.

I stand corrected then. I don't deal with SATA at my job at all (heck I don't even deal with IDE lol -- fibre only), and my XP doesn't like my mobo then lol. It's an Epox 9NDA3+.

As for F6 installs of 3rd party drivers, I do believe him actually. Not that it really matters a whit, but in the 12 years of server-class support, the install I've found to be... finicky. Particularly with SCSI / RAID controllers. My old VP didn't believe me either so I took him into the lab once upon a time ago and proved it to him. (granted this was also on Compaq DL380's with a SmartArray 5300 - the only Compaq RAID controller that ISN'T natively support by W2K lol... didn't find that out until many months after our hardware purchases). Seems to be a one in three chance of the driver loaded properly during the install. That was on NT4 and W2K however.

Now Jeff, I have a suggestion, do you have any other RAM available that isn't Corsair that you can put into this problematic system? This isn't the first thread I've read about Corsair and DFI boards that give some issues of stability, etc. Mind you I've read just as many threads about Corsair rocking your world with a DFI.

On every computer i've used with SATA, it is extremely quirky when it comes to the boot order. For some reason, I have to set the IDE drive before the SATA drive, even though Windows is on the SATA drive! It works correctly now, though.

But I feel your pain with Windows and it's stupid booting. Glad to see that you got it working.

I would say that the BSOD's are caused by RAM also. Oh, what kind of PSU do you have? Just curious.

Quote: Originally Posted by BigAkita I don't believe that "Windows would not allow me to install 3rd party drivers", of course it will if you hit F6 at the proper time and have the right floppy available. Again, that is beginner level stuff. And please, do not come back at me and claim that "I didn't have that option available" or "It never prompted me". That is just more fodder for my opinion.

Wow. I'm sorry you think I'd 'come back at you' for your opinion.

I hit F6 at the appropriate time during the installation (with the driver disc not in the floppy drive) but setup did not stop to load the drivers. Thinking the disc might have to be in the drive I did the same thing on the next attempt with the floppy in the drive. No dice. Thinking it might be a bad key I changed keyboards - still no dice.

Each time I hit F6, when prompted, setup continued to load setup files. Hitting F2 to enter system recovery mode (right after the F6 prompt) did work.

So - I did have the option available *but* it didn't work for me. I had to use the 'repair' function to get the drivers loaded. In the end it was no big deal. I am a beginner (first real build with some overclocking and tweaking options in mind) but I do know how to install Windows and can follow on-screen directions and prompts.

As for the BSoDs - I don't have any more memory to test against. As this is my first build I don't have a bunch of spare parts laying around (at least not yet...) to use. Currently, the situation isn't too annoying (about one BSoD per day - usually after two or three hours of inactivity) and I'm researching my options for changing RAM settings in the BIOS. I'm sure I'll find something stable in the next few days.

Quote: Originally Posted by JeffDiablo As for the BSoDs - I don't have any more memory to test against. As this is my first build I don't have a bunch of spare parts laying around (at least not yet...) to use. Currently, the situation isn't too annoying (about one BSoD per day - usually after two or three hours of inactivity) and I'm researching my options for changing RAM settings in the BIOS. I'm sure I'll find something stable in the next few days.

Sounds like you did everything right for the F6 install process.

May I suggest you download the MemTest iso, burn it or boot off a floppy and give your memory a full health check / burn-in overnight? That may save you ALOT of grief, and if it proves to show errors, then you'll be able to get your RMA pretty easily if needs be.

And if the memory works fine, then we can work from there and try to help you out!

Quote: Originally Posted by JeffDiablo Wow. I'm sorry you think I'd 'come back at you' for your opinion. I hit F6 at the appropriate time during the installation (with the driver disc not in the floppy drive) but setup did not stop to load the drivers. Thinking the disc might have to be in the drive I did the same thing on the next attempt with the floppy in the drive. No dice. Thinking it might be a bad key I changed keyboards - still no dice. Each time I hit F6, when prompted, setup continued to load setup files. Hitting F2 to enter system recovery mode (right after the F6 prompt) did work. So - I did have the option available *but* it didn't work for me. I had to use the 'repair' function to get the drivers loaded. In the end it was no big deal. I am a beginner (first real build with some overclocking and tweaking options in mind) but I do know how to install Windows and can follow on-screen directions and prompts. As for the BSoDs - I don't have any more memory to test against. As this is my first build I don't have a bunch of spare parts laying around (at least not yet...) to use. Currently, the situation isn't too annoying (about one BSoD per day - usually after two or three hours of inactivity) and I'm researching my options for changing RAM settings in the BIOS. I'm sure I'll find something stable in the next few days.

f6 option will only work if there is a floopy disk in the floppy drive... so when it gets to the part to look for the driver it scans the floppy drive.. if it dectects no floppy it moves on....


the only other time i have seen windows not work when F6 was pressed, was when a custom slipstreamed cd was created by a program called XPcreate

I was using the original XP disc and the drivers disc was in the floppy drive when I tried it the second time.

At this point it really isn't worth dwelling on any longer. I managed to get the OS loaded and now I'm on to figuring out a more stable configuration.

Thank you for all the information!

Glad you got it loaded! I remember installing WinXP on my SATA hard drive with my brand-new motherboard. I had taken my floppy drive out long before, since I hadn't used it in years. I had to laugh that the latest OS wouldn't work with the latest hardware unless I had a spare piece of 20-year-old technology lying around (as well as a non-corrupted floppy disk). Why the heck won't it read drivers from a CD?

Doesn't make much sense either when it tells you to "Press F6 to load third-party drivers", and then it goes about its business for the next 3 minutes, before it finally prompts you for those drivers. Good thing they're going with an all-graphical install process with Vista; this one's pretty outdated.

I think this was a good learning thread for some of us like ME...

Quote: Originally Posted by FunkyFresh Glad you got it loaded! I remember installing WinXP on my SATA hard drive with my brand-new motherboard. I had taken my floppy drive out long before, since I hadn't used it in years. I had to laugh that the latest OS wouldn't work with the latest hardware unless I had a spare piece of 20-year-old technology lying around (as well as a non-corrupted floppy disk). Why the heck won't it read drivers from a CD? Doesn't make much sense either when it tells you to "Press F6 to load third-party drivers", and then it goes about its business for the next 3 minutes, before it finally prompts you for those drivers. Good thing they're going with an all-graphical install process with Vista; this one's pretty outdated.

I'm quite ready for the next generation of Windows - from what I've seen Vista has some promise. One thing I did read that disappoints me is that Microsoft pulled native RSS feed support. It would be nice to not have to install any software to get news and scores to my desktop.

Yeah, F6 doesn't always work for me either, so what I do is just press F6 over and over again after it says to do so, until the next dialog appears. It ALWAYS works when I do that.