HowToFixComputers.com

RJAG · Guest

Recently when I start my computer it hangs up and I have to reboot into BIOS
and change the boot options back to my Maxtor C drive rather than my Hitachi
D data drive.

The battery was changed a couple of months back. What could be causing
this, a defective battery or a dodgy BIOS file (still original, I haven't
flashed an update yet.

Mobo = 8KRA2+

R

h2so4 · Guest

The first thought that comes to mind is that you may have a short between
your case and the BIOS or battery connections. This might cause your battery
to discharge over time. You could test the battery to see if it has run
down. Perhaps one of the grown ups in your family has a multimeter? You
could start your basic system out of the case. You could try clearing your
BIOS using the CMOS jumper and then setting it up again. You don't say how
old the revision of your BIOS is. You could try to reflash it using Magic
BIOS. You don't say whether you are overclocking or give enough details of
your system for anyone to give you more than a few generalised tips.

It's worth remembering the old adage "Garbage in, garbage out." If you want
people here to take your post seriously and to give their time in helping
you, you really have to do a little more work yourself on setting out the
details of your problems, hardware and settings. Good luck.

Ron.

"RJAG" <robin@robingordon.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote in message
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DaveL · Guest

If helping people bothers you so much then why bother?

RJAG,
I'll help you without being an *** about it. First of all, do not use magic
bios to flash. Use the boot floppy method, it's much less risky. But I'm
not saying you need to flash now. The first thing to do is to think back to
when the problem first started occuring. Was anything else changed at that
time? You said you changed the battery two months ago. Why? Did it have
the same problem back then? I don't think it's the fault of the battery.
If it was you would have to correct more than just the boot order. Could it
be the bios file? Not corruption but maybe a compatibility with your hard
drive setup. A flash to a more recent bios might help.

DaveL

"h2so4" <elly.fant@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
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RJAG · Guest

last time it just stopped booting with fast boot but this time I have added
a new HDD. it seems to have been recognised by the BIOS without a hitch but
the boot order seems to be resetting itself.

R

h2so4 · Guest

It doesn't trouble me at all. I just think that we could all do better in
making NGs more informative and helpful. I repeat "Garbage in, garbage out."
Sorry that I'm unable to reach your Saintly standards or to match your
psychic diagnostic powers but if you re-read my post you'll see that it
wasn't entirely negative.

I'm not entirely hostile to the spirit of your comments about my post so
let's pass on.

"DaveL" <Top Poster Extraordinaire> wrote in message
news:XPmdnfIPoJdDzgLenZ2dnUVZ_s-dnZ2d@comcast.com...
> If helping people bothers you so much then why bother?

DaveL · Guest

So the problem began when you added a new hard drive. Tell me more about
all drives attached to your system and which drive was added. I need to
know which drives are on which channels.

DaveL

"RJAG" <robin@robingordon.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote in message
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DaveL · Guest

Ok. Maybe I over-reacted. I just thought you should not have assumed this
person to be a juvenile. I help many people who are not technically
inclined. They need people like us. But we should not come down on them
for there lack of knowledge. It's because of them that we are needed (and
in my case, paid).

DaveL

"h2so4" <elly.fant@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
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RJAG · Guest

Hi Dave, I have the two HDDs on the primary channel. A Maxtor 160GB and a
new Hitachi 250GB both IDE are on the IDE 0 channel. There are two optical
drives, 16 x DVD-ROM and a 4X DVD-RW which are on the IDE 1 channel. This
all strung together with an ANTEC 480W PSU.
System basics are XP2500+ (standard voltages) running at 2255MHz, 1 GB of
RAM (1 stick of Kingston value RAM and two sticks of Corsair 256 MB all
PC3200), NVIDIA 6800 VGA card. TT volcano 9 HSF. Sound is onboard for the
system bogged down with a SBLive 5.1 and GTA San Andreas. USB mouse and
Modem with a PS/2 Keyboard. WinXP SP2
Too much data I think but just in case and all this is mounted in a chieftec
6 bay case with 5 80mm fans.

R

DaveL · Guest

How do you have the hard drives jumpered?

DaveL

"RJAG" <robin@robingordon.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote in message
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AMD Rules · Guest

I think Dave is on the right track. I bet one or both of those drives is
jumpered to cable select (CS) and is confusing the bios.

"DaveL" <Top Poster Extraordinaire> wrote in message
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RJAG · Guest

I have the first drive (Maxtor) jumpered as master and the second as slave
but I'm not too sure about this one as there were two or three sets of
jumper settings on it. 16 head and something else that I cant remember.
I Know that I had it wrong first time and it wouldn't recognise either drive
so I switched the jumper around to the other setting and hey presto we've
got two drives.
Now my problem hasn't arisen for a few days now but this is just in case it
rears it's ugly head.
I'm thinking along the lines of the shelf life of that battery I put in.
maybe this is the first signs that it's on it's way or maybe I'm pushing the
CPU too far at 205 MHz FSB.

Thanks for the assistance chaps.

R

DaveL · Guest

I think you should post exactly how you have the drives jumpered or you may
always have problems. I don't mean "I have this as master and that at
slave". I mean tell which pins the jumpers are on when you hold the drive a
certain way. And yes, overclocking could be causing this problem. You
should set it to default to see if the problem goes away.

DaveL

"RJAG" <robin@robingordon.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote in message
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