New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

[Paul Moir]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

That would be a blink code. 9 blinks indicates a sled failure, which means the head is stuck or the sled drive motor isn't running for some reason. It won't be able to read a disc in that condition, which is consistant with your problems.<br /><br />Plextor suggests you disconnect the 80 conductor cable and try again. If you still get the blinks, the drive is bad.<br /><br />I think 9 blinks is universal for plextor, but that model number would help.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

When starting, the Intel spash screen comes up first, then a HDD status screen appears for about 1ms, then it goes into the media test and subsequent failure. I kept hitting [ctrl][alt][del] until I was able to read enough of the HDD status screen to see something about hit [ctrl] I, so I did, took 3 tries. It brings up the HDD / RAID setup screen.<br /><br />Thinking maybe the WIN XP disc isn’t working because the RAID drives aren’t config’d. Maybe I need to config RAID so the system know what to format and how to load Win XP??? This is my first RAID experience…

 

[18rabbit]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Paul - it's a Plextor PX-740A<br /><br />Edit: I don’t think the Plextor is the problem. When I hit the reset on the front panel the CD drive blinks 12 times, them goes out, then blinks 2 times rapidly, then goes out, then blinks a half does times rapidly … I think the rapid blinking is the drive reading from the Win XP disc. Anyways, it settles down with a blank screen, cursor blinking in the upper right corner, CD drive with the light constantly on, won’t accept any input from the keyboard, ctrl/alt/del won’t work either, i.e. the system is locked up, requires a hard reset.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

No, I can't find any information on blink codes for the 740A. I think I'm barking up the wrong tree.<br /><br />If you hear it wind up the cd normally, it's no doubt fine.

 

[vipzach]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Lets try something. Rest your BIOS to factory defaults. If you don't have a floppy drive, then disable it in the BIOS and remove it from the boot order. Change the SATA setting to IDE, use the xp cd and see if it will boot to the cd.

 

[JustMrWill]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Ok...may be a stupid thought...but does Plextor ship with a locking screw? I have seen some cd-roms that has a locking screw that must be removed before it is used. Just a shoot in the dark..<br /><br />-JMW

 

[18rabbit]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Mr Will, no lockdown screw on this drive.<br /><br />Zach, I'm reading the Intel doc on RAID setup and OS loading. I looks like I need to set up the RAID discs first, info on how to interrupt os loading to do that, etc. I'll report back shortly.<br /><br />Paul, I need to put my ear on the CD drive to hear it wind up. That's why I went with this Plextor, very quiet.<br />

 

[vipzach]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Are you reading this document, I got it from intel's site Raid setup

 

[18rabbit]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Zach, that's a big document! I'm reading the doc on the CD that came with the motherboard, more of a quick-start how-to thing.<br /><br />The problem definitely isn’t the CD drive.<br /><br />Intel’s knowledge base says the ‘media error’ is cause by having the Ethernet listed as a bootable device when no Ethernet connection is available. I removed Ethernet as a boot device and the error went away. Weird, it was 4th on the list, didn’t think the system would look past the CD drive with the Win XP CD in it, 1st on the list.<br /><br />Still won’t boot from the Win XP CD. Put the Win XP CD in another computer and it wants to load, so the CD seems good.<br /><br />Tossed a Win 98 CD into the new computer and it starts the sequence to load an operating system! So, the Plextor CD drive isn’t the problem.<br /><br />I opted out of loading Win 98 on the new computer, leaving DOS in the core, removed the Win 98 CD, put the Win XP CD in the drive. I can peruse the Win XP CD but can’t load it. Tried to execute startup.exe, get an error general failure reading drive A<br /><br />Any ideas?!?

 

[vipzach]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Do you have a floppy dive? IF so, you could use a boot floppy and then get to the cd from there. Does it ever say "press any key to from cdrom"?<br /><br />edit: When you say you left it in DOS, was it at the A: prompt? If so, you can't run the setup from there, you would have to change to the drive that has your xp cd in it. For example: <br />A:\ (type E: and press enter)<br />E:\ (at this prompt type setup.exe)<br /><br />Does this make sense?

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

I think the vipster is on to something.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Zach, tried all of that in the wee hours of the morning. Thanks! Don't know why but everyone is avoiding (grumpy) me this morning.<br /> <br /><br />This morning’s status…<br /><br />Cannibalized my trusty old Win98/500mhz anchor that has been up and running flawlessly since 1998, probably becuase it never gets turned off. I extracted an old Creative Labs CD rom drive. Swapped the nifty new Plextor out, put the crusty old Creative Labs in, and started loading Win XP.<br /><br />The problem is/was the Plextor after all. What put me onto it was not being able to run dos from a floppy. It kept coming back saying drive A, I, J, M, or <special char> was not <insert excuse>. Will deal with the Plextor after I get Win XP loaded and the system running. I suspect I can reinstall it as a slave, install its driver and all will be fine.<br /><br />NEW PROBLEM: Think I now have a s/w issue… Loading Win XP gets up to completing the loading of the drivers than hangs. I can see all of the loading drivers listed at the bottom of the screen, there is HDD activity, and the status bar complete followed by some HDD activity, so I think the drivers are there.<br /><br />I can restart the loading from either the HDD or the CD, so the front part of Win XP is on the HDD. When I restart Win XP it asks if I want to reload or repair. Tried both, same result, hangs after reloading the driver (always says setup will complete in 33 mins on bottom left of screen when it hangs).<br /><br />On the first load attempt I was prompted to format a small (2gb?) partition on the HDD for Win XP. At no time have I been prompted to format the entire HDDs. When does this happen? Or should I/can I format the HDDs with a utility before attempting to reload Win XP?<br /><br />Suggestion?<br /><br />(btw, a great big huge thanks! to everyone for your support!!!)

 

[vipzach]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Were the drives new? I am not familar with how intels raid thing works and have not ever set one up to do to different raid array's at the same time, I didn't even know you could do that. I am going to read up on intels storage thing you listed above and will let you know what I figure out. Or do you have it figured out already?<br /><br />Edit: Did ou push [ctrl]-i during the post and setup the the first array? From what I just quickly read from the manuel, you need to set up the first array and specify the size you want to use in that menu. Then press f6 during when promted to during the xp install to load the raid drivers from the intel disk. The once everything is loaded I think you can then setup the second raid array using the intel software.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Well, Zach, you nailed it. (Yeah, the drives are new.) I needed to setup and load to the first RAID partition, then load Win XP, then define the second RAID partition.<br /><br />In retrospect, it makes sense. Need to first tell the bios the disks are config’d as RAID, then define the first RAID partition (the ctrl I option you mentioned) so that Win XP has a place to load to. The motherboard needs the RAID driver (the F6 option) in place to toss around the data on the disks when loading Win XP, but Win XP has no way of understanding Matrix Raid until that driver is loaded AFTER Win XP is installed. I was putting the cart before the horse by trying to setup Matrix Raid before loading the Win XP and the Matrix driver<br /><br />1-in bios define SATA mode as RAID. Reboot.<br />2-ctrl I to define first RAID partition. Reboot.<br />3-load Win XP. (At this point the sys functions as single partition RAID.) <br />4-load Matrix Raid driver. Reboot.<br />5-ctrl I to define second RAID partition (aka Matrix RAID). Reboot.<br />6-use Win XP Disk Management Utility to mount the second RAID partition.<br /><br />After mounting the second RAID partition the system is set up with MATRIX RAID. It’s a lot of work, a PITA to figure out, but it’s a phenomenal scheme. I’m using two 300gb HDDs. Matrix RAID let me set up 30gb at the front of each HDD to use as a 30gb system/OS space that is mirrored on each HDD. IF either HDD fails, the system isn’t dead, can be booted from the other HDD. The remaining 250gb on each HDD is combined into a RAID striped scenario that gives me 500gb of free HDD space.<br /><br />Thanks for the help!!! <br /><br />I have a couple of ILDVR DVR boards, now to decide on the CCTV cameras …<br /><br /><br />Edit: things I never figured out ‘why’:<br /><br />1-when installing Win XP, I opted for NTFS, not FAT32. If I selected ‘full format’, after formatting the partition Win XP says it can’t format - disk may be damaged, or disk doesn’t exist – no disk detected, etc. But if I opt for ‘quick format’ Win XP does it thing then loads to the HDDs as it should.<br /><br />2-don’t know what was going on with the Plextor DVD/CD. After getting Win XP loaded I put the Plextor drive back on the system and all is well, works with no problem.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

I have been watching this thread, I built my last, (and my first) computer about two years ago. I had a couple little problems, but I sure learned a lot. Had a bad board to start with. Im concidering building another one now this summer. You can actually get them cheaper by just picking up the phone or going online but I really like knowing what I have and I dont get a bunch of propietory stuff that I cant upgrade.<br /><br />Glad you got it figured out!

 

[18rabbit]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Thanks, BF aka LD. I’m thinking a bad motherboard may have been my initial problems, too. I replaced the board and everything came together in a flash; 20-mins to build the system, and another 60-mins to install the RAID diskette, Windows XP Pro, The Matrix CD, and mount the HHDs partition. Works like a charm. Doesn’t take into account the hours/days of frustration and reading, reading, and reading the technical material.<br /><br />This computer’s primary application will be as a DVR for a CCTV system. I could buy a similar computer/DVR pre-built for $9600. I have about $700 in this computer and another $1300 for the DVR boards (two high bandwidth 8-channel boards w/onboard DSP and w/8-chs of audio). The quality of the DVR boards now is so good and they do most of the video processing (DSP) onboard, freeing up CPU resources. I think the DVR’s spec at 2% of the CPU resources for each board. <br /><br />Since so little of the CPU’s resources will be needed for the surveillance system, I’m going to attempt to also use the system as a hi-def PVR to record stuff off of the satellite, hence the big RAID disks not needed for the CCTV. The DVRs require only an 800mhz CPU and 80gb of HHD space for 45-days of 16-ch video selective recording at 30fps. I have a 3.2ghz CPU and 600gb of HHD; about 4X the CPU oomph and 4X the HDD space. The diff in price between building to the min spec and what I ended up with is about $250 more ($700 instead of $450).

 

[Xcusme]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Just being nosey....What Brand,model DVR boards are you using??

 

[vipzach]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Joe I am glad that you got it! Why computers do the goofy crap they do sometimes is just a plain mystery. We had a lady's computer that we built and sent her home with it, she had no problems for about two months, then all the sudden, she started having really random problems with different components. We swapped different parts out and never could get the problems to quit, so we got all new unopened parts and completely rebuilt it.........never a problem since. No real answers why it did it. I am glad that you got it though! <br /><br />xcusme, where you been? I am can fix these computers when they are sitting in front of me, but explaining stuff to someone over the internet isn't as easy! You always seem to able to explain better than me, I figured you would have been along to try and explain things better than I was.

 

[Xcusme]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

You do just fine!! I've been working on an ongoing network project for a company. Seems it now has a life of it's own. After adding another 48 port switch, things are starting to smooth out nicely.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: New Computer Build – UPDATE! ... V3.0

Xcusme - they are ILDVR 3000H4c+/8 DVR cards:<br /><br /> http://www.ildvr.com/english/product/p55.htm <br /><br />Made in China, I got them from the NA distributor in Canada, Bern-Clare. THe online support from ILDVR in China is excellent! And in English.<br /><br />The $9600 price I mentioned above for a built system is the installer's price from a builder in Colorado that uses the ILDVR cards. Installers would then charge their customers more once the DVR is installed.<br /><br />Zach - thanks again for all of your help.