First Custom Computer. . . First Failure

[Fronzbot]

Ok, I've been having extreme trouble after building my first computer.
Specs:
CPU = Q6600
MOBO = Abit IP35 Pro
RAM = 4GB OCZ DDR2 800 (1GB each)
PS = OCZ 700W
VGA = XFX 8800GT
HDD = 320GB SATA 3.0Gb/s
Case = NXZT Zero
OS = Windows Vista Ultimate x64

Ok so here's the problem (I wrote the same thign to Abit and am awaiting a response, hopefully a helpful one!)

I began to install windows and halfway through the installation it stopped and gave me a blue screen with an error message prompting for a restart. I proceeded to restart the computer and at the post screen right before it would normally start the installation I received in error stating: "BOOTMGR is missing. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart." I restarted and got the same message. I attempted to try a different disk of Windows Vista Ultimate x64 and got the same message. Next I tried swapping out the IDE DVD drive with another and again the same result. Next I attempted to boot off my Windows XP Home IDE HDD and recieved an error message saying something to the effect of "Windows cannot boot because there is a hardware configuration error". Then I reverted back to my SATA HDD and my IDE DVD drive and tried to boot off of a windows XP disk. Once again the BOOTMGR message appeared. Then I tried a KNOPPIX disk and the very same message appeared, frustrating me even further. I attempted to change the jumper pins on the IDE DVD drive as well, starting with Master then Slave then Cable Select then just taking the jumper pin off and still received the BOOTMGR message. I have tried everything that I can think of to fix this problem and have obviously seen no productive results.

Any ideas???

 

[sPlAtOiD]

- Get your Vista installation DVD and pop it into your drive.
- Then restart your computer.
- Set your computer to boot from DVD or CD in your BIOS.

Vista will ask you for language and keyboard layout information, after which you will be asked if you want to re-install Vista or repair your existing installation.
Select Repair. After which Vista's System Recovery Tool will start.



If the previous method does not resolve the problem, you can rebuild the BCD store by using the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment. To do this, follow these steps:

- Get your Vista installation DVD and pop it into your drive.
- Then restart your computer.
- Press a key when you are prompted.
- Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next
- Click Repair your computer
- Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next
- In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt
- Type bootrec /rebuildbcd and then press ENTER

• If Bootrec runs successfully, it will present you with the installation path of a Windows directory. To add the entry to the BCD store, type Yes . A confirmation message appears that indicates the entry was added successfully.

• If Bootrec cannot locate any missing Windows installations, you must remove the BCD store, and then you must re-create it. To do this, type the following commands in the order shown below: (Remember to press ENTER after each command)

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

bootrec /rebuildbcd

- Restart the computer.

 

[decibaL]

i smell a ram failure

 

[Fronzbot]

@sPlAtOiD: I dont get so far as to be able to select language and everything. Like I said, I end at the post screen and then it prompts me for a restart

@decibal: RAM? I wouldn't of thought of that. Could it be just one stick or many of them? (i might just be inclined to test one stick at a time!)

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Try one stick at a time... Could be ram, could be issues with the computer writing to the hard drive.

 

[sPlAtOiD]

So did you try to reset your bios to default? Probably did but had to ask.

 

[Fronzbot]

I reset my BIOS and got the same error
I tried each individual stick and still same error.

No word from Abit yet. I'm tempted to call Microsoft and pay the exorbitant fee and hope they can help.

Argh.

 

[Fronzbot]

I think I discovered the failure:
I disabled my HDD entirely from bios and then restarted. This time I actually got into Vista installation but obviously could not install because the HDD was totally disabled.

This is a hard rive problem correct? I should RMA it??

 

[brinks]

Connect the hard drive into another computer as a storage drive/secondary drive and format it. Then connect it back into your new computer.

Also when you your trying sPlAtOiD suggestions, did you set the DVD rom drive as the very first device that it boots from? If not, then it was trying to boot from the hard drive before.

 

[Fronzbot]

Yeah, DVD was set first and all that stuff was correct.
I don't have any other SATA computer so connecting and reformatting it is quite hard to do :laughing:

I just RMA'd it and hopefully the new one works (if not my computer may be meeting a baseball bat in the future :sharp_teeth: )