Hello, I am getting very frustrated & hopefully someone here can help. My PC was starting to act funny, (getting very slow, programs would take a very long time to open & sometimes wouldnt open at all until a restart) So, its been about 1 year since I built this PC, so I figured it was time to reformat & clean it all up. Then on my next start up I got this error: C:\windows\system32\config\system missing or corrupt So I restarted & tried to repair windows with my xp disk, but nothing happened. as soon as the bios loads up, I get a blank screen with a cursor that wont move. My bios actually crashes 40-50% of the time when I am in there. I have tried every boot sequence. It wont boot from a cd/HD/floppy boot disk. I have even tried a brand new hd & nothing. I have taken out the MB battery & reset CMOS & still nothing. Id love to be able to boot up again. Please help =] PC SPECS: MSI P6N SLI Platnum Bios v1.0 Intel core duo 6700 4gb corsair ddr2 xms2 pro asus Nvidia 8800 GTS Windows XP pro
P6N SLI uses the 650i chipset which is known for S-ATA controller problems. I'd replace the motherboard with an intel chipset based one, that won't cause you any issues with your nvidia card so don't worry about that, but it will require a reinstall of windows as the drivers used will be different.
Thx for your response. Would there be an easy way to test if it was my MB? & could you recommend a descent MB @ a reasonable price for me? (Id like the option to run SLI.)
If you get an SLI board you will only have problems. The graphics card you have is now out of common sale, and is therefore way overpriced. One card that costs as much as it does will beat two of what you currently have in SLI. There's no point. SLI boards are universally bad on Socket 775, that's the end of it. Use the board you've just been linked to.
doh, I didn't know that about SLI. Now, being that I cant even boot up from a floppy, do you think this is still a MB/SATA issue? I just dont want to take apart & rebuild my pc & not have it fix the issue. Thx again for all the advice!
strip everything off the motherboard except the speaker and try to start it. you ought to get beeps to say no ram if you get nothing your boards toast if you do, put a stick of ram in and try again, ought to give you beeps saying no graphic card. keep going til it goes wrong that'll be the bad component don't bother with sli we tried with every card up to the 8800gtx and there is no usefull gain just an empty pocket