Re: new PC catch-22


"Robert Baer" <robertbaer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:458E1C0A.7050004@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Start with new (6-month old), bleeding edge stuff: motherboard, Intel
D CPU, 80Gbyte hard drive, Sony DVD R/W, 500W supply, WinXP Pro.
Major problems:
1) "Intel uCode error...press F1 to continue" no boot from the WinXP CD.
2) Update BIOS to latest available (beta): the uCode error goes away; no
boot.
3) Go into the BIOS setup, first screen: *nothing* recognized; Primary
Master, Primary Slave,Seconsdary Master and Secondary Slave all have the
same message, to the effect "nothing available".

But, in booting up, there is a bit of screen fiddling, and the
installed hard drive and DVD drive are listed as present.
The DVD light has a very short blink after that, but the CD is not
accessed.

Now, the interesting part: plop in a PartitionMagic (bootable) CD,
and that works!
Understand, the PartitionMagic CD is old, way before Micro$uck
thought of XP (2002).

Seems to me that M$ has teamed with the BIOS and board makers to make
sure that one cannot *install* WinXp from scratch on these new computers.

But..if you happen to have a computer like that with WinXP installed,
the WinXP is readable and can be used for updates, etc.

So....
How in the h*ll does one start from scratch?

On the other hand ... bought this motherboard a few months ago. Found I
needed a new case as PCB mounting holes are now different.
Still wouldn't work. Discover I needed to buy a 'new style' PSU with the
extra power connector thingy. Then a 2 day waste of my life finding out it
wouldn't run windows98. Discover it was designed for the damnable windows
XP.
So, hardware had been designed for a particular micro (AMD) and a particular
micro*** OS. Nowhere were these details stated. The arrogant bastards
assumption being that we're all non technical consumers, hence will buy and
use whatever package they choose to offer us.
Seems the only 'compatability' we are left with, is the ability to run ms
progs. Aren't monopolies just the thing!.
john





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