[eyeCpc]

Besides any problems with a new drive you might want to try another data cable to see if that needs replacing. While a bad cable is more commonly seen with the flat ribbon ide type you can run into a few bad sata cables once in a blue moon.

You'll know fast if the drive can't be written to if a drive is toast. The fact that Windows went on and runs suggests either bad sectors on the drive(less likely then a bad cable) or perhaps a bad install from a drive needing a lens cleaner or a finger marked or scratched disk. Yet you can everything just right and still need to see a second install if something wasn't fully copied during the first install.

[WasTech]

Hi eye,

I tried a new cable now but no change. I'm pretty sure it's the MB now but how can I be sure? What else can I test? ASUS told me to return the MB but they only want to give me a reman in exchange. I pay for brand new and end up with reman, not happy about that. They didn't even want to try any test just send it back, whats that?

[eyeCpc]

They won't waste the time being the manufacturer. They probably end up tossing enough boards due to goofs on the production line and find it better to provide you with a new board. If it's a different model but equivalent as far as options and ports that can be a plus over getting a replacement out of a bad batch!

When a friend asked me some time back to look over a new build at the time since nothing would work on the second board I advised a different model or make and model. He selected a different Asus model(of all brands) and has had a reliable system since.

What they will do is simply replace that for one known to be good that they had to first go through being this is long after the vendor's return date and now under manuffacturer's warranty only. It beats paying out a second time for a totally new board all over again for them to send you a slightly used board gone through by them.

[WasTech]

Yea I guess, but I really would like to know it is the MB before I send it back. I don't want to get another board from them and find out it wasn't the problem.

[eyeCpc]

The only thing left since you decided the board is seeing a problem would be trying a driver disk for seeing the installer load them up with the F6 option. But you already saw Windows go on with previous attempts leaving some room still for a drive with a defect and not the board itself.

[WasTech]

Checkdisk saw no problems with HD. So what do you think I should do? Let me explain what this thing is doing now. It boots intermittently. Meaning some times I get to WinXP login and some times not. Some times the ASUS logo comes up then I get a dark screen with reading disk error. Other times no logo then a reddish tint screen with nothing else. So far pushing reset/CAD one to two separate times gives me a WInXP login screen then all is good. I hate that I have all these new parts and I'm sitting there hoping that I get a clean boot to login.

[eyeCpc]

That's an awkward one since the drive seems to be working as it should. You replaced the cable ruling out any intermittency there.

I'm starting to suspect the bios programming may have been incomplete needing an update or the eprom chip is the actual problem. One time everything seems to work and next you have a headache. Perhaps even the battery on the board is weak and there is no hardware fault? Even new batteries can be rejects at times.

The two things for the moment you could look into would be seeing if the latest bios update is newer then presently on and updating to see if the programming has a glitch and simply buying a battery or two for keeping onhand and seeing if the one now simply needs replacing. The cmos that's maintained by the battery counts on a good one for remembering the boot order and other settings as well as time and date.