# Gigabyte Motherboard GA-8I915P-G cannot install Windows XP



## riya1 (Apr 22, 2006)

Hi Guys
I'm trying to install Windows XP on Gigabyte Motherboard Model GA-8i915p-GA. I'm using a Segate SATA hard Disc with the capacity of 120GB.

Problem:- Windows XP setup run successfully upto the file copy menu. then suddenly system restarts itself and again i have to try to install windows. again when the setup starts to copy files to HD the system restarts. it goes on like a loop.

Please anyone tell me why i cant install windows xp on this SATA HD on GA-8I915p-G model motherboard.

Please note that i can successfully install Windows XP if i use 80GB SATA HD on the same Motherboard.

I updated MB BIOS to latest ver F7 from Gigabyte support site. but still i cant install winxp on 120GB SATA HD

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Model Name : GA-8I915P-G(Rev 2.x)
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M/B Rev : 2.0
BIOS Ver : F7
Serial No. : 
Purchase Dealer : 
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VGA Brand : ATi Model : X300 SE
CPU Brand : Intel Model : Speed : 3.20
Operation System : Win XP SP : 2
Memory Brand : Kingston Type : DDR
Memory Size : 512 Speed : 400
Power Supply : 450 W


HD Type: SATA SeaGate
Name: Barracuda 7200.9
Size: 120GB
Model: ST3120813AS
Firmware: 2AAA

Please help..... 
Also please note that the Motherboard & Hard Disc, graphics card memeory these are brand new items. I just bought all items seperately from local vendor.


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## Geekgirl (Jan 1, 2005)

Find the manufacturer of your hard drive and run their Hard Drive Diagnostics Utility. I have had bad drives from my distributors, its not uncommon. Could be a bad sector, when it reaches that sector it freaks on ya, system reboot.

I have a great program called Micro-Scope 2000, its a Universal Diagnostic Toolkit. I wish everyone would be able to have it to use.
It was very expensive but worth every penny. It has a neat test for the hard drives called a Butterfly test. The Butterfly test reads the first sector, then the last sector, the second, then the second from the last sector and proceeds to read inward with this pattern until the test reaches the middle of the drive. It then starts reading outward using a reverse pattern. Most times it doesnt need to get past the first test when you start recieving erros on bad drives. 
Very good program for a techie to have :sayyes:


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## riya1 (Apr 22, 2006)

Hello Geekgirl, if i use this 120GB HD in another comp with differenet MB. I can install Windows XP successfully no problem arise. 

then how can i beleive my problem cud be due to a bad sector on HD problem?

Please help i've spent lot of money for this i can't do the work without getting this PC working


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## Geekgirl (Jan 1, 2005)

My bad, I must have misread your thread. Didnt see anything in there about that. This puts a damper on things ..I dont have an answer at this time, please be patient


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## jflan (May 29, 2005)

Have you tried a known-good cable and /or a known-good header ?
Is XP asking for SATA drivers ?


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

Just a couple of things you might have already done:

Unplug all other Hard Drives when you try to set up a Sata (not always necessary, but some boards can be picky)

Are you tapping the F6 and loading the Sata Drivers from the floppy.

Does this motherboard (I don't know this one) have a Drive priority setting in the BIOS setup menu. If so, make sure that drive is in there or when it loads things it might be looking for something that is not specified.

Is your boot order listed as:

CDRom - 1st
Floppy - 2nd
Sata - The one you are trying to load on.

Are your areas in the BIOS setup menu for Sata all set for automatic detection?

LIke I said, you have probably done all this, but wanted to check.


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## riya1 (Apr 22, 2006)

yes i've done all that. I've only Graphics board and the only HD drive is the one i'm using to install WinXp. Bios setting is okay. Its not asking to load any SATA drivers.

The thing is when i insert my Windows XP CD it runs smoothly everything on the WinXP setup Program runs smooth. After the setup formating the HD drive & starts to copy files to HD then the problem starts. XP stup goes normaly 11% and the system restarts...everytime it happens.. cannot finish windows installation

I'm wondering that this motherboard is having problem to except bigger size HDs or what? because it can install WinxP on 80GB SATA HD successfully. The problem appearing when i use 120GB SATA HD. This 120GB SATA has already been checked with another PC. Suprisingly it works fine. no problem at all.
Any idea?


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## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

Have you tried writing zeros to the drive and using the drive manufactuers tools to format?


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## riya1 (Apr 22, 2006)

yes i did that


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

riya1 said:


> yes i've done all that. I've only Graphics board and the only HD drive is the one i'm using to install WinXp. Bios setting is okay. Its not asking to load any SATA drivers.
> 
> *Hi,
> 
> ...


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## -=carlos=- (Nov 12, 2004)

My last mobo was an Asus as in my sig that didnt need a sata driver for windows however recently is blew on me and I had to get another. I presumed that since the bios found the drive fine, and xp installed on it fine, that the hard drive drive was working fine....wrong!

If you have the capability to create a sata driver floppy (whether the drive be standalone or in raid) do so and use it when installing. You may, like me, think it's no necessary but my boot time went from over 1min to sub 40s by simply putting the driver on. The funny thing is I never needed one before.

This isnt likely to solve your problem, just thought it was of interest.


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## -=carlos=- (Nov 12, 2004)

Oh, another bodge fix i've found to work with drives that play around is simply to partition them. Dont know why but it's worked on every drive i've ever had that wasnt behaving.


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## riya1 (Apr 22, 2006)

Have any guys got SATA drivers for HD model Model: ST3120813AS Segate Barracuda 7200.9?

If you have please let me have the link


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

Drivers that will work should be on your motherboard disk. However, if that does not do it for you, Seatools should have those on the manufacturer's disk. Here is a link that has all manufacturer's utilities:

http://tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

If neither of these gets it, let us know.


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## riya1 (Apr 22, 2006)

Hello Tumbleweed36 

I've got another problem. say things gone worse.....

i've changed the Seagate Burracuda 120GB Sata HD to Western Digital WD Caviar SE 120GB Sata.

XP successfully installed on this WD HD with Gigabyte Motherboard with no problem.

After finishing Windows installation i tried to install drivers which xp couldn't installed. 

After installing all the drives and completing the system. i started to browse the web for updates for my pc...windows xp n other drivers

Suddenly system restarted... after recovery windows dialog box appeared saying that "the system has been recovered from a severe error" do you want to send the error report... i send the error report.... then it opend a help site which is analysed the error msg by microsoft... the site says my system is restarting because of the RAM problem. It suggested to use Microsoft RAM diagnostic Tool to diagnose RAM... and there was a download link on the same site. So i downloaded the Mem Diagnostic Tool and as adviced on the user guide i created a bootable floppy disk and booted the system with the Floppy. It then started to diagnose the RAM.. showed some failure on the RAM counter.. it says it will do 6 tests and continues again n agin until u exit from the tool. like as it said it carried the test.. after 3 completion the program hanged. the system also hanged. Cant go any further. Couldn't even restarted with the keyboard. so i switched off my system by pressing the power button. Then i switched on the system but can't see any thing on the display because the system is restarting like a loop and so quickly. start..restart start..restart like that....

i tried with different RAMs working normal RAMs .. i tired by changing Graphics card but still it is restarting continuosly i cant get in to bios even... 

Any idea what happened? My MB is faulty or the BIOs crashed or what... 
i tried by reseting the bios....taking battery clearing cmos with jumper...nothing happend still i cant get in the system

please help


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

To be in a loop like that suggestes either heat, a power supply that is too weak, or possibly ram. Since you have tried other ram to no avail, take the side of the case off and blow a fan in there and see if that cools it enough to keep it from looping. Also, use only one stick of ram at this time. In the meantime, tell us what brand name of power supply you have and also what the 12volt rail wattage is (should be on the side of the power supply).

While the case is open, does it appear real hot inside when you try to run it? Are all your fans and the heatsink clear of dust? Last, has this computer worked previously?


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