when correct BIOS settings would not work

[field123]

Guys and Gals, hope your insght get me trough this proble.
I am in Qatar, with an small american company dealing with some cocomputer issues using this mothereboard and RAID

problem : computer would not boot, no access to raid controller
initial splash at boot time :
Raid controller BIOS v MT30
At the bottom of the screen, I have:
<< pres CTRL G to go to the raid BIOS Console>>
ctrl G and ctrl I produce no effect.

the next screen:

"Adapter at baseport 8290h is not responding
No Megaraid adapter installed"

then next screen:
Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v5.6.2.1002 ICH7r wRAID5
i presss CTRL I again but the process continues to the next screen
"No bootable device Insert disk and press enter"

These are my settings in the BIOS :
Peripheral configuration.
Secondary SATA controller (disabled).
In Advanced menu.
Selected Configured SATA as (RAID).
Selected ATA/IDE mode (Native or Enhanced).

I tried reinstalling the drivers using F6 in the the windows xp install disk
the process understands the request for Raid install and prompt me
to get the disk, tries to install but at some point stops indicating "
install can not find the HD disk to install the OS '

To rule out an issue with the RAID Card, I swapped RAID cards with a working computer,
it was up to that moment a working computer. After doing the swap and
the changes in the bios, described before, I get now exactly the same results in the
first damaged computer:
"No bootable device Insert disk and press enter".

A third and las damaged computer ( this a brand new unit used only once in the field ) shows
almost the same issue is except that I can go to the controller,I can program the raid, actually "see" the physical and logical hardrives in the console, yet itwould not boot. same screen : "No bootable device Insert disk and press enter".


Your insight is much appreciated, I am convinced that the hardware is fine but some where in the process there are errors.
What is also weird is that the machines came to this state while working normally, and most strange is the result of the card swap.

Herman in the desert

[hkancyr]

Is there a boot menu in your BIOS? make sure you are booting from the correct device.

[field123]

Yeap the boot menu has been tested, I can boot from a floppy or a bootable CD if I choose.

Thx ... H

[hkancyr]

Mine has a choice of several HDD's and RAID's. Sometimes the boot order gets screwed up and it tries to boot from a non boot disc. Then I do all sorts of repair antics only to find that all I had to do was have it boot to the correct disc or array in my case. I hope your problem ends up to be something easy, good luck.

[field123]

ok,thanks for your input man, I checked the boot order, in one computer shown in black " no hard disk is present" yet is connected, in the second computer instead of HD shows Dev5-Something else, but no a specific drive or raid controller. I must indicate that this computers come wit a SCSI card where the HD are connected.