Bios won't detect hard-drive upon reboot

[Liquid]

Hey, im a bit confused here, i just formatted about 2
days ago and it seems that every time i restart the
computer from windows or otherwise it wont detect the
hard drive (quantum fireball as 60) and it says insert
boot cd then disk boot failure please insert boot disc.
If i go into the bios and auto detect it finds it but it
still wont boot when i exit (finds the hd but stalls). If
i turn off the computer and on again everything works
fine. Im pretty sure nothing on the hard drive is screwed
because it was fine before the format, unless its some
programs doing something like tweak xp i have no idea...
motherboard is an epox 8rda+ with bios version 3716.
Could it be something like that it is shutting down
before it finishes with the cache? It almost seems like
it forgets the bios setting after a boot.. i have no
idea, though it seems like something easier than im
looking for... btw running windows xp corp with sp2

Thanks for any help

 

[Zagan]

If your BIOS is losing all your settings and resetting
the time everytime you turn off the computer, or unplug
it, you may want to considder replacing the 3.3v CMOS
Battery.

If you can boot into Windows, check to see if there are
any error messages pointing to a Disk Error or failure in
Event Viewer and report your findings.

 

[Guest]

You've 'hit the nail on the head' in your own posting:

"It almost seems like it forgets the bios setting after a boot.. i have no
idea, though it seems like something easier than im looking for... btw
running windows xp corp with sp2 "

You do have an idea and it is right, as suggested by Zagan: either
a] BIOS battery has failed or
b] You are not 'saving' the revision that you make to BIOS after auto
detection of the IDE devices.

Now, only you can work out which of these is correct.

 

[Richard Urban]

I just went through this problems on a clients computer. It would work fine
for 3-4 days and then wouldn't boot. I drove me mad for about 2 weeks. The
end result was that I changed the power supply and the computer has been
fine for about 4 weeks now. Crossing my fingers here, as the last thing to
change would be the M/B. (-:

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Guest]

yeah but i just got a new power supply not long ago lol i
dunno i might just reformat

 

[anthony \(p.s it is hotmail not shotmail\)]

hey, i can help u with the hard drive but not the boot
cos i have the same boot problem....when u start ur
computer push f2 (or whatever gets you into setup ) go
down to primary/ master ide hdd then select auto and then
select detect hdd ide this should detect your hdd ide if
not u might want to tke the cover off ur computer and
check you have no lose connections between any other part
of the computer and the hdd ide.

 

[Guest]

if u have a disk for ur mother board reinstall it

 

[Guest]

no matter i fixed it, all i did was reinstall the
motherboard drivers like the other dude said, BUT i didnt
choose to install some IDE driver part of it obviously
relating to the hard drive, works fine now on reboot and
all thanks guys!

 

[Guest]

Well like the other dude said try to reinstall your
motherboard drivers and if theres an option to install
IDE drivers or anything like that dont, it worked for me
i dunno about you, you may as well give it a go

 

[NobodyMan]

If your BIOS is losing all your settings and resetting
the time everytime you turn off the computer, or unplug
it, you may want to considder replacing the 3.3v CMOS
Battery.

If you can boot into Windows, check to see if there are
any error messages pointing to a Disk Error or failure in
Event Viewer and report your findings.

No go. The OP said they were restarting from within Windows and the
problem is generated. This never powers down the computer, so the
battery is never even accessed.

Hell, even powering down by pressing the computer power button or
Windows shutdown option don't "power down" the computer; not for the
last several years anyway. They shut down certain items, like the
display output and peripheral ports, but the mainboard is still
receiving power from the power supply, so the battery is never
accessed. The only way to force the CMOS to need power from the MB
battery is to interrupt the power between the Power Supply and the
wall outlet.