W2KASvr "Missing Operating System" & "NTLDR is Missing" just after install

**alchaemist** · November 23rd, 2002, 01:48 AM

Hi Everybody,

The situation is this one...
I was trying got a hew HDD IDE 40GB
I have a Soyo 7VBA Firmware 2AA7 (Date 2001-02-22)

I wanted to make a clean install, the idea was to end up with a 32GB NTFS C: + 8GB NTFS D: , so formatted it using 32GB in FAT32 (I would convert it to NTFS during the setup, why this? because I do not have the original CD, I have the files in the HDD), took out all the other hard drives, and booted to good old DOS (W98SE Setup Boot), fdisk, active partition, smartdrv winnt, everything as always...

First setup part, fine, copies the files, first reboot.

Never came back... if the partition size is over 32GB, I get a "Missing operating system", if the partition size is between 7GB and 32GB I get a "NTLDR missing", I havent tryied bellow 7GB, but I BELIEVE that it should work (After reading almost all MS KB)

Besides using my current 15GB HDD as C: with the system, and the 40GB as D: , is there anything else I might try?
I think I did everything, including but not limited to:
-Using OLS2000 boot manager
-Booting from Prim Master 15Gb but installing in the 40GB Pri Slave
-Installing directly from Win2k (Current system) to FAT32
-Installing directly from Win2k (Current system) to NTFS
-Preparing the 4 floppys to boot directly to the setup
-Editing by hand the boot.ini to try to force it
-Installed recovery console in 15GB, to use FIXBOOT and FIXMBR to the 40GB
-Upgraded mobo firmware
-Prayed to Saint Hardie the Upgrader
-Lighted candles to our Holy Motherboard as well...

I think is just the motherboard, and nothing can be made?
It seems that 40GB will just NOT boot.

It works perfectly once you are in W2K...

Any ideas?

Besides throwing my motherboard...?

Alchaemist