OMO: Computer help

[maviczap]

If you can't do an image on your wife's computer, then we could try on my home pc, I've got a cloning program. Let me know, although I'm working away until the weekend

[Kenzie]

Thanks Mav. I popped the main drive into a case and I can access it fine. Data is still intact. So it looks like a motherboard failure of some sort. I have been digging and the 1155 motherboards haven't been about in a while so if I replace the board I would be looking at used from eBay. Problem is that most boards are Revision 1.0 that have the faulty chipset controller which mine suffers from. There is a Gigabyte one for £60 and they have Won 10 drivers but my system was a free upgrade from Win 7 Ultimate. So if I rebuild would I have to install Win 7 first? Or can I just use the install disc I just made and use my Win 7 key?

Edit, just found out that if I change the motherboard then Win 10 free upgrade gets revoked.

[Talking Heads]

Can you not fit a PCI SATA controller?

[maviczap]

Typical Microsoft

[Kenzie]

Originally Posted by Talking Heads

Can you not fit a PCI SATA controller?

Good shout TH. I'll look into it.

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[Kenzie]

Bit of an update, I created a Linux bootable usb and I can get the computer to boot. I have access to my 1tb storage drive, which is on the same sata port on the mobo, but as soon as I plug in the main windows drive it refuses to boot. I have ordered a pci sata controller to see if that will help. I can access my main drive in its enclosure and I am now copying files over to the 1tb drive for safe keeping. Worse case scenario is that I will continue to run it as a Linux system until I can afford a new tower, assuming that the sata controller add on doesn't work.

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[Kenzie]

Still no joy, its as if the PC has rebelled against Windows. I dumped a spare 160gb drive in and its now a Linux machine. It will do for now until I can afford a new tower.

[Talking Heads]

Originally Posted by Kenzie

Still no joy, its as if the PC has rebelled against Windows. I dumped a spare 160gb drive in and its now a Linux machine. It will do for now until I can afford a new tower.

I'm confused.
If a drive with Linux on can boot surely the Windows drive can boot?
(switch off, unplug Linux HDD and plug Windows one in)
Have you tried EasyBCD? https://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/
You might even be able to get the Windows HDD booting while connected by USB.

I'm a bit rusty with dual boots, haven't done any for a very long time.
Used to have Windows on internal HDD and used a CD to install Linux to a USB HDD then used the boot device selection menu to choose which one to boot from.
With an SSD setting boot priority in BIOS would probably be sufficient.

If gaming is the only thing tying you to Windows, a Playstation or Xbox would be cheaper than a new gaming tower......?

[Kenzie]

It's a bit confusing here too. If I plug my Windows drive in, even with the sata controller it won't boot and the system hangs. Yet I can put the win drive into a caddy and I can access it fine. It's as if there is a problem with the mbr but the Windows recovery disc won't fix it. I'll try your boot software suggestion. I do own a PS4, but I find for games easier on PC. It's not the end of the world, but my current PC is old (though seemingly functional) I would like a new one, even if I don't end up with a gaming rig, maybe something that can handle a lot of photo editing.

[Kenzie]

Wow, can't even boot the friggin Linux drive now.

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