Solved can't partition hdd

[APTI]

I am ready to say this MB has been fried but I thought I would see if anybody had ideas..

Have an asrock 970m pro 3 motherboard. It was working fine but now needs a windoze reload. New drive, actually 3 of them.

1.. 6tb WD hDD (does not work because MB only sees 3tb max)
2.. 960gb kingston sdd
3.. 256gb kingston sdd

the latter 2 drives are only seen in the bios about 65% of the time. I can boot in windows install and unable to change or create partitions on them, Linux fedora live cd boots and can partition the drives. I have also had some random shutdown on the board yet all fans are fine.

normally I would write this off as a fried MB but the fact that linux is working make me ask if anybody has another idea. BIOS setting only pick up the drives in IDE mode all other BIOS setting put to default.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I'd remove the 6TB drive only to test if it's not causing issues with non IDE mode (SATA I guess) and to then test formatting of the other 2 drives.

 

[APTI]

I'd remove the 6TB drive only to test if it's not causing issues with non IDE mode (SATA I guess) and to then test formatting of the other 2 drives.

already been through all of that. I also noted that while I could partition and install linux, it will not boot as the drive is only sometimes seen in BIOS, same for any drive. What I am wondering is if there is something special I am missing, otherwise I would write it off as fried.

 

[Windmill]

already been through all of that. I also noted that while I could partition and install linux, it will not boot as the drive is only sometimes seen in BIOS, same for any drive. What I am wondering is if there is something special I am missing, otherwise I would write it off as fried.

Have you checked/changed the PSU?

 

[osprey]

I am ready to say this MB has been fried but I thought I would see if anybody had ideas..

Have an asrock 970m pro 3 motherboard. It was working fine but now needs a windoze reload. New drive, actually 3 of them.

1.. 6tb WD hDD (does not work because MB only sees 3tb max)
2.. 960gb kingston sdd
3.. 256gb kingston sdd

the latter 2 drives are only seen in the bios about 65% of the time. I can boot in windows install and unable to change or create partitions on them, Linux fedora live cd boots and can partition the drives. I have also had some random shutdown on the board yet all fans are fine.

normally I would write this off as a fried MB but the fact that linux is working make me ask if anybody has another idea. BIOS setting only pick up the drives in IDE mode all other BIOS setting put to default.

Do you have the latest BIOS/UEFI updates installed?

 

[APTI]

PSU is fine. and BIOS is a bit old but the latest available for the board.

 

[Alexzee]

Have you removed the cmos battery form the mobo, put it back and and rebooted?

 

[APTI]

Have you removed the cmos battery form the mobo, put it back and and rebooted?

yes I have. took out battery, disconnect power. hit power button and wait overnight. same thing. I tried this right after I wrote this. Then tried it this morning... No Joy I officially pronounce it dead.

 

[Alexzee]

yes I have. took out battery, disconnect power. hit power button and wait overnight. same thing. I tried this right after I wrote this. Then tried it this morning... No Joy I officially pronounce it dead.

You could try a new cmos battery but is it worth it at this point?

But all your evidence is pointing to a mobo that's reached it's EOL, I think--

Signs of a Faulty Motherboard​

What are the Signs of a Faulty Motherboard?

When the motherboard fails, it can cause various issues, from erratic performance to complete system failure. Continue reading to learn more!

goscreenworks.com

 

[APTI]

You could try a new cmos battery but is it worth it at this point?

But all your evidence is pointing to a mobo that's reached it's EOL, I think--

Signs of a Faulty Motherboard​

What are the Signs of a Faulty Motherboard?

When the motherboard fails, it can cause various issues, from erratic performance to complete system failure. Continue reading to learn more!

goscreenworks.com

that was my thought also, was just strange that windoze could not write or change a partition but linux could. although it failed everywhere else. Even random shut downs without anything running. Found it took a power spike month ago too. So yes Time of Death 13:30

 

[Alexzee]

Not Recognizing Hardware​

Is My Motherboard Dead?

Is your PC acting up? Don't panic! Learn how to identify a dead motherboard & troubleshoot common problems. Fixes, tests, and signs to know - revive your computer or upgrade with confidence.

www.electronicshub.org

How can I tell if my motherboard is dead?

It's not the absolute worst case scenario of things that could go wrong with your PC, but it's still annoying.

www.pcgamer.com

https://www.makeuseof.com/signs-your-motherboard-is-dead/

How to Check if a Motherboard Is Bad

Watch out for these signs of a faulty motherboard that can cripple your productivity.

www.lifewire.com

 

[Alexzee]

that was my thought also, was just strange that windoze could not write or change a partition but linux could. although it failed everywhere else. Even random shut downs without anything running. Found it took a power spike month ago too. So yes Time of Death 13:30

How many years of use had you gotten out of it?
Was that a mini atx?

 

[APTI]

How many years of use had you gotten out of it?

not mine. is for a client and it looks like the SATA channels are shot. I was just hoping because I hate to tell them such a nice gaming system is dead. I am sure they got years out of it from the looks. And they will learn the lesson to put it on an insured surge protector.

 

[Windmill]

Is it worth offering the client a new pre-made bundle in the same box installed by yourself?
Don't know if that is feasible money-wise for either party or not.

 

[APTI]

Is it worth offering the client a new pre-made bundle in the same box installed by yourself?
Don't know if that is feasible money-wise for either party or not.

they are thinking that over. I told them motherboard, CPU, fan, RAM and possibly geforce graphic card. expensive stuff but not like I broke it.

 

[Windmill]

Yeah, it aint going to be cheap to replace/rebuild.
At least you are trying to help someone.
Is there ebay/amazon where you are?

 

[APTI]

Yeah, it aint going to be cheap to replace/rebuild.
At least you are trying to help someone.
Is there ebay/amazon where you are?

amazon yes, I stay away from ebay unless I need hard to find parts. Last time I had something like this, it was my girlfriend and she had it on an insured surge protector. $900 in repair paid by the surge protector insurance. these people just plugged into the wall.

 

[KGIII]

I have a crazy question...

Is it possible that there's a power supply issue?

I know that seems crazy but I assure you that I'm completely sober. Variable and dirty power cause all sorts of bizarre problems. That might be the cause of the errors you're seeing.

That leads to the same conclusion, that is that the motherboard is toast. But, it could be a reason behind it. Maybe, had it been caught early, it wouldn't mean a dead motherboard.

Dirty power leads to all sorts of stuff. I'd count the power supply as toast. Brown power is horrible and not always easy to diagnose. Then there's the question of if the mains is responsible or if the power supply is the cause.

 

[APTI]

I have a crazy question...

Is it possible that there's a power supply issue?

I know that seems crazy but I assure you that I'm completely sober. Variable and dirty power cause all sorts of bizarre problems. That might be the cause of the errors you're seeing.

That leads to the same conclusion, that is that the motherboard is toast. But, it could be a reason behind it. Maybe, had it been caught early, it wouldn't mean a dead motherboard.

Dirty power leads to all sorts of stuff. I'd count the power supply as toast. Brown power is horrible and not always easy to diagnose. Then there's the question of if the mains is responsible or if the power supply is the cause.

good thought on the power supply. It seems ok but tough to catch somethings there. It was hit by a power outage followed by a surge without protection, when will people learn to use protection? I will suggest new PS also. what's another $75 compared to the rest.

 

[KGIII]

good thought on the power supply. It seems ok but tough to catch somethings there. It was hit by a power outage followed by a surge without protection, when will people learn to use protection? I will suggest new PS also. what's another $75 compared to the rest.

If it was me, and it is not, I'd heavily stress the idea that a 'power strip' is not the same as a quality surge protector. A proper surge protector will come with a warranty against damage, assuming they follow the instructions.

A proper surge protector will work once and only with a limited subset of situations. Enough voltage will render it useless, as will enough wattage. For example, no proper surge protector can absolutely, without question, defend against a direct lightning strike.

Some of the best surge protection is available with a UPS. That serves two functions. But, a proper surge protector is not the $10 power strip you picked up at Walmart, even though it has an on/off switch and may even contain a fuse. Investing in clean power is a worthwhile investment, especially if you live in an area where mains power is not reliable or consistent.

It's bizarre what errors will crop up with poor power. I actually had all the 'proper' protection when my house was struck with lightning - though 'proper' should be judged by the era. This was the late 1990s... It's when I learned some valuable lessons because even HDDs that weren't plugged in were erased. No floppies survived and I lost a few week's worth of valuable data. That was in a modern house with modern protection. Things didn't even have to be powered on for them to fail.

I've also a number of horror-stories that didn't involve me, as well as a few head-scratching stories that all turned out to be a matter of dirty power. It's easily fixed with a quality UPS. APC makes affordable examples. You can also invest in a quality surge protector. I suppose an ideal world would involve both.

Anyhow, now back to your regularly scheduled thread...

For the passerby, clean and consistent power is pretty important when you're using a device with tolerances of a single electron. Your CPU is so sensitive that it's shunting around individual electrons. It's amazing that they work at all, when you stop and think about it. Feed 'em good power and they'll appreciate it.