"devices failed to initiate" message on startup and windows boot problems

"devices failed to initiate" message on startup and windows boot problems

my computer was running very well until the other day when i received a message at startup reading "devices failed to initiate" when it is scanning for ide devices. if i restart over and over it eventually detects my the devices and i can boot but this is quite an inconvienience. i made sure everything was straight in the bios and switched the connections around but it didnt help. the two drives that it is trying to detect are a 250GB SATA WD Caviar and a Plextor 712SA. keep in mind that it was working for a while before these problems started and i made no changes that i can think of that would cause this.

any ideas?

my second problem is when it gets past the scaning for ide devices and tries to load windows. a dark version of the loading screen comes up and for some reason my plextor dvd burner starts making noise as if windows is trying to boot from a cd. i made sure the boot order is correct in the bios but this didnt help. if i open the cd tray when the loading screen comes up, windows loads normally from my hdd. if i dont open the tray the computer reboots over and over until i open at the right time again.

i apreciate any input you have to offer

I would start by making sure you have the latest bios revision and drivers for your motherboard.

If that didn't help I would go to this site and download and burn the iso for the Ultimate Boot CD.

If you boot to the CD will find the diagnostic software for every major harddisk manufacturer. And I would start checking your HDs.

If you still have problems I would make sure you have the latest firmware and drivers for your burner.

Then I would consider that there is a problem in the bios. Reflash it (if you didn't in the first step) and if that doesn't work you will probably need to consider the possibility that your motherboard (or at least the bios chip) is toast and needs to be replaced.

Hope this gives you someplace to start. Any questions, feel free to PM me.

DWolf

PS: WELCOME TO THE FORUMS!!!