Boot disk error... on every HD I connect

[Maggotry]

I started getting random lock-ups. Each time it locked, the HD LED would come on and stay on. Running HD OEM diagnostics revealed nothing. Event logs were no help either. The problem degraded into "boot disk error, please insert system disk". Through the course of troubleshooting, this is what I've found:

PSU output is good (480W Antec)
Every HD I try gets the "boot disk error"
BIOS reset did not help
Using latest BIOS
Tried a different IDE cable
Tried Hitachi, WD, Maxtor, and Seagate HD's...yes, I've got lots of old HD's laying around
Tried the HD's in various master/slave primary/secondary configs

Here's the weird part. If I use the F8 option of the Ultimate Boot CD, every HD boots just fine.

I'm guessing the mobo is the problem. Any test to confirm that?

 

[George Powell]

I would probably reckon on the IDE controller being at fault. I had a simialr problem some years ago and when I changed the mobo all was fine. I guess the disks all work fine on another system as boot disks.

 

[Maggotry]

New info...

I replaced the mobo. Now I have another very unusualy problem. Every HD I connect makes a beeping sound. Yes the HD is beeping. It is NOT coming from the mobo speaker. I've hooked up 5 different drives and they all do it. I can induce the beeping on the HD by using the scroll wheel on the mouse. Ever heard of that before?

 

[Underclocked]

Are these the very same drives you tried on the other motherboard? Have you got a drive that was never installed? I'm thinking that you have some sort of boot sector virus (or perhaps it penetrates the firmware on the drives?). In any case, I would try a fresh drive after reseating the memory and reflashing the mobo bios from a fresh floppy disc.

Weird one.

 

[Maggotry]

Originally posted by: Underclocked
Are these the very same drives you tried on the other motherboard? Have you got a drive that was never installed? I'm thinking that you have some sort of boot sector virus (or perhaps it penetrates the firmware on the drives?). In any case, I would try a fresh drive after reseating the memory and reflashing the mobo bios from a fresh floppy disc.

Weird one.

Yes, I tried these drives on the other mobo. I've run virus checks from DOS and windows and get no hits. I tried 2 of the drives on another pc and they do not make the beeping noise.