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Operating System Specific Discussions => AROS Research Operating System => Topic started by: curtis on September 02, 2015, 12:25:40 AM

Title: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: curtis on September 02, 2015, 12:25:40 AM
So, I picked up one of these at a garage sale last weekend for a decent price and thought I'd turn it into a ICAROS box.

Installed memory is a bit thin at 384MB, but that isn't the problem.  I am unable to get the OS installed on the hard drive.

It only has a CD, so tried hooking up a portable DVD player and boot from that, but the DVD I freshly burned didn't work.

Tried Lite in the CD and all I got was a constant reboot.

I then tried booting from the DVD in my regular computer and doing an install on the hard drive then put the hard drive in the TA1, but the hard drive won't boot once installed.

Thinking the hard drive might be bad, I tried several other hard drives I have ranging in size for 6MB up to 80GB.  All give errors and don't install.  Yet these same drives format just fine in Windows 10.

So, seeing I'm just about at the end of my wits and about to give upon this project, I'm asking for help.

Here's the specs on the TA1:

ChipsetVIA VT8601T(PLE133T) / VT82C686B                 VESAVIA EBGA C3 800MHz / 1GHz                 CPU
                Memory
                GraphicsVIA S3 ProSavage integrated graphics
Is it worth still trying to Icaros working on this machine?

Curtis
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: curtis on September 02, 2015, 12:26:56 AM
Forgot to mention I also tried doing the USB thumb drive install route also.

No go.
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: Blizz1220 on September 02, 2015, 04:40:29 AM
Did you set boot order as CD , HD , whatever ?
Did you check that system sees CD and HD as it should ?
I have 3 DVD burners and it seems each of them burns it's own brand
although all will work on DVD Player for example.I would advise burning
to CDRW or DVDRW as it tends to have better compatibility.

If you manage to boot from CD you need to use VESA mode.

Also , I don't think that system will boot from usb.As a last resort ,
you can try installing windows xp just to see if computer works then
install aros.

Icaros only needs CD Drive and burned CD image to boot and
you will be able to run it from CD with "HD Install option".If you
are not getting that far then something about configuring IDE
drives on Gigabyte motherboard is wrong.Maybe jumpers ?
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: trekiej on September 02, 2015, 05:12:22 AM
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2004#sp
Sorry, I just found out this board does not have many options.
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: Blizz1220 on September 02, 2015, 05:44:52 AM
Ah yes , one of the rarest boards that use VIA C3 CPU , I don't know
if Aros will work on Via CPUs and I doubt anyone tested.

On the positive side maybe you can sell it on EBay as exotic h/w :)
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: trekiej on September 02, 2015, 05:46:48 AM
Aros hosted on Linux.
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: curtis on September 02, 2015, 04:49:23 PM
@blizz1220, yes, got the boot order correct.

Can't even get to the video menu!

Checked my CD and it boots on my regular machine, but not the Gigabyte.

There's not a whole lot of configuration options/jumpers available.

This machine started life as a "thin" client, but it has the basics for a full blown computer.

And, I also think you're right about just selling it on fleabay.  Checked over there and the only thing TA1 related is memory modules!  That's probably where they're headed next.

Oh well, I tried!
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: curtis on September 03, 2015, 12:58:57 AM
Got some more info, all bad.

I noticed I said I picked up one of these, but actually I got 2 of them.

Downloaded and burned a bootable CD of Puppy Linux.  It's a very lightweight distro that actually will load to a CD.

Popped it into one of the machines and it said the CD was not bootable.  Hmm, bad CD drive?

Switched the CD drives to see what would happen and I got the same response.  So, safe to assume it wasn't the drive, but rather the IDE channel.

Tried both CD drives in the other machine and they both booted.

After booting from the CD I attempted to install the Puppy Linux distro onto the hard drive.  It chummed along and looked like it was doing the install.  However, when I popped the CD out and tried to boot from the hard drive, I got a "no system installed."  So it looks like the main IDE channel is bad on this machine!

Seeing as the IDE controller is integrated into the motherboard, it would seem both machines are not usable.

One last thing I'm going to try is try the hard drive I installed the Linux on in the other machine (the one with the bad secondary IDE channel).  If that works, I might be able to at least get a bootable machine.

If not, I have a couple of high-tech door stops!
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on September 03, 2015, 01:02:44 AM
Quote from: curtis;794918
If not, I have a couple of high-tech door stops!

Spraypaint them funky colors and stick them up on the wall.  Art!  :lol:


*actually something I've been tempted to do with all my old motherboards for years. ;)
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: Blizz1220 on September 03, 2015, 10:01:54 AM
I had only 2 (lol) C3 motherboards to play with and they were both
Windows compatible.Try installing windows to see if it will work (i don't
think that if IDE controller died you would even see picture on screen).

There are some specific Via drivers for chipsets that Windows uses and
I think Linux might work too.How compatible is VIA C3 to Pentium 3 or
AMD I have no idea but I know they are rare.
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: curtis on September 03, 2015, 02:51:38 PM
Well, tried the hard drive that supposedly had Puppy Linux installed on it and got the same result, "Missing operating system."

To quote Leonard McCoy, "It's dead, Jim."

I would try installing Windows on them, but some how or another, I don't have an XP CD anymore!  May try a Win 98.
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: paul1981 on September 03, 2015, 03:05:05 PM
You could try re-flashing the bios?
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: curtis on September 03, 2015, 09:02:15 PM
Hmmm, hadn't thought of that.

Guess it wouldn't hurt.

Quote from: paul1981;794953
You could try re-flashing the bios?
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: trekiej on September 03, 2015, 09:06:35 PM
Master Boot Record ?
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: curtis on September 03, 2015, 11:48:46 PM
AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Found the updated BIOS.  Copied it to a thumb drive.  Tried to boot with a floppy drive with MS-DOS 5.0, but it doesn't recognize the USB drive!  

Attempted to format a floppy using a USB drive on a Windows 10 computer and it doesn't recognize the USB floppy drive!  DANGED progress...NOT!!!

Anyway, now I'm booting from a DOS 5 diskette on the TA1, formatting the C drive and will boot from the PUPPY Linux CD then copy the BIOS files to the hard drive and reboot with the floppy to access the BIOS files in DOS and HOPEFULLY update the BIOS.

Ya know, I must really be a sado-masochist to go to this much trouble just for play!!!
Title: Re: Gigabyte TA1
Post by: curtis on September 04, 2015, 12:20:06 AM
Well after reflashing the BIOS I booted from the Puppy CD and attempted to install it to the hard drive.

As usual, everything looked like it was working, but when I popped the CD out and rebooted with just the hard drive, still get the dreaded "No Operating System Installed."

I do believe it is time to stop trying to heal terminally broke equipment and move on to something a bit more fun, because this is DEFINITELY NOT FUN ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!