problem with some older hardware - 8k7a and athlon 1200

[BatteryAcid]

I've got an old machine i'm trying to resurrect for home server duties. It's got an athlon 1200, ati 9000, and 256mb ram running on an epox 8k7a with two hdd's. The problem is that it seems like the IDE controller is a bit flakey. Neither primary or secondary channels work with the two hard drives or the CD drive i have. I know all 3 are in working order. I've tried autodetect in the BIOS and i dont know much else i can do. I took a look at the motherboard's caps, and two right above the AGP slot are domed on top. what could the problem be? just a bad motherboard? I had lent the machine to a friend for a long time for use as his primary PC, but it crapped out on him and now that i've got it back i'd like to get some use out of it.

 

[IM [H]ard]

Domed capacitors are never good. It sounds like the motherboard finally left you, you kind of need the hard drive controllers ehh? You could get an IDE card, and use that; but if the capacitors are domed, I think more may be wrong.

If the only thing wrong with it is the capacitors, you can replace them; that is, if you can find them and solder well. Can you check the other components to see how well they work? Just thoughts...later

 

[BatteryAcid]

Thanks, that's what i thought. I decided just to get rid of the thing. I'm selling all the other components i was going to use, plus a bunch of other stuff i've been holding on to. Look for the thread coming soon in FSFT.

 

[IM [H]ard]

You probabally have a good system there, just find a new motherboard, and I think you'll be set...later