I recently did a PC upgrade (got a new intel dg33buc mobo, an intel E6850 CPU, a new 250GB SATA drive, and some other bits and pieces).

I also install the old 40GB IDE HDD, and an older IDE DVD writer

I did the upgrade, installed XP, etc etc… with no problems.

Once I delivered it to its owner, Murphy strikes:

PC says ntldr not found.

I remember getting this error when I first started the PC: the HDD boot order defaulted to booting from the older IDE first. A quick change within the bios, and the SATA drive booted correctly.

So I revisit the customer, and find that the IDE HDD was once again first in boot order. I change it back, and tell the customer to keep an eye on it.

Well, it starts happening again (sometime the order changes after a few minutes, or after a few hours)… and sometimes the system will not start at all (just a black screen!).

I figure 2 possibilities: the bios needs upgrading, or I mixed up the original Mobo sata cables, and installed some cheaper type…

The original bios is dated 2nd oct 2007… between then and early Feb 2008, there have been 7 bios updates!

So I download the bios ISO image, make a CD and go back to the customer (I also take the sata cables that came with the mobo).

I do the bios upgrade, but after the upgrade, the system refuses to boot (black screen)… Hmmm. Maybe it needs power removed from the mobo?

I pull the power cord, open up the PC, and plug in the sata2 cables, and after that, the PC starts correctly.

A few weeks later, and the PC has not missed a single beat.

So now I’m not sure what fixed the problem (the bios update, or the sata2 cable)…