New PC, mobo=ASRock H61M-S : problems

[Sylvander]

1. The old PC:
Mobo = ASUS A7A266
I was working on it, and it just powered-off, fans stopped, LED on mobo still lit.
Hitting the start button on the front had no effect.
Probably the PSU has gone phut!
It was a cheap 400w model bought/fitted a couple of years back when the old 2003 PC was donated to me.
Decided it was time to scrap the old donated PC, and buy new.

2.The new PC:
Shiny new cheapo=£245 bought at my local "pile-em-high-and-sell-em-cheap" [Silicon Computers, Edinburgh in Dalry Road]
Intel Dual Core System:
Intel Pentium G620T 2.2Ghz
250GB HDD SATA
DVD-RW DL/Intel HD Graphics
12 Months warranty
Mobo = ASRock H61M-S

PROBLEMS:
3. Most of the "live" CD-RW's for the older Puppies that I used on the old PC won't boot on this new PC.
[Hardware is very new, hence no drivers included in the kernel of older Puppies?]
(a) e.g.
Dpup-squeeze-5.x.9-scsi
Lupu-528.005
Luci-001.005
LazYPuppy-202-en

(b) Those that do boot:
Slacko-5.3.3-4g-scsi
This will even go online, because it includes a module for:
eth0 ATILC PCI: Atheros Comm. AR8152 v2.0 Fast Ethernet

Wary-5.3
This boots OK, but doesn't include the AR8152 module listed above, so cannot go online.

4. I have 3 [older] PATA HDD's [2-off 10GB HDD that were internal on the old PC, and an 80GB in an external enclosure], 1-off 1TB SATA HDD in an external enclosure, and a new 250GB SATA HDD included in the new PC.
The SATA HDD's work OK, but nothing sees the PATA/IDE HDD's.
I bought a SATA<-->IDE Bi-directional Adapter, but even when I use this to connect the formerly internal PATA HDD's, nothing sees them.
All the PATA HDD's have VITAL stuff on them.
I have backups of these on the external SATA HDD, but the backups are slightly out-of-date.

5. Because I couldn't access the formerly internal HDD2 that held all the pupsave files [HDD1 held Win2000Pro install plus its files]...
(a) I was forced to make a new slackosave in a folder on an ext3 partition [3rd] on the new internal SATA HDD.
The partitioning isn't suitable, so I need to re-arrange the partitions, SO...
I copied that slackosave and its folder to the only ext3 partition on an 8GB Flash Drive.
My idea was that the Slacko would find both, I'd choose to boot the copy on the Flash Drive, and would then be able/free to repartition as I like [working within a FULL Slacko, with slackosave in use] , because none of the internal partitions would be mounted.
However...
(b) Slacko [although it seeks] fails to find the slackosave on the Flash Drive during bootup!
Complications!

[Jasper]

Hi Sylvander,

My condolences on the death of your old PC.

If your live Slacko CD works by loading to RAM then isn't Gparted available from Menu > System?

You might see if your unseen drives can be seen by a cloning system - there may be one under Menu > Utility. It's not at all likely, but I had that good fortune once.

My regards and best wishes

[Sylvander]

1. "If your live Slacko CD works by loading to RAM then isn't Gparted available from Menu > System?"
(a) Yes...
But as I said, ideally I'd have liked to have a pupsave in use, loaded from somewhere other than the internal HDD, so I'd have a nice environment to work within.
(b) The partition have now been rearranged using GParted from within Racy-5.3.
I booted Racy OK, it worked well and looked good.
I was busy installing packages and making configurations, when I decided the time was right to do the partition changes.
[The environment was better than minimal]
Temporarily moved the Puppy slackosave folder/files to sda1...
Deleted the 3 last partitions [at right]..
Increased the empty sda2.
Made a new smaller sda3.
Made a new extended partition sda4.
Made 2 new ext3 partitions [sda5 & sda6] inside there to fill the umallocated space.
Copied the slackosave folder/files from sda1 to sda5.
JOB DONE!
Then saved the racysave+SFS to a folder in the new sda5.

2. "You might see if your unseen drives can be seen by a cloning system"
I'll bear that in mind.

3. "there may be one under Menu > Utility"
Not here in Racy-5.3, but I'll keep a lookout.
The PC shop rep suggested using a PCI card instead of the adapter, to connect the PATA HDD's.
Said he'd refund the £10 for the adapter.
But I'd like to keep it [AND additionally buy the PCI card], provided I can get it to do its job with SOMETHING.

P.S The old PC went PHUT on the Thursday morning [2012 June 21st], and I had the new PC on Fri morn 22nd!
Working on it now on Sat 23rd!
Haven't yet dared to try setting up Windows.

[cthisbear]

" Haven't yet dared to try setting up Windows."

Ughhh!!

Still do XP below...handy.

""

User manual...looks good....7.2 mbs???

http://download.asrock.com/manual/H61M-GS.pdf

Specs:

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=H61M-S

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813157237

Check the >>> Feedback in the above.

Drivers.

http://www.asrock.com/MB/download.asp?M ... 1M-S&o=All

::::::::::

Press <F2> during POST to get into BIOS setup menu.

From the manual.....

" SATA Mode Selection

Use this to select SATA mode.
Configuration options: [IDE Mode], [AHCI Mode] and [Disabled].

The default value is [IDE Mode].

So check that///////////////


STEP 1: Set up UEFI.

A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY

Advanced screen SATA Configuration.

B. Set the option “SATA Mode Selection

[Sylvander]

@cthisbear
1. Thanks for the help.
Will read, and re-read your post.

2. Is it possible to get a pdf file for the H61M-S [my mobo] rather than the H61M-GS?
Where did you get the pdf?

[James C]

Try this link
http://europe.asrock.com/downloadsite/manual/H61M-S.pdf

Main site is at
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=H61M-S

HTH.

[Sylvander]

Got it.

Thank you!