Hello!
I am on a Dell Precision T3400 with an Intel Core 2 Quad processor and I am having some issues.
I have been running Windows 7 64-bit on this machine for a while without a single issue (as well as Windows 7 32-bit on a secondary HDD). Once Windows 8 came out, I decided that I wanted to try it out.
So I buy a third HDD to install Win-8 on. I install the HDD in the machine and then begin to install win-8 on that HDD. It all goes well until I get to the screen that asks which disk I want to install win-8 on. I attempt to select the new disk and it will not let me do anything, even format the thing. I eventually am able to (or at least I think that I am able to) install win-8 on the disk. So I hit ok, and it begins to install.
I leave the room while it installs. I come back 15 minutes later and it appears to have finished installing, except it brought me back to the install screen rather than the screen that has you name the computer and all of that fun stuff. So I decide to reboot.
Once I reboot, the following screen shows up, "No boot device available- strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility, Press F5 to run onboard diagnostics"
I have no idea where to go from here. I have tried to boot/install windows on 5 different HDD's (2 of which I know had working OS on it). I have tried 5 different OS as well as Linux. I have tried 5 different SATA cables, as well as all 6 SATA ports on the motherboard. I have tried a new processor. I have run diagnostics several times, and everything comes back clean.
I know that the computer recognizes the HDDs because in the Windows installation page, all of the HDDs show up, and I can install the OS, I just cannot boot to any disk.
Another thing, I am on Bios A08. For some reason, I am unable to change the boot sequence, I think that this may be a slight issue, even though it says that it will boot to SATA drive second. I have tried to update Bios to A11, but it doesn't recognize the USB flash drive as a boot device, even though I have formated it to be DOS bootable.
I do not know where to go from here, and I am hoping that you may be able to help me.
Thank you for your help.