Blue Screen Error - Inaccessible Boot Device

[dorkishextreme]

I've been having some problems with a clean install of 98SE but it has evolved into an apparent hardware issue. I have an older P3 533Amhz cpu on an Asus mobo. I have 672 MB Ram, a cdrom, floppy etc. Originally I could not run setup from either a 98 bootdisk, or win98SE cdrom. I tried a winxp cd, no luck either. Still couldn't make it happen (see Win98 forum for more detail)
I've completely dismantled the computer, and put it back together. I've switched the floppy drive and nothing seems to make it ready to work. Now it doesn't recognize a system disk... I switched out the floppy, and cdrom, and even the harddrive now. The harddrive was from an even older computer (Celeron 333mhz) and had an operating Windows2000 on it.
Now when booting (after releasing and resetting BIOS) I get a repeating blue screen error which displays "inaccessible boot device" and the following number: 0x0000007B (0xF241B84C, 0xC0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

I'm guessing motherboard? why did changing a preloaded HD into this computer cause this error?

PS - Is vacuuming your mobo and case a bad thing?

Wondering, just WTF is possessing my computer, and how to exorcise it.

[curtybob]

Actually, using a vacuum can be bad. Air flowing over plastic= static. Statically charged plastic in close proximity to electronic devices= static discharge= a good excuse to talk spouse into to cool new computer parts.

I don't wanna say for sure that you have a fried motherboard, but at least keep that possibilty open. Try using different IDE cables, make sure your drives are jumpered correctly, read the motherboard manual and make sure that there isn't a jumper that may have been vacuumed off. The jist of this is, don't give up without checking the small stuff... but at least the system was slightly aged and you got some good use out of it before anything happened.