Can all IDE and SATA ports on a board suddenly die?
 

I currently can't get my 28 Month old NF4 motherboard to see any drive and I have verified with my external HD that it isn't the HD itself.

I've tried reloading save settings, clearing the CMOS (date shows it resetted), manually detecting them in the BIOS, changing the cables and changing the ports which only caused the DVD drive no longer be detected. I've had problems with detection before but usually could solve it with the measures before.

Anyone got an idea?

older BIOS? BIOS flash to latest version "might" help,

DVD drive no longer detected either? very weird

It seems that there is some problem with the temperature, if it is too low the ide controller doesn't work. Shouldn't be a problem once I go Intel.

at what temperature below zero are you running? :/

I think it is more a bad contact that happens when the PC is too cold.

are the IDE plastic connectors on the motherboard seated properly? it's possible by repeatably removing/insert the contact has loosened a bit

If this affects all IDE and SATA ports, then I might guess a PCI bus problem? I am not sure if nForce4 boards put both IDE and SATA ports on the PCI bus though, one google hit says they don't but didn't spot anything definitive.