WinXP Install Problems

[CaptainMooseInc]

Okay,

Earlier this year I bought a P4P800-E mobo w/ a 2.8Ghz Intel and 1 stick of Mushkin 512MB RAM from Bok. I finally have gotten around to building this computer up (giving it to my brothers' for x-mas + having it do DC projects).

All the parts are in it and everything started up just fine. I put in a legal copy of a Windows XP SP2 install and everything was going pretty good. The problem arose when it came time to restart so the "real" installation could begin.

The Windows XP startup screen came up and those 3 little blue blocks that fly across the screen like a "progress" bar only went across 3 times then it froze as it started to go again the fourth time.

From there Windows never loaded. The screen just stayed there. It stayed there for over an HOUR once. I need to get this thing built ASAP (before X-mas). If anyone has any ideas then please start throwing them at me. I've tried a LOT of things (removing the 2nd stick of matching RAM I bought, etc etc).

If anyone would really wanna be able to help me super-fast and thinks they might know the problem then you can PM me and I'll reply with my Phone # so I can put you on speaker phone and work on the computer at the same time.

Thanks,
-Jeff

P.S. One other thing I noticed is that when the computer is just sitting in the BIOS screen the processor is running at 40-50 degrees Celcius. My Dual Xeon rig runs ~50C @ full load, and this thing is just sitting idle. I went out and bought a brand new HS&F and I wiped the old thermal paste clean off and replaced it with brand new Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound. It is STILL running at 40-45C. I'm thinking it might be an overheating issue locking it up when the computer is put to any sort of task. I'm not sure why it's overheating though because everything is tight and there's the correct amount of thermal paste on the proc.

[Bok]

P4's are normally very hot, so I don't think 50C is any problem there. Could it be the HD ?

Perhaps wipe it again and try a reinstall once more?

Or try booting Knoppix and see if it runs ok.

Bok

[CaptainMooseInc]

UPDATE:

Swapped IDE cables out in case they were bad. They are not. Still freezing.

Swapped the video card out in case this was the problem (others on other forums had said it was from a Google search). Still freezing.

Bok, the HD that I put in is a brand new Seagate 300GB. Could be that it is bad right out of the box. I'm gonna open the other 300GB Seagate I've got and try putting it in and seeing what happens. If it still fails I'll try a Knoppix load on it.

Also, after looking at the BIOS, apparently I've got the HD as the 3rd Master and the two DVD-ROM combo drives as 4th master/slave. I don't know where the first master is. I see 3 connectors right around where the power supply goes and I'm assuming that's the floppy, 3rd, and 4th. Maybe Pri and Sec are for the SATA connectors? There's another connector closer to the PCI slots but it's marked RAID. Also, when I put the HD in that slot it wanted to do a RAID setup on it and when I made the RAID array the Windows install wouldn't recognize the hard drive anymore and I had to put the connector back into the 3rd Master slot and then Windows recognized the drive again and I deleted the old partition and made a new one and tried installing. Same problem.

So really my point with that whole last paragraph is: Where in the hell is the Primary Master?!

I'm headed back to the ASUS website and pulling up the manual again and giving it another once over.

[Bok]

Not sure. It was my primary windows machine for about a year with no issues at all. IIRC there should just be a SATA 1 and 2 connection as well as the IDE 1 + 2.

I think I would just try a reinstall and see if that works.

Bok

[CaptainMooseInc]

Yeah Bok, not saying its your hardware causing the problem. Just a problem I've not run into yet and most likely a hardware error involving the new hardware I've purchased to build it.

I tried reinstalls 4 times today on the same drive, deleted old partition and created a new one every time. Even did the FULL NTFS format just in case (instead of the Quick option). Just put in the new hard drive and am about to try Windows install on that.

Gonna have to leave soon for a x-mas party so I may have to revisit this tomorrow morning... :-/

-Jeff

[Merlin45]

Just my 2 cents worth.

I have seen systems hang on startup when installing XPHome and Pro if you have the bios overclocked.

Try turning the BIOS back to default settings......

Another thing to try, if you have 2 HD installed, disconnect the secondary drive. I have seen where 2 drives conflict when installing too.
My basic way to install OS anymore is to only have 1 HD as Primary Master and the CD/DVD as the Secondary Slave

Hope that this might help.

Jeff

[Helix_Von_Smelix]

Also, Just for the heck of it try reseating the cpu

[Jeff]

I had a bad stick of RAM deny me the privilege of installing WinXP before... it's worth a shot. (try removing and installing the stick a few times too... some sockets are too tight, some are too loose and this can help get a good connection)

[CaptainMooseInc]

Okay, I'll go in order on this one...

@Merlin: BIOS is at defaults. I'll go ahead and make the DVD-ROM drive the primary slave and set the HD to prim master and eliminate the secondary master/slave thing altogether. Maybe that will work.

@Helix: I removed and reseated the CPU when I replaced the heatsink and thermal paste.

@Jeff: I've swapped out both the stick I bought from Bok and the brand new stick. Neither of them seem to be giving me any problems. I'll play with them some more though to be 110% sure.

Also, my g/f's dad suggested that maybe it's one of the DVD-ROMs messing me up because he had a bad CD-RW one time when trying to install and it did the same thing. I've tried both DVD-ROMs now and it still freezes, though I'm still gonna try what Merlin suggested.

Thanks guys for keeping the ideas coming. I'm open to trying ANYTHING suggested so if something else lights up please post.

Until then....

-Jeff

[CaptainMooseInc]

UPDATE:

Merlin, I tried doing what you suggested and the computer froze even FASTER. It didn't even make it to the status bar going across the screen. It froze as the Windows logo was fading in.

I even tried unhooking the DVD entirely and just having the HD hooked up to see if it would go any further and it won't. Did that with BOTH hard drives that have Windows waiting to finish installing. Nothing.

Why the hell is this thing giving me so many problems?!

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

Power Supply?
That's about the only thing you've not swapped out, I had one that DIED on me reinstalling windows :| might be worth a shot I know it's a bit late in the day and all that..

[LAURENU2]

I bet it is the Memory Try swapping it out totally not just removing of them
I Had it happen to me, New memory and it fixed it

[CaptainMooseInc]

@gopher: That's on the list of things to do, but not until at least Dec 26th. :-p

@LAUREN: I'm gonna try that one next. Gonna take the 2 1GB sticks of Dual Channel out of my Dual Xeon and try it in there. If that doesn't work I'll try a stick of PC2700 from the computer I'm typing from.

I've also dug up another Windows XP SP2 Install Disc I had from building another computer and trying it to see if maybe the disc is bad. Serial key will still be good from the newer disc though so it doesn't really matter which one I do.

-Jeff

[CaptainMooseInc]

Reinstalled Windows with that other disc....still froze.

Swapped out the RAM. Still froze.

I'm running out of parts that could be bad! :-/

Gopher, if ends up being the PSU then I'm gonna flip because this is the first time I've built a computer not using an Antec PSU (other than the dualie) and the computer would freak on me.

If I can't figure this out soon I think that computer will look really nice trailing my car with a string of christmas lights tied to it...

[Helix_Von_Smelix]

are the drives set cable select??? try master slave.

still thinkin

[CaptainMooseInc]

The hard drive has been set to both cable select and master. Both locked up in prior attempts. I shall attempt again though.

Update: Nope. Still freezing. I can get the status bar to go across 3 times and then it freezes whilst going across a 4th time.

It is time for me to head out for a few hours and do X-mas related things and whatnot. Maybe I'll get lucky and come home to a couple more suggestions. If not hopefully we'll pick up after X-mas and whatnot. Thanks a lot guys for sticking this out with me. I feel bad because my x-mas present to my brothers won't be ready by tomorrow now.

I'm passed the angry stage. Now I'm just disheartened and drained of all wanting to continue this endeavor.

Merry X-mas

-Jeff

[Bok]

I geuss it could be the CPU somehow too.

I've got another P4 2.6 you can have to test out. Obviously I can't send it until wednesday or so. PM me with your address again and I'll send it out no charge.

Bok

[Helix_Von_Smelix]

have those cpu got the speed step thingy??

i would double, double check the cpu seating. it has to be that.

50C is to hot for just booting up. What happens if you leave it off and then have a sneak look in the bios temps??

Also try having only one HDD and one CD/DVD drive connected on boot. Had a problem once when windows install couldn't find the correct cd drive on first reboot

[CaptainMooseInc]

If I get home before 1am I'll remove the HS&F and reseat the CPU once more. If the computer has been off then once it gets turned on and I get to the BIOS in the morning it'll be at like 43C after only being on under a minute.

I know there's the right amount of thermal paste and plenty of ventilation so I don't know why it's getting so hot. Even the side of the case is off.

I'll PM you sometime tomorrow night Bok if I can't really get it working. I'm sorry there's been so much trouble. I'm not blaming you at all for it cuz computer components can be a bit picky sometimes. Plus this is only the second Intel system I've ever tried putting together and I must tell you I enjoy AMDs so much more. Thank you for the offer and I will take you up on it if I'm still having problems (though I can pay you for it if you want, at least let me pay the shipping).

Thanks,
-Jeff

[Bok]

no probs. That proc has been sitting in my attic for about 8 months now. It's in a mobo which you can have too..

Don't worry about shipping, I got it covered

Bok

p.s. ohh >4000 posts !

[CaptainMooseInc]

Grats on 4000+ posts Bok.

I reseated the CPU and it still froze.

What I am most concerned about was the fact that when I tried pulling the HS off of the proc after freeing it, the stupid thing pulled the processor with it right out from its socket! I freaked so bad. Then I had to work the processor off slowly by pushing it back and forth very carefully just to get it to slide off of the heatsink. I swear the thermal paste acted more like glue than a thermal paste. I've never seen Arctic Silver 5 do that before and stick like that. I even double checked to make sure I hadn't accidentally bought Arctic Silver's Ceramique Thermal Compound (the stuff that's supposed to be permanent).

Anywayz, I inspected the processor heavily and found 2 slightly bent pins. I used a pair of tweezers to correct them and make them straight. I reseated the processor (didn't have to even really give any force otherwise I would've known the processor's pins still weren't straight), added fresh Arctic Silver (I had cleaned it all off the HS and proc after removal), and then pulled the lever down and put the HS back on and hooked the fan up.

My startup temp of the proc once I got into the BIOS was 45C. Once it tried to goto Windows and I had to use the restart button it was 47.5C.

Tuesday I'm going to remove the PSU and return it and buy a BETTER one. I don't think it will help but I'm not trusting the one I have anymore so it's getting switched out either way.

-Jeff

[Merlin45]

Sorry that I couldn't help.

I know what its like to try to track down a problem.

My latest one on a system that kept restarting was a bad video card.

Yours sure does sound like a heating problem.

50C is way too hot for any processor at startup with no load.

I will try another crack at it.

Have you removed everything except what is needed to start up. ( 1 HD, 1 CD-Rom for installation cd, and video card)

It just sounds like a driver error or conflict to me, it tries to start up, few secs later it hangs, nothing works.

[CaptainMooseInc]

I've removed and added and removed again. :-p

I've taken a LOT of parts out of my Dual Xeon and swapped them just to try and eliminate any hardware conflict.

And yes, that is hot.

[Helix_Von_Smelix]

grasping at straws here.

What voltage is the bios putting on the cpu??. Reset the bios??, yeah i know it was the first thing you tried.

[CaptainMooseInc]

I think it's roughly 1.40V or something like that. I had pulled the battery out and cleared the CMOS already once, no harm in doing it again though.

-Jeff

[Shish]

Just a couple quick thoughts.
Without wishing to add to your frustration, get everything out except what`s needed to run, ie mem/vid card/proc/hard drive/cd/floppy.
There are quite a few possibilities as it seems to be freezing on one of it`s initial checks but if you`ve tried the master/slave/cs thing then some drives need all jumpers out if only one drive in a channel and some boards won`t boot unless channels 3/4 are enabled. Had some really weird issues of that kind before. My WDs certainly do on their own channels. foxd me for quite a while till I got an email off their support. Need sata drivers in? Make sure the bios is set up correctly for dual channel whatever and especially boot any is on. Big disks enabled and setting correct for the disk in initial bios screen? XP disk hasn`t been Nlited? or mebbe more than once. Maybe the psu as I had an Antec go wimpy on me in exactly that way without dying and took me several weeks to figure it but more likely something stupid in the bios, defaults don`t always work or memory bad seated or the hard drive not jumpered right. Took me a while to realise that WDs especially have a PARK position for the jumper which isn`t the old parking sector thing, just somewhere to leave it cos when you master or slave it with a jumper and no disk on the other channel (yeah, I know there`s only one channel on satas) it won`t read or write properly but will show up in boot.
Best of luck, at least it isn`t one of those old amd boards that used to do that anyway just for the hell of it.
Now, I normally stick one of those problems on the back burner and the solution normally pops up when its ready due to old brain tracks and too much reformatting of the grey matter. Best of luck mate.

[Sleepsalot]

I had a laptop given to me over the week end. It would not let me load XP until I took out a bad stick of memory. I knowthis doesn't help you because you have done all of this. One other thing to try if you can try to load W2K on it first then it may let you upgrade to XP.

Wayne

[CaptainMooseInc]

And time to revisit this thread.

I've installed the replacement proc/mobo that Bok sent me. It works now!

The only thing I'm having trouble with now is that every time the computer is turned on it says that the date/time isn't entered and that the CMOS values are incorrect. I can choose to load defaults or go in and do it myself. No matter how many times I enter information and reset or even just load defaults it always says it again when the computer is restarted.

I thought the battery might be dead so I swapped it with the other one from the other mobo and it still doesn't work. Then I also reset the BIOS and hoped that would work but it still doesn't.

I just don't wanna have this happen every time the computer starts but if it has too then it has too...

Any solutions anyone?

-Jeff

[Shish]

Had that with a couple boards a while back and was a corrupted bios.
Normally, as long as the standby power is on to the board (ie the mains switch still on but the box on shutdown) the cmos battery backup isn`t always necessary but try reloading a new bios or it may be the cmos chip is poofed as that means changes won`t be saved. Try, carefully, to remove and reseat the chip, preferably with a proper extractor (v cheap) or lever it out a bit at a time from either end alternately. Check the chip with power on and just make sure it aint red hot which means the reset link is on the wrong pins....not too uncommon.

[Sleepsalot]

Also just a thought take a pencil eraser and clean the contacs good even the battery.
Wayne

[CaptainMooseInc]

Reloading the BIOS is the last thing I wanna do. I don't have any floppy drives in my house and I really don't wanna go buy one (but will if I have to).

Also Shish, you're talking about things I have no clue about. I'm pretty sure it's easy to figure out once I load up the manual on this computer I'm using right now and then just playing around a bit but I so don't wanna bust this board.

Gonna move a room around tonight so once that's done and I make dinner hopefully I'll get a chance to check out these suggestions.

Keep'em coming if you have anything else!

-Jeff

[Fozzie]

settings then don't ever turn it off.

[Shish]

Floppy is about £3 but mebbe it`ll boot off a usb stick or summat? Look in the bios for that and then just load a simple dos startup and a good copy of the bios and reflash it.
Sure the bios reset jumper isn`t on the wrong pins? I`ve just sorted one like that, came in from a supposed computer repair shop and they couldn`t figure why it wouldn`t boot. Cost a new bios chip and battery but the owner went home very happy after spending £60 at the stupid shop (for 2 hours checkup which failed to correct the problem?????).