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[Help] - Windows XP Home wont install


Envoi

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UHG!

Yes, recieved. No, didn't help. I even tried a slower chip, the Athlon 64 3500+ (whinny core). In the process of sending back now.

I'm getting a new ATX 2.0 PSU next.

After that my only other options are the GPU and Mobo.

I REALLY hope it isn't a combination of two different parts. That would be insain to try and troubleshoot. I mean, if I had unlimited amounts of cash lying around I could buy all new, comparable, but different, parts and go from there. But I don't!

Man, this is getting to me.

I let you know what happens.

-- Kris

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have you tried sticking the hard drive into another computer and installing the OS on that computer then transporting the HD back to the one you are trying to fix? it might solve some problems... but i duno... i tried that once before, fixed a few driver conflicts and it worked...

J

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he's already tried the other hard drives in thr system - please read all the posts.

Envoi - mobo change i think mate - i doubt its the graphics card IMO, but stranger things have happened.

Regards,

N.

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I've had a different yet similar problem with an Asus board.

Everything loaded nicely, but when I went to burn a DVD, the whole system would get gummy and barely run.

I actually called Asus, and they had me change the memory timings.

Slowing down the latency speed actually sped the computer up and made it very stable

Dunno if that would help you or not, but at this point, looks like anything's worth a shot :yes:

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I went to a computer store and picked up an MSI Nforce4 board because nothing would of worked with this board to bet my installation up and running. Install on MSI Neon4 went smooth and running stable. So I am sending this board back Abit and not looking back. What a pain that was to diagnose. So it might be the board.

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Always go with Asus

well, almost

they have built a bummer board with the A7v333, what a POS

but that's gone at least a year ago

I use Crucial ram, Asus boards and Maxtor drives almost exclusively

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Hi Envoi,

Not sure if you managed to resolve this problem yet. I'm having EXACTLY the same issue of not being able to load Windows, or not even get past the point where the blue Windows setup screen appears.

I also ordered an all new system, Abit Fatal1ty AN8, Athlon64 3000 CPU (Venice core), Gigabyte 6600GT graphics card, Maxtor Diamondmax 10 200GB SATA hard drive, 1 GB (2 X 512) Corsair XMS 3200 pro memory. The first time I booted up, Windows managed to install XP until the "14 minutes to go" point, but it decided to hang and I had to reboot. After that, its behaviour has been a bit random.

I’ve built loads of PCs in the past, so know where problems are likely to be. I tried using different RAM, hard drive (non-SATA), graphics card (non PCI-express), even the CD-ROM drive, but no luck. I flashed the BIOS to the AN8-13 version…no change. So I decided to order a new CPU, A64 3200+ this time, again with the new Venice core and also a new 400watt PSU (24 pin ATX2). Again, still didn't work. I have also tried different cables, floppy drive, unplugging any unnecessary components, but with no affect.

At that point, I had changed every component apart from the Motherboard, so I assumed the problem must be there. I ordered a replacement motherboard, and have now sent the first one back to the supplier (Dabs.com). I decided to go for the AN8 Fatal1ty SLI version this time. The new board was delivered yesterday, so I got it all put back together with the new MoBo….and guess what???

ARRRGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!

Still has the same problem. I couldn’t believe it.

This new SLI board came with the latest AN8-13 BIOS, which fully supports the A64 E3 Venice core CPUs, so should be no problem there. My next step will be to format the hard drive/s in another PC and see if that makes a difference.

I still think it must be the motherboard, but what are the odds of getting 2 faulty boards?? I wish I’d have gone for the Asus A8N SLI or the Gigabyte GA-K8N-XP SLI instead. Any thoughts??

:(

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hey, everyime i turn on my computer the CMD window open and is full of jiberish "it just letters everywhere " and in windows task manager it says its not responding and it makes a continus beeping noies like a system or ram beep over and over for a bout 1 minutie then the program cloes..????? wat tha??.. can any HELP.. its driving me mad :realmad: cheers

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hey, everyime i turn on my computer the CMD window open and is full of jiberish "it just letters everywhere " and in windows task manager it says its not responding and it makes a continus beeping noies like a system or ram beep over and over for a bout 1 minutie then the program cloes..????? wat tha??.. can any HELP.. its driving me mad  :realmad: cheers

Welcome to MSFN - but please do not post something completely different to the topic's title and subject, instead, search the forum and if you have no luck, start a new topic in the appropriate board on the forum.

Due to the new rules, you wont be able to edit your post, as I was gonna suggest starting a new topic (if you haven't already).

Please remember this for the future.

@Envoi:

Any luck with the situation?

Like a previous poster, have you tried calling them?

I think Asus messed up big time with this mobo... Think its gonna be trying a different motherboard or like suggested, lowering the RAM timing - I'm sure you've tried this already but maybe lower it some more and see if this helps ;)

Regards,

Nath.

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Hey guys,

Sorry my updates have been so seldom, but honestly the troubleshooting process has slowed to a craw. I am still waiting for my account to be credited for the AMD 3500+ that I've sent back. Once that happens I'll be looking for a new 2.0 PSU. I'll probably go with one of the Enermax PSU's w/ a higher wattage.

Really not much else to say since I've done nothing but research since the last post.

It scares me to hear that someone has had the same problem and swapped out all parts with no luck. What really worries me is that this isn't a problem with one incompatibility, but rather a combination of two components. i.e. The mother board doesn't play nice with the PSU or the RAM. In which case, swapping the PSU makes no change; swapping the RAM doesn't help either, but swapping both simultaneously is the fix. If it is multiple components that are misbehaving then the process of finding which ones will be painstakingly time-consuming (not to mention expensive).

If the new PSU doesn't work, I'll try knocking the RAM timings ALL the way down, see if it installs, then bump up slowly. I'm was going to try replacing the motherboard last, but I think I will try a new mobo after the PSU. It'd just be a shame since my clients were (key word="were") really excited about this board. I'm going to definately add some freebies into they're package after this fiasco. Maybe I can talk Asus into paying for these freebies... doubt it.

I'll keep you guys posted (no pun intended).

-- Kris

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Envoi,

I have some reassuring news. The AN8 fatal1ty board I sent back to the supplier was tested as faulty, so it was the board after all. As I said, I now have the SLI version and am having problems with that as well. I've managed to get this one up and running, but it's not stable.

The problem seems to be with the memory slots. I ran Memtest (Microsofts RAM testing software) and on the advanced testing mode it fails when using DIMMS 1 + 2. I swapped to using DIMMS 3 + 4 and it passed all tests (left it running all night).

I managed to install Windows after formatting the hard drive on another PC (which removes the temporary setup files from previous installations, as this appeared to be the cause of the PC hanging before the blue setup screen), upping the memory voltage from 2.6 to 2.75, changing the memory CAS timings from 2.5 - 3 and setting the DRAM command rate to 2T.

Windows XP is installed, but the systems is still unstable. I know it's the board again as I've tested everything else. This probably won't interest anyone with the AN8 ultra board, but with the SLI board, the system won't boot with the SLI switch key inserted in normal mode either (Non SLI mode, one card). It just hangs on post code 04. I have to take it out for it to work. Seems like nothing works as it should.

Abit's slogan is "Your reliable partner", but the only 3 faulty boards I've ever had are all from Abit. Maybe it's just bad luck. I'd really like the board if it worked, but not sure if I want to waste more time and money getting another Abit AN8 Fatal1ty, perhaps it will be 3rd time lucky, or maybe the ASUS A8N SLI Deluxe is the better option.....

Has anyone heard anything about a faulty batch of AN8 Fatal1ty boards???? SLI and Ultra versions.......Can anyone shed some light on this????

Thanks in advance... :thumbup

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello Chaps,

Just thought I would add my two cents. I recieved the following kit yesterday:

Abit AN8SLI Fatal1ty

2 x corsair xms512 3200c2

AMD 64 4000+

2 x leadtek winfast 6800UL sli

74gb western digital raptor 10000rpm

I was so happy and excited, I wipped it all together and tried to install windows only to encouter all the problems listed above. I then tried running memtest and the machine always reboots during the first set of test at number 7. I have tried all sorts of different combinations of ram, dimm slots and the works.

Its only been a day, but rather then stuffing around with the machine for days, I have phoned scan and told them the problem, been the ever helpful guys that they are, they have asked me to send the motherboard, ram and cpu back for testing. I shall be sending these items back tomorrow and will let you know what the end result is.

I strongly suspect the motherboard as the culprit.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

I bought a new comuter last week and had the same problems.

(winxp installation hangs up / reboots at random places)

My HW is:

gigabyte ultra-sli

WD 200GB SATA

1GB kingston

gigabyte 6600GT

After a lot of frustration I found the problem (at least in my case)

There are 2 SATA controllers on the board: one belongs to nvidia and the other belongs to sillicon image.

The sillicon image controller does not work! (or the driver supplied is corrupted)

Once I connected to nvidia controller everything worked fine - I even didn't need any boot disk with sata driver - just define the HD at the nvidia raid bios (F10)

BTW: my board SATA 1 controller is sillicon image and the SATA 2 controller is nvidia - you can connect SATA 1 disk to SATA 2 controller, it works great.

p.s. if you have only SATA1 or SATA2 probably 2 SATA slots are connected to sillicon image controller and 2 slots connected to nvidia controller so check your motherboard documentation and connect your disk to nvidia controller.

That's it, I hope it will help..

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