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OT-'Puter prob-long

So, I decided to build a new puter for the shop, cuz some new programs I need won't run on ME, of which I have many loaded HDs. They need XP, so I got an XP-pro disc and COA on Ebay. The MB is an Asrock K8NF4G with 1 GB DDR2 333 in 2 512 mb sticks and a Semperon 3 gig processor. The MB has onboard video. The HD is Seagate

40mb IDE. Bios can only run the CPU at 1.8 Gig... When loading XP setup files (second stage, after the initialization files are loaded into ram), the installation stalls about 10% thru with a file copy failure screen. Sometimes it runs to 40-60% before it happens. I thought the CD was funky, so the seller sent me a replacement free (nice guy). The second disc does the same thing. If I do the NTFS drive format thru Windows Installation , it says it can't be done because the HD has faults. If I format it with my ME boot disc, it formats OK and tests good. I load a primary DOS partiton and have WI do a quick NTFS format-it goes ok. Bios does not see a problem with the memory or HD Scandisk heavy scan shows no bad clusters on the HD. I thought maybe the puter was running out of ram, so I reduced the shared Video memory to 32mb from 128 MB. Swapped CDRW drive and ide cable, reseated CPU and memory, CPU runs cool. Still does the same thing-stalling with file copy failure. If WI does not format, but leaves the primary ME dos partition intact, it makes no difference. The stall seems to happen often on the same files on installation, but not always. Sometimes it runs to 60% or so, loading the previous failed files ok, then stalls on a new one. Ejectng/loading the CD on the file copy failure screen has helped with one or two files, but not all failures. Several fruitless hours invested here,,,,, Help? JR Dweller in the cellar
Reply to
JR North
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Stewing about this even as I type. The MB is ata133-the HD is ata100. The MB has sata ports, and the PSU has sata connectors also. I have a sata HD, mebbe I'll try that........... JR Dweller in the cellar

Reply to
JR North

I installed an ata133 drive-same problem..... JR Dweller in the cellar

Reply to
JR North

What does the install log file say? Should have some indication of what file it's choking on and why. You can get to it by using the maintenance console feature.

If you haven't run it yet, get Memtest 86+ and burn the CD, it's freeware. I always run this on new hardware, sometimes memory isn't all that reliable or there's a BIOS setting off. Let it run through all the tests several times. Odd things happen with intermittent memory faults. I've had new sticks not pass, the MB chipset didn't support that brand.

If you've got another machine, you could mount your install hard drive as a second drive, format it NTFS and copy the CD to it. That would pretty much remove either the CD or the hard drive as the problem. Use xcopy from a command window with verify.

Another alternative is to create a FAT32 partition, copy the CD to a folder on it, then kick off the XP install from the command line in 98/ ME/whatever from that folder. If that works,you can run the FAT32-

Just occurred to me, that you might be using a 40-pin IDE cable when the board is looking for an 80-pin. Funny things happen when that's the case, too. Nephew just had that problem.

Stan

Reply to
stans4

Minimum XP hard drive is ~4.3 GB. Oopsy. :)

formatting link

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

I ran the Windows Memory Diagnostic utility, both 512 sticks failed Mats+. Ran the test with one stick installed-massive failure (over

6,000) on one and 45 on the other.... JR Dweller in the cellar

Reply to
JR North
40GB......... JR Dweller in the cellar

Reply to
JR North

DAMMIT...just as I finished my last post, my monitor erupted in smoke and hissing. Can't get the smoke back in. My computer room reeks of fried caps. This is starting to piss me off.... JR Dweller in the cellar

Reply to
JR North

The ports and cables are both 40p. BTDT JR Dweller in the cellar

Reply to
JR North

Dunno about that.

All three of our XP machines have 100+ gig drives.

Reply to
CaveLamb

Sorry Winston, misread minimum for maximum...

Reply to
CaveLamb

Both ends will be 40 pin but the newer cables are finer and have 80 conducters in the same width, every other one being a ground to prevent crosstalk, the difference should be obvious.

Reply to
David Billington

Yup. JR's original '40mb' description *seemed* a little low.

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

Sorry Richard, I responded before reading your correction.

:)

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

What brand chips are on the memory modules? Basically, anything with heatsinks on it or a voltage specification higher than the normal 2.5V for DDR (which is what I think the Asrock K8NF4G uses, not DDR2) could be junk, even major brand modules. I recently got 2 bad Corsair

1GB DDR modules, and years ago I went through 8 bad Kingston 512GB 400MHz DDR modules, out of 12-13. Sometimes just changing the command rate from 1T to 2T will miraculously eliminate all errors, but if your BIOS doesn't allow setting this parameter manually, try an SPD editor, but only on one module at a time (computer won't boot if the SPD data is messed up in both modules). The best diagnostic is probably Gold Memory 5.07, and when RealWorldTech.com evaluated several memory tests, it beat everything but the expensive ones from Ultra X. However version 6.xx has never found an error for me, and neither has MemTest86+, unlike MemTest86 v. 3.xx.

If the mobo is more than about 18-24 months old, suspect any caps not made by Nichicon, Chemicon, Panasonic, or Sanyo, such as OST, Ltec, Teapo, or G-Luxon (they're back!), especially near any coils or the north bridge chip. Also Chemicon KZG and KZJ series go bad, but their KZE is OK.

If your monitor uses a CRT, the horizontal output transistor may have fried. It's usually the transistor on the biggest heatsink. If it doesn't have a damper diode inside, replace that diode as well. For LCD monitors, a couple of experts have recommended resoldering all the coil and transformer connections, in addition to replacing bad caps and blown driver chips or transistors.

Reply to
larry moe 'n curly

The connectors for 80-wire (ultraATA) cable ARE 40 pin connectors; you use the same 40 pins, whether the cables are 80 or 40 wire. The way to tell what your logic board wants, is to look at the plastic shroud around that connector; for ultraATA, it's always blue.

Reply to
whit3rd

Get rid of the crappy AMD processor system and use an Intel based system. The ASRock Intel boards are pretty decent for a low end board. Also check your RAM.

Reply to
clare

That's why I don't build systems any more. When something goes sour and you only have one of each it's pretty hard to pin down exactly what and where the problem is. It's bad enough when you are doing repairs and you are replacing 3 items - Mbd, CPU, and RAM. If it doesn't work, which is the problem?

And all too often at least one of the pieces of Chinese crap is defective.

Reply to
clare

You can do a "minimal" install on a 40Gb drive and still run a few programs..

Reply to
clare

This PC uses

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

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