New PC - Can't install Windows XP (BSoD) - Help!

[daedal]

I went out and purchased my new PC's parts yesterday. Since I was going out with the guys we stopped by one of my friend's house where I spent about an hour building it.

A few trial and errors later, we finnaly got it booting properly until it came time to install Windows XP. When the installation is copying the files from the CD-ROM to the Hard-Drive, I get a "Blue Screen" error at "setupdd.(sys?)" saying that Windows encountered an bascially could not continue.

So here I am, pissed off bad with a 600$ paperweight. I can't get the damn thing running and if any of you out there can help me out, I would love to hear any suggestions you might have. I really don't want to have to pay another 50-100$ to get this thing to a Technician to get it working. :(

Here are the parts:
- Motherboard: Asus P4R800-VM
- Processor: Intel Celeron 2.4Ghz
- Video: On-board Radeon 9200
- RAM: Markvision 256mbx2 400fsb PC3200
- Hard-Drive: 80gig 8mb Cache
- Case: Antec Solution SLK2650BQE (350w power)

I updated the BIOS to the latest version.
That's the only thing I thought it could be and it didn't help at all.
And now when the PC boots, it warns me that I don't have a Master HDD (and it's not possible to place my HDD on Master because of the way the cable was made and the fact that the CD-ROM is on top of the HDD. That means the CD-ROM has to be master and the HDD slave.)

Let me know if you can think of anything! Anything AT ALL! I'm desperate! Thanks.

[JackHammer]

I don't know the specifics of you motherboard but aren't there 2 ide channels? So why don't you connect the CD-ROM to one and the HDD to the other. And either make both masters or set it to cable select. Also, after you have done this, go into your bios and have all 4 ide's set to auto detect. Furthermore, for now since you don't have an OS on the HDD, in your bios make sure that you set it so it boots from CD first. That way once you boot the computer up, it'll look in the CD first and since you have the Windows disc in there, it'll boot from there. Hope this helps.

[zippyjuan]

Don't know if any of this will help: Are jumpers on the motherboard set correctly? Jumper on back of HDD? Look in BIOS under HDD Detection and Access Mode. I had to change mine to LBA (don't know what it means, [Logical Block Addressing] but it worked). I am also wondering about your master/slave arrangement. I am no expert on that, but shouldn't the harddrive be the master even if the CD drive is on top? See what your MB manual says. Try the LBA first though.

[_=DeltaForce=_]

well if its a legal copy of windows, u can ask Microsoft but they usually dont know any crap cause once I was talking to them for 5 hrs and they still didnt fix my problem...

But yeah they do know what file is that and what does it do and what can be done regarding that...

[daedal]

I don't know the specifics of you motherboard but aren't there 2 ide channels? So why don't you connect the CD-ROM to one and the HDD to the other. And either make both masters or set it to cable select. Also, after you have done this, go into your bios and have all 4 ide's set to auto detect. Furthermore, for now since you don't have an OS on the HDD, in your bios make sure that you set it so it boots from CD first. That way once you boot the computer up, it'll look in the CD first and since you have the Windows disc in there, it'll boot from there. Hope this helps.

Yup, I can make both masters using seperate IDEs. I'll try that tomorrow. Those are all set on auto-detec. As far as booting from the Cd is concerned, I'm having the problem once I boot from the WinXP CD and start the installation.


well if its a legal copy of windows, u can ask Microsoft but they usually dont know any crap cause once I was talking to them for 5 hrs and they still didnt fix my problem...

But yeah they do know what file is that and what does it do and what can be done regarding that...

Yeah the but error doesn't have anything to do with the actual file. I'm thinking it's having some problems that just randomly appear when that file is copied over.

[bachviet]

It's probably the CPU.

[daedal]

It's probably the CPU.

Well, the BIOS picked up the CPU no problem and it seems to register fine. BIOS is showing it as a Celeron 2.4ghz so I don't think it's the CPU. I would probably have more problems than that if it were CPU-related.

[CynJon]

If you put both drives on separate cables and it still doesn't work, I'd start looking at either the RAM (maybe try booting/installing with just one stick, and then the other...) or possibly the CD-ROM. I had a terrible time installing Windows on a computer I put together, re-using the CD-ROM and a couple of other components, and the read-errors were screwing up the install. Installing a new optical drive did the trick. Good luck!

[bachviet]

Well, the BIOS picked up the CPU no problem and it seems to register fine. BIOS is showing it as a Celeron 2.4ghz so I don't think it's the CPU. I would probably have more problems than that if it were CPU-related.
I had problem before installing Windows (error installing some files at various points during the installation) with the Dell 400SC. I tried different hard drives, optical drives, OS (Windows 2K and XP), and etc but I still couldn't do it. A Dell tech came out, reinstalled the CPU, and the problem solved.

[Dave_7]

Are you overclocking the CPU? Even a little?


Dave.

[sbp]

Years ago I had a similar problem when installing Win2000. It would get to a certain point and then the error message would pop up. Turns out one of the memory sticks was faulty.

I did read the thread posted a few days ago (http://www.gotapex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82017) that asked for comments when you were building a PC. I too have never heard of this Markvision RAM.

link of interest: http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/27597/

[daedal]

I'll try with only 1 stick of RAM.
I placed another IDE cable in there so my CD-ROM and HDD are both Masters.

And Dave, the CPU is not overclocked at all.

[daedal]

Windows started to install with only 1 stick of RAM but it still crashed during the installation process after it reboots.
By the way, I got the Kingston RAM, not the Markvision. My mistake.

bachviet: What do you mean he "re-installed" the CPU? I just snapped it in and that was it. :hmm:

[daedal]

I think I have it: I tested both RAM sticks with Memtest.
Both are crap and failed.. miserably.

If BOTH sticks show problems; could it be my motherboard that can't utilize them properly or something, or is it definitly the RAM?

By the way, Memtest showed my mobo as:
Radeon 9100 IGP - FSB: 99mhz
Shouldn't that be 400mhz fsb?

What if I were to put in my old 512mb DDR333 (PC2100) in there? Would that work? (Just to test if it's really the RAM)

[Cantacuzene]

I would definitly test with your old stick of ram.

Also, your cpu is only 100mhz fsb so I don't know why you are mystified by that. Its only called 400mhz because Intel uses a marketing jargon called "quad pumping" to multiply the fsb 4x so it looks like their stuff is faster.

[Dave_7]

Maybe failing in Dual-Channel mode?

By the way... do be impressed by the collective brain power that's giving thought to this little problem of yours. I am ;)




Dave.

[daedal]

I would definitly test with your old stick of ram.

Also, your cpu is only 100mhz fsb so I don't know why you are mystified by that. Its only called 400mhz because Intel uses a marketing jargon called "quad pumping" to multiply the fsb 4x so it looks like their stuff is faster.

Cool, I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the clarification. :)

[daedal]

It works! After running Memtest, I found out that BOTH my sticks of RAM are bad.. man, I'm so returning those POSs and getting Crucial sticks.

[Cantacuzene]

It works! After running Memtest, I found out that BOTH my sticks of RAM are bad.. man, I'm so returning those POSs and getting Crucial sticks.

One way or the other you came around to my advice. :bandit:

[daedal]

One way or the other you came around to my advice. :bandit:

Yeah ;)
Worst part is I was looking at the website today and noticed that the Crucial RAM was the same price. *Smack head*

[daedal]

Ugh.. seems that the RAM is fine.. I posted this on my website today. Any ideas? The guy told me to check my Northbridge configuration and to make sure I was running at 400fsb..


So I went back to OEM Express yesterday to exchange my faulty RAM. When I arrived there, I explained the situation to the guy at the front desk and he asks me to go see their 'technician' and test the RAM out.

So I'm thinking, no problem. I ran Memtest86 at home finding 1600 errors and they're running the same thing. So he pops in one stick and starts the test. We wait a few moments and nothing. Ok, so one stick is good. No biggie. The other one will fail for sure, right? Nope. Both of them passed with flying colors. Damnit. That means something else is very wrong..

I can deal with that but the problem is that the guys down there weren't helpful at all with my problem, or more likely did not want to help. I was trying to ask them what could be wrong and they threw me some random jargon that I wasn't supposed to understand when I started to get on my nerves. They finnaly said "Well, bring in your motherboard, RAM and Memtest, so we can check it out". So I say, well hell, I'll just bring the PC and you guys can see for yourself. I sure a shell don't want to un-do the motherboard again.

But no, he stops me and tells me not to bring the whole PC, just the Motherboard, RAM and the Memtest program I used. I really wanted to blow him off; the only reason they don't want me to bring the whole PC in is because I don't want to pay for their 'Technician' to check the parts. Something is faulty and it's your damned shop who sold it to me. Plus it took me a few hours, friends and headaches to build that damn thing and get it working and now you want me to tear it apart again just to look at it and says "Looks fine" and send me home? Screw you and screw OEM Express. The worst part is that they were testing the RAM on the same motherboard I have and they were using a P4 instead of my Celeron which doesn't really change much.

I'm gonna stick the "Faulty" RAM back in today and double-check my BIOS settings, and if it doesn't work, I'm gonna give those morons a call they won't forget for a while. Yeah, it's probably a BIOS issue but they should at the very least take 2 minutes to plug my PC and help me out for christ's sake. I'll post more later.

[daedal]

Took a few screenies:
http://www.onusart.org/PC

[cheapchinese]

test your psu
sometimes.. if the powers not enough.. crap just happens

[daedal]

Nah, couldn't be the PSU could it? I mean it works fine with my old RAM and I've run games and system-heavy applications and it never even flinched but strangely just doesn't boot with the new RAM..

[Dman33]

Well well... look what we have here: http://www.techspot.com/drivers/index/file/uop/view/2610

Looks like this board is really really moody when it comes to RAM. Sorry!

Additionally, here is the compatable RAM list from Asus:
http://usa.asus.com/products/mb/socket478/p4r800-vm/overview.htm

Note that only single sided ram are on the list! Strange.

And lastly, here are a ton of others with the same problem:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=asus+P4R800-VM+memory+problem

Seems to me the memory and mobo do not play nice (even if the test system in the store worked with your ram).

[daedal]

Thanks so much Dman33! I called them up and told them what you did. Here's what I posted on my website:



So I called OEM Express pretty pissed off today and I talked to the manager to try and resolve the situation. Unlike his staff, he was really interested in hearing my case which really made me feel validated.

He asked me a few quick questions about my rig and we talked for a bit. We then came to an understanding: they will charge me 30$ to take a look and definitly FIX my PC for good. If it was their fault (IE, selling me incompatible RAM or whatever) they will waver the 30$. If I did something wrong on the other hand, that 30$ will be charged but still, 30$ is nothing to finnaly end this. For the first time since I bought this PC, I'm smiling. Things are looking up. More updates tomorrow. Later.

[Dman33]

Sounds like those guys will end up putting in different memory and you will have a working rig.. $30 or not. Good luck!

[eSDee]

Dude I'm sorry to hear about your computer problems I have no suggestions other than what people have said already. RAM is always the first step for me when I have issues like you describe. Anyways, I am just posting because I checked out your website. It is frickin awesome. I imagine that you are the artist. If so, you are very talented brutha.

Good luck with your computer.

[cheapchinese]

hey congrats.. i just went to your website.. and saw that your com is up and running

For those that are lazy: It was the memory problem.. he went with corsair

[daedal]

Yup! Still having some minor PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA problems but I think it's just an issue with my USB-Modem. Gonna switch it over to Network Cable in a few days and buy a Video Card on the next pay which should basically make everything right. :)