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Windows Can't get WinXP to boot properly

Discussion in 'Software' started by Perpetual Notion, 12 Jul 2004.

  1. Perpetual Notion

    Perpetual Notion What's a Dremel?

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    Ok, so I took it upon myself to build a new gaming machine recently. She's not done (especially as she is lacking a real video card) but I have really been trying to get Windows XP to run on it.

    Stats are as follows:

    AMD Athlon64 3400+
    MSI K8 Neo Platinum (with the nForce3 250gb chipset)
    512mbs of Corsair Memory
    2 80gb Western Digital SATA 7200 RPM drives
    and (for now) an old PNY GeForce3 Ti 200

    My difficulty is that Windows XP just refuses to run properly. After I get it installed, it hangs on at the Windows loading screen and reboots. It will run in safe mode and I even gave a trial copy of the 64-bit extended edition of windows a shot (that worked, surprisingly.) But I need a real permenant solution.

    I felt the problem had to do with windows failing to set up ACPI properly, and have been trying all the various modes available under the F5 menu of the window's install program, no success.

    I've been slamming my head against this wall for days on end now and I'm nearing the end of my rope. Has anybody got any advice, ideas, maybe some voodoo I could try?

    I'm not above slaughtering a few chickens to get my hardware to run.

    Thanks,
    Perp
     
  2. jgrade

    jgrade What's a Dremel?

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    Before you sacrifice chickens to the gods, try this web site. I think your problem is WinXP s\and a 64 bit chip. I don’t have any experience in that area, but it looks like you need some drivers to get it to work.
     
  3. Perpetual Notion

    Perpetual Notion What's a Dremel?

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    I installed the driver through safe mode and it doesn't seem to make any difference at all.

    :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash:
    blech, this problem has really got me baffled.
     
  4. yodasarmpit

    yodasarmpit Modder

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    Sounds like one of two possible problems.

    1) Overheating, recheck and triple check that your heatsink is corectly seated, even if its missing contact by the smallest amount then it will cause a sytem reboot.

    2)The other possible problem is that your running either RAM or CPU at the wrong speed, check that they are not set too high. Also double check that they are set to the correct voltage.
     
  5. Carlk

    Carlk What's a Dremel?

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    Yeah I agree, sounds more like RAM, try it in a different slot. Did u do a quick format or a normal?
     
  6. aaronrkelly

    aaronrkelly What's a Dremel?

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    I had a smilar problem when installing XP on my ABIT mobo.....the installation would run fine but the first boot into the OS (and all others after) failed just like yours. Ended up being a setting in my BIOS involving my IDE channels - dont remember the exact setting. When I was reading about it they commented on Windows XP it didnt matter what the setting was - shat if it didnt.
     
  7. yodasarmpit

    yodasarmpit Modder

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    I just had a thought re what I posted earlier, the fact that you were able to install the OS sort of rules out my suggestions.

    Try them anyway just to rule out the possibility.
     
  8. Perpetual Notion

    Perpetual Notion What's a Dremel?

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    The RAM is probably good, cause I've tried both DIMMS in each of the three slots and have run the BIOS memory test about a billion times.

    As for overheating, I'm running at 40C CPU temp (according to the hardware monitor on the motherboard) and the core voltage and clock speeds seem to be just as I would expect them to be.

    Aaronkelly - any chance you might be able to figure out what it is you changed to fix it, it does sound like a similar problem.

    On the good news side of things, Windows 2000 has been installed and is running just peachy. (And if you think prying a licensed copy out of my friend's packrat fingers was easy, you'd be wrong.) If I can't figure out why XP doesn't work, at least I have a full OS that should allow for me to use the computer (once I get a proper video card).


    Perp
     
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