Windows start up not quite getting there...

[tcs007]

So I've a new build (My first one ever coincidentally). And I got everything going pretty well. Everything seems to firing up (It can be seen by the computer in the BIOS...) Then when it comes time to start windows, I get:

We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this. If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked. If a previous start up attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button accidentally pressed, or if you aren't sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally. Safe Mode Safe Mode With Networking Safe Mode with Command Prompt Last Known Good Configuration (Your most recent settings that worked) Start Windows Normally Use the up and down arrows to highlight your choice. Seconds until Windows starts: 0

Every now and then it will fire up after pressing enter (Start Windows Normally is already highlighted), but most times, and for the last 15-20 times, it just reboots the machine.

I've played around with the RAM in every possible configuration, and it still does it. I've tried re-installing Windows, and it still does it. I think I've messed around with every possible setting in the BIOS that has anything to do with memory or the HD. And I am getting nowhere quite fast.

The computer is:

Motherboard: Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe
Processor: AMD A64X2 3800+
Power Supply: Antec TruePower II 550watt
Memory: Corsair XMS 1gig x 2 DDR400
Video Card: XFX 7600GT XXX
Hard Drive Western Digital 250GB SATA2 WD2500K
2 optical drives: NEC
CompUSA Wireless Networking Card
Creative Sound card
XP Pro SP2

Denizens of PCMech, I beseech you. Help me!

[Cricket]

Did you install Windows while the hard drive was in this computer or did you pull it from another working computer?

Cricket

[jayb1234]

Pull the sound and network cards, one of the optical drives and one stick of RAM and try again.

If that doesn't work pull everything and do the out of case setup in the first thread in this post.

[tcs007]

Originally Posted by jayb1234 Pull the sound and network cards, one of the optical drives and one stick of RAM and try again. If that doesn't work pull everything and do the out of case setup in the first thread in this post.

OK, I pulled the whole thing apart and assembled it on the bench. Same thing. But with a new twist. If I choose to start windows at the "last known good configuration", I can get XP to boot about 25% of the time. Which is better, but still not ideal...

[tcs007]

Originally Posted by tcs007 OK, I pulled the whole thing apart and assembled it on the bench. Same thing. But with a new twist. If I choose to start windows at the "last known good configuration", I can get XP to boot about 25% of the time. Which is better, but still not ideal...

Now I can't even get it to do this anymore.

Screw it! I'm gonna play some 360. Maybe killing some zombies will help ease my mind.

[ktkendall]

What about if you try safe mode??

[tcs007]

Safe mode gives me nothing but a whole list of gobbledy gook. Kind of looks like driver or .exe files, then locks up.
I just tried it again, and it booted in safe mode... OK. it booted once in safe mode. Now it's doing the same thing as it was before...


Now this is wierd. Instead of booting to safe mode, I just tried to start windows normally, and it worked. Now when I restart the computer, it fails at loading windows, attempts a reboot, and gives me the same screen as before. I choose "Last known good configuration", and it fails and reboots, eventually getting me back to the screen above (We apologize for the inconvenience...) I try start windows normally, it fails. I try booting to safe mode, and it works... So again, I shut the computer off, and restart to see what it does.


At this point in time I'm ready to go buy myself a cheap stick of RAM and a small HD to see if it might be either of those two items...

[tcs007]

I'll continue my little experiment down here...

I restart my computer, and it fails, reboots, and takes me back to the apology screen. Start windows normally, failure! Computer reboots. Try Safe mode.Reboots in safe mode. I shut down and restart, and it fails. I choose to start in safe mode, and it works. So it looks like I can get it into safe mode pretty regularly. But when I restart the computer, it fails and takes me back to the apology screen, so I can rechoose safe mode, which works pretty consistently now.

So I guess this points to something I've installed...

Motherboard, power supply, video card, HD and one optical drive are back in the box now, fyi...

[tempus]

while in safe mode check in system panel if you have any yellow marks beside the hardware listing. Double check all connections. You've probably already done that many times. Try running the diagnostic for the WD hard drive. Download and run memtest to make sure the ram is OK. Try booting without the optical drive also.

[tcs007]

Originally Posted by tempus while in safe mode check in system panel if you have any yellow marks beside the hardware listing. Double check all connections. You've probably already done that many times. Try running the diagnostic for the WD hard drive. Download and run memtest to make sure the ram is OK. Try booting without the optical drive also.

I do, under Other devices:
Ethernet Controller
Multimedia Audio Controller
Other PCI Bridge Device
PCI Memory Controller
RAID controller (I'm thinking this might have something to do with it)
SM Bus controller (Or this one)

[tempus]

Originally Posted by tcs007 I do, under Other devices: Ethernet Controller Multimedia Audio Controller Other PCI Bridge Device PCI Memory Controller RAID controller (I'm thinking this might have something to do with it) SM Bus controller (Or this one)

Put the driver disk that came with your MB into the optical drive while in safe mode and load the drivers for those devices that have yellow marks next to them. This will likely help a lot.

[tcs007]

Originally Posted by tempus Put the driver disk that came with your MB into the optical drive while in safe mode and load the drivers for those devices that have yellow marks next to them. This will likely help a lot.

That's what I'm doing

Thanks for the help, lets see if this works...

[tcs007]

Well, it started XP correctly twice, then back to the same problem.

And I have no yellow marks next to anything in the device manager. (While checking in Safe Mode)

[tempus]

Download and run memtest to check the RAM. Then do the diagnostic on the hard drive. Is SP2 installed?

[tcs007]

SP2 is installed

Memtest is running as I type.

As soon as it is done, I will try and run a dignostic on the HD. Not quite sure how to do it, but I'll search around a bit and see what I see. I think I got it figured out. We'll see.

[jayb1234]

WD has the diagnostics on this page.

Grab the floppy disk version.

[tcs007]

So I ran MemTest and the WD diagnostic, and everything was fine. Everything seemed to be working, so I shut the computer off and I went to bed.

Now, I can't even get into safe mode anymore. Whereas last night, I could get into safe mode whenever I wanted to last night, and occasionally xp would boot up from the Apology screen.

Part of my brain is telling me to call the Geek Squad, but another says to stop trying to give up. Right now, the latter one is winning.

Now, it's getting a bit farther along until it stops booting. I can see the XP logo coming up, and then it stops and goes black.

[tempus]

Originally Posted by tcs007 So I ran MemTest and the WD diagnostic, and everything is fine. Then I went to bed. Now, I can't even get into safe mode anymore.

what happens when trying to boot into safe mode?
It's possible that you have a bad cpu.
Are you able to go into the BIOS?
What are some temperatures and voltages form the BIOS readings?
What BIOS revision is your MB at?
Just checked on the Asus website and there are new BIOS that addresses some issues that
you may be having.
A8N32-SLI Deluxe Bios version 1205
1- Enhance PCI / PCIE compatibility
2- Support 7900 Series VGA cards
3- Enhance SATA RAID compatibility
Be careful if you update the BIOS!
If done incorrectly it can kill the BIOS chip and you will need to purchase a new chip.
Also I could suggest to start fresh with windows xp
Reload it and make sure that all drivers etc are installed at the beginning.
One more thing. You can try to reste the CMOS. Your MB manual will tell you how to do it.
I had a problem once where the computer would not boot and resetting the CMOS worked. Hth

[tcs007]

Originally Posted by tempus what happens when trying to boot into safe mode? Nothing. Screen goes black, and the power reboots itself, eventually getting back to the apology screen It's possible that you have a bad cpu. Are you able to go into the BIOS? Yes, no problem What are some temperatures and voltages form the BIOS readings?Well, the computer has been off all night, so right now it's reading 35*C at the CPU, and 34*C at the MB. VCORE Voltage is at 1.392, 3.3V Voltage is at 3.296, 5V voltage is at 4.972, and 12V Voltage is 11.84. Everything is holding rock solid What BIOS revision is your MB at? Version 1205. Build date of 4/28/06 Just checked on the Asus website and there are new BIOS that addresses some issues that you may be having. A8N32-SLI Deluxe Bios version 1205 1- Enhance PCI / PCIE compatibility 2- Support 7900 Series VGA cards 3- Enhance SATA RAID compatibility Be careful if you update the BIOS! I have no idea how to go about updating my BIOS. How do you do that? If done incorrectly it can kill the BIOS chip and you will need to purchase a new chip. Also I could suggest to start fresh with windows xp Reload it and make sure that all drivers etc are installed at the beginning. Hth

Answers are in bold

I think I may try and reinstall windows now, just to see what that does.

[tcs007]

Originally Posted by tempus what happens when trying to boot into safe mode? It's possible that you have a bad cpu.

I did have a hell of a time getting the CPU cooler on. Unfortunately, I used an aftermarket cooler, and it seemed to put a lot of pressure on the cpu as I was finally able to get it on there correctly. Maybe I broke it.

Now I can' seem to get the optical drives to read the XP install disk. I changed the BIOS setting to make the CDrom the first boot device, and it ignores it. And now windows just fired up... WTH is going on? What did I do?! Aaaargh!

I changed the boot priority to HD first, then CD rom, restarted the computer, and it took me to the apology screen. I just hit enter (To start windows normally), and it fired right up.

[tempus]

Originally Posted by tcs007 I did have a hell of a time getting the CPU cooler on. Unfortunately, I used an aftermarket cooler, and it seemed to put a lot of pressure on the cpu as I was finally able to get it on there correctly. Maybe I broke it.

well the cpu temp seems to be ok so the cooler is probably on correctly. As for the BIOS rev. yours seems to be up to date.

[tempus]

Originally Posted by tcs007 Answers are in bold I think I may try and reinstall windows now, just to see what that does.

Yes format the drive though in NTFS. Done through windows install.

[tcs007]

Well, reinstalling windows seems to have done the trick. XP fires everytime now. It turns off correctly (The whole machine shuts off now instead of telling me it's ok to shut down), and the standby button is working. Now to start reinstalling hardware and see if I can screw it up again. :lol:

Thanks for the help tempus and jayb1234. You guys rock :\m/:

[tcs007]

Well, everything is reinstalled, and is running correctly. I'm typing this message out from the computer, and all seems to be well.

Thanks for all the help!

[tempus]

Originally Posted by tcs007 Well, everything is reinstalled, and is running correctly. I'm typing this message out from the computer, and all seems to be well. Thanks for all the help!

Glad to hear it's all working fine!

[tcs007]

I guess the main lesson here is get all the drivers installed for the MB, HD, and optical drives after installing the OS, before adding more hardware and all it's drivers and what nots.