Need help with new computer not working

[larry38]

I sure hope someone out there can help me with my latest problem. I finished building my daughter a new computer (components below) and it worked great for the first couple of days here at my house. I took it to her and attached a Logitech QuickCam orbit MP (model V-UAY22) to the computer. I had forgotten to take the software with me, but the system found whatever drivers were needed and everything seemed to be in order, that is the camera worked as expected and I was able to get it to work with Skype with no problems. A day or so later, she called me saying the computer wasn’t working. I immediately thought the problem was camera related. I grabbed the Logitech software and headed over to her house thinking I could correct the problem and I would install the correct software for the camera. I attempted to install the software but it wasn’t compatible with t’vr Win7 OS, so I went to the Logitech website and found the recommended software to download. Since that time the computer will not run and has been nothing but a headache.

At first it would stop booting and display the famous BSOD screen that indicated that there was a memory management problem. Now when the system starts to boot, you get the BIOS screen and can access the BIOS with no problem. All of the BIOS values are default and no changes were evident. The next screen is a black Windows recovery screen that says the system didn’t shut down normally and presents a collection of different choices ; safe mode, and a couple of other safe modes (with certain drivers etc) however at this point neither the keyboard or mouse work, so you just have to wait for the system to go on. Eventually I get to the desktop, however none of the programs will work (you just get an error message that states the application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect. Please see the application event log or use the command line sxstrace.exe tool for more detail.
I just left the computer running for about an hour and when I came back I have a new message that states that the computer is not running genuine Windows (could this be due to the fact that yesterday I booted the system with an old UBCD4win cd?)

I’ve tried re-booting the system several times, but to no avail. I hope someone can make a suggestion as to what I should do.

System components:
MOBO: ASUS P8H67-M LE Rev 3.0 LGA1155
CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1 GHz
HDD: WD caviar black WD6401AALS
RAM: Corsair XMS3 4 GB (two 2GB sticks)
Optical: ASUS Black 24X
Video: ASUS EAH6670/DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 6670
PSU: Antec EarthWatts EA-500D (500W ATX 12V
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bit

[jdeb]

PROBLEMS with a NEW BUILD? Try This!!

[larry38]

This shows if the system will POST and it does that with no problem. I'm afraid the problem is more serious than that.

[jdeb]

Can you enter or start up in the BIOS?

I read it that it has progressed into that you have nothing at all.

[larry38]

I can get into BIOS with no problem. In fact I have just done that, changing the boot order so I could run a memtest86 diskette to see what I could turn up with that, if anything. At the moment the test is running as expected. So far nothing has shown up. I'll post what the test shows when it is finished.

[larry38]

The first pass has completed and shows no errors.

[glc]

Check for motherboard bios updates.

[larry38]

glc, can I do this from this computer and then download it to a diskette or thumb drive? Then how do I install it on the new computer? This is probably a simple operation, but I don't really know how to get it done.

[jdeb]

Let memtest run a few more passes. I typically let it run over night.

BSOD: Resplendence Software - WhoCrashed, automatic crash dump analyzer

You may also want to burn a cd and check for malware. You can download and burn, put in the suspect PC and run a scan....Microsoft system sweeper: Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta | Microsoft Connect

[larry38]

I just looked at the ASUS website as you suggested, glc. My BIOS version is 0803 x 64 and I don't see a BIOS update in the BIOS listing.

[larry38]

thanks for the suggestions jdeb. I'll let the memtest86 run overnight and then follow up on the other suggestions relative to testing for malware etc.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by larry38 I just looked at the ASUS website as you suggested, glc. My BIOS version is 0803 x 64 and I don't see a BIOS update in the BIOS listing.

That was a great suggestion by glc. I have ran across a similar situation with similar hardware and have found it to be a two fold problem. First non Asus drivers installed by Windows update, and secondly a java trojan.

[larry38]

Thanks again, jdeb. At the moment I am downloading the two programs you suggested and will try them to see if anything turns up. Later I will return to the memtest86 program to run overnight.

[larry38]

OK jdeb, here is what I have observed. I tried the MS Standalone system sweeper first, but couldn't get it to boot (although it was supposed to be a bootable disk.) I launched it using Windows Explorer and it seemed to load, but nothing happened. I checked this using the task manager and the application tab said it was running, but there was no cpu time being used so I concluded it was not working. Then I re-booted using the Who crashed software. Nothing happened again, but when I tried to launch it using Windows Explorer, I got the error message that "the application has failed to start because its side by side configuration is incorrect. Please see the application event log or use the command line sxstrace.exe for more detail. I looked at the application event log for both applications and couldn't make sense out of it. Can you suggest something else? I'll start the memtest86 application when I get ready to quit for the night. Thanks everyone for your help.

[larry38]

As jdeb recommended, I ran memtest86 overnight with no errors after 18 passes so I think the memory is working fine. Since I can't run any programs without getting error messages, should I remove the hdd from the computer, put in an external case and run some diagnoses programs on it? e.g. AVAST, AVG, or Microsoft Security Essentials?

I'm not sure what to try next, so I'm seriously looking for some more help if possible. Thanks

[jdeb]

The whocrashed software is run in the windows environment, it is not bootable. You could hot plug the drive and run anti-virus on it but I think you have an installation issue upon further investigation of "side by side configuration error in windows7"

O.K. at this point, hardware is good. I would suggest a Windows & repair install.
Repair Install - Windows 7 Forums

IF that does not work that I presume the clean installation would be in order. I think the repair install will do the trick.

[larry38]

Thanks again for your information, jdeb. I'll try the repair idea after I get back from the gym. I'll let you know how that goes. I really appreciate your help.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by larry38 Thanks again for your information, jdeb. I'll try the repair idea after I get back from the gym. I'll let you know how that goes. I really appreciate your help.

your welcome but I have to apologize. I looked at my "paper notes" on a similar issue and in the end (actually beginning) I did do a repair install (side by side error), on top of finding trojans and a driver issue. I keep a database and I did not not log the repair install (RPI) correctly so thanks for helping me there. Now when I search "side by side" it flags an RPI.

[larry38]

First, I want to report that I seem to have successfully conducted a Windows Repair and Install. Success is measured by the new computer working correctly so far.

No apology necessary to arrive at the suggestion to conduct the Win 7 repair Install as I learned a lot following the suggestions you and glc made. Now I will occupy myself making sure everything is working as I think it is so I can return the computer to my daughter. I should really keep it since is much better than mine but of course I won't especially since mine is more than adequate for what I do and it runs rock solid and has since I built it about 7 years ago. One of these days something will fail and I'll get a new one.

Again thank you very much for your help.
Larry

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by larry38 First, I want to report that I seem to have successfully conducted a Windows Repair and Install. Success is measured by the new computer working correctly so far. No apology necessary to arrive at the suggestion to conduct the Win 7 repair Install as I learned a lot following the suggestions you and glc made. Now I will occupy myself making sure everything is working as I think it is so I can return the computer to my daughter. I should really keep it since is much better than mine but of course I won't especially since mine is more than adequate for what I do and it runs rock solid and has since I built it about 7 years ago. One of these days something will fail and I'll get a new one. Again thank you very much for your help. Larry

Great Job Larry

Make sure you activate it right away if it is needed. I suspect that an update led you to your trouble or a possible bad Windows activation. Make sure all your software is genuine as I assume it is. Wouldn't hurt to pop that system sweeper cd in now (after updates) and run it just for piece of mind. You can also run that whocrashed to see what the BSOD is all about, probably a driver. Check back and let us know your results from both.

[SARGE]

Good luck. The chipset is a pos. I've had 3 and worst ever had. The fixes seem to be all over the map. You're right - Bios is ok POST, then black screen loading Windows, then have to hard reboot which brings up another window about you didn't shut down properly and if want to fix or run normally. Bios updates don't fix the problem, btw.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by SARGE Good luck. The chipset is a pos. I've had 3 and worst ever had. The fixes seem to be all over the map. You're right - Bios is ok POST, then black screen loading Windows, then have to hard reboot which brings up another window about you didn't shut down properly and if want to fix or run normally. Bios updates don't fix the problem, btw.

Not true Sarge. BIOS updates have solved issues. Keep in mind you were overclocking the board close to "record" air settings as you posted. However, Larry has encountered a "side by side" issue which is independent of the issues you may have had. Is the chip-set a flagship like the P45? No it is not. But in fairness, your issues do not necessarily relate to Larry's.

[larry38]

Well like a bad penny, I'm back again. After my last post I thought everything was working great - what a pipe dream. I left the system running over night and the system had gone nuts again. At some point I got an error message saying something was wrong with ntoskrnl.exe (I simply have to start keeping very detailed notes about everything I see and do) and googled it. (When Windows had rebooted, it reinstalled the keyboard driver.) In everything I read, I found one person say he had solved the problem by changing his keyboard. I rebooted the computer without the keyboard attached and everything seemed to be working. I attached another keyboard (Logitech wireless) that I use on the computer shown in my signature. It worked as expected so I thought I'd gotten lucky. I used it throughout the day and left the system running overnight. It seemed to be fine the next morning so I shut the computer down and reattached the original keyboard and re-booted the system. I checked the connections and the connection wire trying to get it misbehave but everything seemed to be working fine. I got brave enough to attach my webcam and checked it out. It worked as expected, but then I tried to launch a couple of programs and I began to get side-by-side configuration is incorrect error again. Other programs would be fine. This morning I find that Google Chrome and Firefox crash on launch (automatically going to a relaunch screen) but the MS programs seem to be ok. I guess this is consistent with what I read about the side-by-side error.

I wonder if I shouldn't just start this whole thing all over again? That is, should I uninstall the Windows 7, then nuke and zero fill the hdd to take it back to "like new" and then try it again? Can I do this with my Win 7 disks I bought from Newegg when I bought the new computer parts? I'm not real clear about doing this. Please advise.

[glc]

I wonder if I shouldn't just start this whole thing all over again? That is, should I uninstall the Windows 7, then nuke and zero fill the hdd to take it back to "like new" and then try it again? Can I do this with my Win 7 disks I bought from Newegg when I bought the new computer parts?

Yes, but you don't have to uninstall anything, just zero fill the drive and reinstall just like you did when you built it. If you have reactivation issues, call Microsoft and explain, they will give you a new code.

[larry38]

Originally Posted by glc Yes, but you don't have to uninstall anything, just zero fill the drive and reinstall just like you did when you built it. If you have reactivation issues, call Microsoft and explain, they will give you a new code.

Thanks for the reinforcement, glc. I'll do the nuke this weekend and start everything all over again. Hopefully this will take care of it. I'll post the results after I am finished.
Larry

[larry38]

I'm starting a new thread here since I nuked and paved the hdd in an attempt to get the new computer running and now I am ready to install the Win 7 OS. I assumed this was the correct protocol (i.e. to start a new thread) since I thought the original thread was finished (see Need help with new computer not working for background information.) If this is wrong, I'm sorry.

After putting the nuke and paved HDD back into the computer, I put the OS diskette into the optical drive and booted the computer. It didn't boot, so I booted into BIOS and changed the boot order from HDD to DVD (only two choices), saved and exited BIOS. The system then loaded the Windows 7 diskette as expected. I selected to install (for a new installation) and everything seemed to be going normally. Shortly after the displayed information indicated the system was installing files, the BSOD screen appeared with no obvious hints. I attempted to re-boot and got a message that I should insert a bootable disk in the drive hit f8. It didn't do anything when I hit f8, so I re-booted the system and got the same message saying I needed to insert a bootable diskette etc. I re-booted into BIOS and found that now I have three items in the boot priority list; 1st - SATA: ASUS DRW24B1ST a, 2nd - SATA: WDC WD6401AALS-00E3A0 and 3rd UEFI:ASUS DRW24B1ST a.

In light of the problems reported/discussed in the original thread, I'm reluctant to do anything but wait with the new computer running until I hear from someone giving me directions that may be useful. Thanks for the help,
Larry

[glc]

Larry, I'm going to merge the threads because all that background information is essential.

That motherboard has SATA 3.0 and SATA 6.0 controllers. Your hard drive is a SATA 3.0. Connect the hard drive to the lowest numbered SATA 3.0 port (those are the 4 blue ports). Connect the DVD drive to the next 3.0 port.

Now - what mode is the controller in - IDE, AHCI, or RAID? You may have to force it to the IDE mode to get a good install, then install the AHCI drivers and do a registry edit to change it to AHCI after the fact. I've seen problems like that with SATA opticals on AHCI.

[larry38]

Originally Posted by glc Larry, I'm going to merge the threads because all that background information is essential. That motherboard has SATA 3.0 and SATA 6.0 controllers. Your hard drive is a SATA 3.0. Connect the hard drive to the lowest numbered SATA 3.0 port (those are the 4 blue ports). Connect the DVD drive to the next 3.0 port. Now - what mode is the controller in - IDE, AHCI, or RAID? You may have to force it to the IDE mode to get a good install, then install the AHCI drivers and do a registry edit to change it to AHCI after the fact. I've seen problems like that with SATA opticals on AHCI.

Thanks so very much for the prompt reply, glc. I have connected the hard drive (I had originally installed it into one of the SATA 6.0 controller slots) and DVD drive as suggested. Could some or all of previous problems be due to this mistake? The BIOS indicates the controller is in IDE mode, so can I go ahead try to be-boot to the Win 7 installation disk? I'm going to wait until you say something.

[glc]

If both drives are on the 3.0 in IDE mode, it should install fine. If it doesn't, you have a hardware issue or a bad DVD.

[larry38]

On reboot I get the following message:
Press any key to boot from CD or DVD. BOOTMGR is missing. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart. When I do this nothing happens.

So before I go out and buy a new DVD drive, (all of the ones I have around are older IDE drives with old ribbon cables and there are no places to plug them into this new mobo) I decided to try booting the system using my copy of of the ultimate boot disk, UBCD4 Windows that I made using the computer shown in my signature. It booted with no problems, displayed a Windows XP professional splash screen (this was a surprise, but I thought it might be do to the face that the disk was made using a computer with the XP Professional OS) and then went on to load everything.

What do you suggest I try next?