Almost gonna toss WinXP64 - multiple problems

L

Lamont

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Oct 26, 2004
Messages
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I've been on WinXP64 for a few months and I can't get my system stable. I think it's Biostars shitty XP64 driver support.
  • I get BSOD followed by a restart after I am in Windows. This used to happen durring boot, but now it happens in Windows at least 3 times a week.
  • I had to re-install the OS when all my USB devices stopped working and drivers wouldn't install again.
  • My DVD drive has stopped showing up... again.
  • On logging in I will get "Windows has recovered from a serious error" message. Don't know what this error is.
Did a memory test a few weeks ago, everything was ok. HDD's are ok, PSU is fine and videocard is fine.

Those of you who are running it and it's stable, please tell me what mobo you have (I need intel core 2 SFF). I'm getting more pissed off by the second and I can't loose time on this project with another system failure. I'll just go back to WinXP Pro at the end of this and loose out on some of the speed bumps I got in my CG apps...
 
1) Did you look up the BSODs? Chances are, you'll be able to fix that problem.
2) Have you run Memtest?
3) When you did the OS reload, did you install the chipset drivers first before other drivers?
 
  1. I can't look up the BSOD, goes way too fast (instant restart), I look for the logs in Windows, and nothing is in there.
  2. Yeah, I ran MemTest.
  3. I always do chipset first, then restart, then other drivers and apps.
 
First rule of OS installing, and it shocks me this isn't a no-brainer, but disable the automatic reboot in the System Properties. Without seeing the BSOD, how would you expect to be able to look it up and fix it?
*waits for obligatory "How do I find automatic reboots" post* ;)
 
You asked for help, not me. Secondly, take some time to read around, and see how many times people complani about an OS not working, that they are getting BSODs, and when someone makes the simple, but logic suggestion of asking what the BSODs are, the person says they don't know. Probably 99% of the time. The OS is giving you a clue as to what is wrong, and that clue can directly lead you to the answer.

It was also said jokingly about asking how to find it, because that's ALWAYs the next question. If I really was trying to be a dick, would I have put the smiley face?
 
Actually I did read around and that's why I tested the memory, did a HDD scan, checked the hardware, did multiple boots under different circumstances. If I am getting a BSOD before I get into windows I am leaning towards hardware/driver issues. And I really think it's the DVD drive or the mobo at this point.

No, I am not pissed at you, thanks for the advice. I am pissed that I have to deal with this now.

Right now I am going to buy a SATA DVD burner on the way home, just to get it off my mind and narrow it down.
 
I have the Samsung SATA burner, and I love it. It is nice pulling IDE cables out for good.

BSODs can also be software related as well, which is why it's a great idea to turn off the auto reboot, so we can look up the STOP code.
 
I'm not trying to second guess your judgment here but... when you ran memtest, how long did you let it run?

My advice is to let it go for at least 24 hours, if not a little longer. I have seen it run for 10~12 hours with no errors.... and then after 20... BAM... errors up the ass... it happens sometimes and can be a real bitch to figure out if you don't let it run long enough...

Just my advice... hope it can help....
 
User the windows debugger tool found on the MS website and open the crash dump files typically located @ \windows\minidump

Often, it will tell you what driver/file is causing the problem. To do a more in-depth debug, download the latest symbols also located on the MS web site.

Try using a partitioning utility to create a small partition for installing a test OS on. Such as XP32 bit and see if it does the same thing.

I haven't had problems as bad as yours using xp64, but I've found a lot of the drivers that I've used don't seem to be as reliable as drivers in xp32 or even vista. I actually got to a point where I put down xp64 and went to vista64 as there were more drivers available for what I use and seem to be more stable (been using it for a month now).

Read forums from the mobo manufacturer web site and other components. It usually doesn't take long to figure out what the "known" issues with some OS's are.

XP64 is hard to research as far as issues simply because not a lot of people seem to be using it. As silly as it sounds, you are probably better off using vista64 as you are going to find more information on it.
 
I run XP x64 rock solid and stable, without issues. I can't speak for the problems the OP is having (never seen such things myself) so who knows, sometimes things just don't work out for some people. None of us can really say why.

I'd say give it one last chance, a nice fresh clean install of XP x64 and see what happens after installing all the latest Windows Updates and the latest drivers for the hardware.

One suggestion: if a driver exists for the hardware on Windows Update, use that driver instead before installing any other driver, period.

After you install XP x64, get just the NIC working so you can get online - if it works after the install with the default XP x64 driver that's perfect. Hit Windows Update and do the Custom install, and if hardware drivers are listed, use every single one of them and let those drivers (which are fully tested by Microsoft itself) fill out the necessary driver requirements, every single one that's listed.

After you do Windows Update, do the mandatory reboot and then go back to Windows Update a second time because there are always some updates that won't show up at all until you've done the first round of updates.

After the second round (again, choose the Custom install) look once more for any and all possible driver updates and grab 'em. Another likely mandatory reboot and then you should have a fairly solid box that works - and that's the base of your efforts.

At that point, if possible and if you have it, use some imaging software like True Image or Ghost or whatever you wish to make a backup of that installation - a nice fully clean installation that only has Windows XP x64 and all the most current Windows Update patches and drivers.

Once you've got a solid "base of operations," then you can start messing around with drivers that are newer or come direct from the specific hardware manufacturer and may offer better performance overall. If something goes wrong after you install some newer driver from a particular manufacturer, that becomes your method for tracking down where the problems are really coming from and you can restore that "base" installation in minutes instead of hours and try again.

"The newest drivers do not necessarily mean the best performance" is a sentence to live by with respect to computer hardware and drivers. There's always a chance that the newest driver actually breaks something and an older one could be better for that reason alone.

The "base" OS idea is your best solution to messing around to find out what the hell is causing all your issues.

Hope this helps...
 
djnes said:
I have the Samsung SATA burner, and I love it. It is nice pulling IDE cables out for good.

BSODs can also be software related as well, which is why it's a great idea to turn off the auto reboot, so we can look up the STOP code.
Click to expand...
I'll grab that one. I just hope it's at Fry's, or "Best" Buy.

@digital_exhaust - I let it run 16 hours or so (about the time I went to bed, then went to work and came home). No problems. I will go for a 20+ hour test after this project is over. I can't spare 20+ hours now.

@RoyLuv - I will DL that app today. I had WinXP32 Pro installed for a long time before getting XP64 and had no issues. And yeah, I agree about the WinXP64 love, there is NONE. Biostar is so shitty when it comes to support that the drivers for the mobo were not on the website for a few months after I had gotten the motherboard. And even after that the links were dead and I had to FTP into it and get the correct ones.

@bbz_Ghost - Well, I will have to give it more chances because I don't want to spend the $$ for Vista64 right now.
One suggestion: if a driver exists for the hardware on Windows Update, use that driver instead before installing any other driver, period.
Click to expand...
I will give that a shot next time. Biostar's NIC needed drives for the install (I should have known that was a bad sign when I installed the OS). I do have a 30GB HDD I used that has the applications needed for me to get my work done.

When I install Windows, it's always on a fresh drive (I connect it to the wifes comp and run it to 0's with Eraser... a couple days before I need to install). From getting it ready, I install AV (Nod32), then NIC, then go online and get all the updates before I install a single application.

----------------

I will do RoyLuv's suggestion first because I can do it and still get work done.
 
There's no reason to do that Eraser step: you're putting the drive through a lot of absolutely useless and unnecessary mechanical "abuse" in some respects for no legitimate reason. Doing a QuickFormat with the XP x64 installer and then installing it will end up giving you the same end result: XP x64 installed on the hard drive, and a helluva lot faster in the process.

But it's your machine, so whatever.

I don't know which mobo you have specifically since you haven't mentioned the model number yet; you don't have to get drivers from Biostar, for the most part. The original manufacturers of the components (like the NIC itself) can be handled from them - Biostar doesn't make NICs, or soundcards, etc so every piece of hardware on that board was made by another company and then all of it was put together by Biostar or the company that made the mobo for Biostar who simply silkscreened their name on the finished product and related materials.

Good luck, either way...
 
Realtek... figures. :D Get the drivers direct from them for the NIC; in fact, don't use the Biostar supplied drivers for anything if at all possible. If you can't find the driver for a specific piece of hardware, post the hardware info here and I'll find it.
 
Post the memory dumps from C:\windows\minidump and I'll take a look as well...

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
You've got a rash of problems, those dump files point to any number of elements as the "culprit". Everything from nVidia drivers to the inbox NDIS and USBEHCI drivers, but none of them are consistent in component OR in bug check code, which is a pretty damn good inidicator that there is a piece of hardware befouling your system.
 
Thanks for the heads up on where to look. I am leaving the DVD drive off till this is all done. I just need it to stay running till the end of this project.
 
It was the MoBo. I got a new one a few days after my last post and haven't had a single problem with the OS since then.
 
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