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Video problem

J

jackbomb

n00b
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
9
I'm trying to install Win XP on a P3-600/256mb machine, and can't get past the "34 minutes left" mark. It boots off the CD, formats the hard drive to NTFS, and copies the first files. It then restarts to "Pretty Mode" so that it can copy the rest of the files.

When it gets to the 34 minutes left mark, the screen blanks; nothing but a blinking cursor remains. I'm pretty sure this is a video card problem.

I've installed XP on tons of other puters, and on those, the screens would blank for just a second (switching resolutions) and then come back on again, right at the 34 minute mark. But this computer can't seem to come back to life after the screen blanks. Shit!

So I tried installing Win 98SE, just to see if it would work, which it did. But as soon as I downloaded the GeForce 3 drivers, I got the same problem. Win 98 would start loading, but then dump me back to a blinking cursor just as it was about to switch resolutions.

-I've tried the video card in different computers. It works flawlessly.
-I've tried using different video cards in the troubled computer. Same problem.

I think I need to change settings in the BIOS or something, but have no clue what to change. Could you help me please?

and btw, at the post screen, the PIII-600 CPU is recognized as a Pentium II-MMX 600MHz Processor. Could this have anything to do with the problem? Like, is it changing the AGP modes to better suit a P2 even though it's not, in fact, a P2? lol, I know that sounds stupid, but I really have no idea... and I really need this set up next week. Thanks for any help.
 
can you give more info on the hard ware your using motherboad, make model etc.
 
Make sure your key board and mouse are plugged all the way in.

Isnt that during "detecting devices" Happened to me before :p Maybe you too.
 
Zardoz said:
can you give more info on the hard ware your using motherboad, make model etc.
Click to expand...

The mobo is a Soyo SY-6BA+
i440BX chipset, cartridge-style P3-600, GeForce 3 Ti 200, 256MB PC-133 SDRAM, 40gb maxtor, Sony DVD and CD burners, SB Live, 350w psu.

Yes, I plugged in the keyboard/mouse properly.
 
A friend told me to try updating my BIOS. I did that just now--yay! My CPU is finally being detected as a P3!

But... still no luck with the GODDAMNED VIDEO! :mad:

I'll give anyone who gives me the the slightest hint of how to fix this a cookie! Please?
 
OK, while attempting to install XP for the tenth time, I noticed an error box pop up for a billionth of a second before it crashed. "Not enough virtual" I couldn't read the rest of it, but I'm guessing the next word would have been memory.

What do I do, oh 1337357 of the 1337?
 
there should be enough ram. i managed to install windows xp on a AMD +1700 with only 128 mb ram. did u try onboard video if there is any?
 
Dark_fire said:
there should be enough ram. i managed to install windows xp on a AMD +1700 with only 128 mb ram. did u try onboard video if there is any?
Click to expand...
I doubt that it means physical memory, it's something else. The board has no onboard video.
 
It allows me to fully install Windows 98. I can even get on the net and everything, but with only 16 colors. As soon as I install the nvidia drivers, all I get is a blinking cursor.

I can even hear the Win98 loading off the hard drive, and then hear the Windows 98 Start-Up chime, but all I see is the blinking cursor.

But I can even push the Start key on my keyboard and hear the little Start Menu sound, kinda sounds like "Swish" if you guys still remember win 98. But again, all I see is a blinking cursor.

And as for XP, I can't even fully install XP without being booted to a blinking cursor screen. WHY is this happening?
 
This happened to me years ago on an old dual 400 MHz celeron setup w/ 256 MB of ram. One day, it booted up and all it showed was a blinking cursor. I too tried reinstalling XP but that didn't work (CD wouldn't even boot). I only had update disks for all of my OSes, so I reformatted the HD, installed DOS 7.0 (from the old floppies!) and installed Windows 3.1 on that. I then installed my upgrade disk to Win95, then upgraded it to Win98, and then finally to XP. The problem never appeared again.

This method isn't particularily useful if you haven't kept all your old OSes though. If it helps, this old PC also had some severe overheating issues sometimes - especially during the summer - which caused it to reboot for no reason now and then.
 
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