WindowsXP & 2000: Reboots in loading screen. Safemode Hangs

D

dustin

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 7, 2004
Messages
99
I am running a DFI LP 875b1 ( appears to be fine but only posts half the time ), 2.4 P4, 1gig Corsair 3200, Rosewill 500W PS, WD Raptor OS drive, 200g maxtor storage, Powercolor 9800SE 128mb.

So my problem is this. I am able to install Windows ( 2k and XP Pro ). By setting SATA mode to enhanced I can install OS to the Raptor and put NTloader on the 200g storage drive. The OS's will boot right after being installed. I load drives for my video card, Netgear wireless card, Saitek keyboard and the Motherboard drives. I reboot then install Windows updates, reboot once more and the computer comes up fine. I run it for an hour or more then when I try to reboot it starts hanging.

It will freeze trying to load XP in normal mode, 2k freezes at the "loading press F8 if needed" screen. In XP I can get to the boot options menu, when I try all 3 safe modes it freezes while loading AGP440.sys. Everything is brand new except for the motherboard, which I purchased from someone here. I have tried numerous settings in the BIOS and nothing seems to make a difference. DFI's website has no info and a quick search on Google reveals little. I can't figure out whats wrong or how I should go about trouble shooting this, I can't afford to replace stuff just top see if it works. Any Ideas?

Also, the motherboard only posts about half the time, I have to keep pressing reset until it comes up. What could be causing this, is it a faulty motherboard?
 
dustin said:
I run it for an hour or more then when I try to reboot it starts hanging.

Also, the motherboard only posts about half the time, I have to keep pressing reset until it comes up. What could be causing this, is it a faulty motherboard?
Click to expand...

Well, I was gonna comment on the first comment there, then you put that last part in at the end. First problem, if you have a faulty motherboard, then most of the rest of the stuff becomes kind of irrelevant.

I would start going about it like this:

First, take everything off the mobo that is not ABSOLUTELY necessary (RAM, proc, vidcrd, maybe HDD and CDROM). Then start testing things from the ground up. You can get diagnostic programs (I think that ultimate boot disk has some) that will test processor and RAM (memtest). Flog the hell out of those for a few hours and see if you still have the problems. Any results other than 0 errors with memtest isn't good and you might be looking at replacing RAM. While running the test does it begin to hang? Maybe it's a processor / component overheating. For a different approach, take all hardware off the mobo and see if you get beeps EVERY time that you turn it on. If you don't, it'll end up being something bad with the mobo.

Also, don't disregard the power supply. If you have another one swap it out and see if you still run into the same problems. Are you sure that you have enough power to run all of your components?

If everything thre turns out ok, start adding components back in one by one. Run the machine until you are satisfied that each of them work as they are supposed to. If you start to notice the problem again when you have put a peice back in, there's your problem.

My guess is, based on your last comment, it's the motherboard. But, you might also be having video card problems. Tough to say. You're in for spending a little quality time with your hardware if you want to track it down. Just remember, one step at a time.
 
Last poster had a good group of ideas, the only thing I would as is to say "You aren't overclocking anything are you?" It may seem like a silly question, but I've seen people have problems and then it turns out they were overclocking, and turning it back to stock speeds fixed it.

Sounds like a power or mobo problem, but the above poster has a good series of steps to try to figure out whats up :).
 
Thanks guys Ill have at it tonight when I get off work, I do have Ultimate Bootdisk just havent had time to do anything yet. No I am not overclocking, that would be the next step once I get things running smooth.
 
My guess is power supply. You could test that by unplugging some things.

Why don't you make a list of what's in your computer, and tell us your power supply.
 
This is the Powersupply

This is the power supply http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-182-002&depa=0

Type: ATX
Maximum Power: 500W
Hold-up Time: > 10ms at Full Load and nominal input voltage
Efficiency: 70% min. under max. range load
Over Voltage Protection: +3.3V +5V +12V
Input Voltage: 115V/230V AC
Input Frequency Range: 50-60 Hz
Input Current: 10A/5A
Output: +3.3V@28A, +5V@30A, +12V@34A, [email protected], [email protected], +5VSB@2A
MTBF: 100k hours at max. load, normal line and 25°C
Approvals: cUL, FCC, CSA, CB, TUV, CE, NEMCO
Features: User-Adjustable Fan Speed Controller, Sleeved Wires, 2x 80mm UV Blue LED Fans

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The motherboard is DFI 875b1 Lan Party
2.4 gig Northwood, 800mhz frontside bus, HT enabled
3 Hardrives, 1 Raptor 76g, 1 Maxtor 200g, 1 WD 34g.
2 120mm fans, 1 Vangaurd Aeroflow fan on CPU.
1 Powercolor 9800SE
1 Netgear Wireless card
1 Creative Soundblaster 24bit Live
2 Optical drives, cdrw AND dvdrw
2 512 Sticks of Corsair DDR 3200

I forgot to mention, when I tested with Win2k after running winamp all night when I rebooted first time I got what I think is called an artifact on the login screen. It was a large red triangle in the bottom of window. I rebooted and thats when it stoppped loading.

CPU temp on average when I boot after running pc for more than an hour is 31 C, I don;t think thats bad is it.
 
Ok so I've narrowed it down to being the ATI drivers, I had everything running fine then when I install the ATI drivers for the card it simply wont boot past the loading windows bar. It just reboots. Could this be my AGP slot or the card? Ill try to find another card to borrow and test it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top