Can't Get Past Restart

[Viulfr]

I purchased a new Asus MB, socket 478, model number P4P800-VM with 1024 ddr memory, 512 graphics card and intel 3.2 mhz processor with a fan/heatsink rated for 3.6, with Sony drives. Put the components together and I get a nice post with all hardware properly registering in. I do smell the thermal paste and a copper (heatsink is copper) smell during operations; but I dont think it's running hot (would appreciate normal temperature operating ranges as a reply).

Then it attempts to go to the new harddrive (which BIOS acknowledges no problem) to activate the OS and it goes into safe mode for windows XP pro. No matter which safe mode selection you make, it simply restarts and does not go into the safe mode screen or activate the OS. I've put the harddrive in two other computers and it goes into XP fine so it's not the software or the harddrive. It has to be something in the BIOS setup or some rediculous pin or jumper setting that I've overlooked that is causing system instability.

I've read as much as possible on the ASUS forums and haven't figured it out. I'm beginning to be convinced it is a system stability thing and that I need to manually change the [auto] to a manual settings in BIOS. I think the BIOS is operating correctly, but would appreciate tests I can run to see if it's messed up. I've never fiddled with the [auto] settings before and am very concerned with getting it right. If anyone has a template, or has experienced a safe mode that wont get past restart, please post a reply.

 

[dvdpiddy]

Wow dude i had a system close to yours a few years back when i used to be an intel fanboy my mobo was the p4p8x with a 2.6 north wood when i upgraded to a 3.0 prescott had the same problem then i updated the bios and it worked fine also is your proc prescott or northwood? if you dont know does it have 512k cache or 1meg(512k is northwood 1 meg is prescot) oh and dude one more thing what brand of ram you got? could also be the ram.

 

[Viulfr]

It's a northwood alright and it's got a single 1024 stick of kingston 333, pc2700 ddr in it.

 

[dvdpiddy]

Sorry dude dont know but i do know someone who can ask either mpjesse or richpls they helped alot of other noobs on they're other posts.

 

[pat]

WinXP don't really like hardware change. Don't know what was your previous system, but if the hardware was very different, then a repair install or a complete reinstall will probably fix it.

 

[Viulfr]

You have it right Pat.

We reformated to a clean HD, reinstalled XP (in the Asus, not another machine) and it works just fine now. The ASUS Bios is running just fine without (so far) amendment.

Thanks for the help guys; and next time you have problems loading an OS, check your master slave settings, auto detect doesn't always work and some time you have to do it manually. Get this right, and dont try putting an OS configured for one machine into an entirely different one unless you're ready for the attendant instability.