Homebuilt Asrock/Core 2 upgrade problem

[the_woof]

I just got a Core 2 Duo E4400 and Asrock 4CoreDual-VSTA motherboard (upgrading from AMD64 3200+ and A8N-SLI). I'm using my DDR400 Corsair XMS memory (2x1GB). I replaced the old mobo/CPU and powered up the machine. The computer has been behaving oddly. At first, it booted to the Windows login screen but I got a BSOD. It said there was a page fault in a nonpaged area. I then booted into safe mode, where Windows successfully installed drivers for all my old components (DVD drive, HDs, TV tuner, wireless card, and video card) and the new drivers for the motherboard and processor (onboard LAN, audio etc). Now it boots up fine, until the Windows login screen. I click on my user and type my password. Then it spends over a minute (and sometimes up to 5 minutes) at the login screen saying it's loading my personal settings. It pops up a message about reactivating windows. I say that I don't want to do it now, and it stays at the login screen (but the dialog box is gone, of course) for another few minutes until it shows me my desktop background (but nothing else--no start menu etc). I can move the mouse through this whole process. It appears to stay at the desktop background constantly. Then I can press Ctrl-Alt-Del and bring up task manager. CPU usage is around 5%, and there are 12 processes running--the same number as when I boot into safe mode. If I click the network tab, task manager freezes.

I think this is a network problem. I'm going to try disabling the onboard LAN in the bios and uninstalling it from safe mode, then booting normally.

Anyone had a similar problem?

Also, I should note that sometimes when I boot normally into full Windows (not safe mode) the computer just reboots itself--no error messages, no nothing.

I have run CHKDSK several times. It says it fixes some things, but it hasn't helped the symptoms.

Thanks!

 

[darksidedragon]

DDR-400 on a C2D system? Wow, I didn't know you could even get motherboards that support that!! Have you reinstalled Windows since getting the new hardware?

 

[the_woof]

I'm trying right now. I got a generic blue screen when I tried most recently. Basically it works intermittently, and gets to different parts of the install at different times. I still have no idea what's wrong. It's a cheap motherboard ($60), so it's probably of low quality, and my experience with it agrees. I think it's setting my RAM to the wrong timings/rates, but I'm not sure.

 

[alcattle]

You want to test the RAM with Memtest 86+ before any changes. No errors then use CPU-z for the real BIOS settings

 

[the_woof]

Thank you both for your help so far.

I just finished a run of memtest. 1 pass in ~35 minutes. If this is not a hardware problem, then I think I have to determine what component is not meshing with Windows. I will try to look at CPU-z also, but I can't always get into Windows, even in safe mode.

 

[kshipper]

You sholud be backing up your data then formating the drive and installing Windows from scratch. You will run into problems guaranteed if you just swap out a mobo and flip it on.

I sell lots of these Asrock boards and I have had zero problems for such an affordable board. They do indeed take DDR400 or the newer DDR2--but not both types at the same time of course =)

 

[bridonca]

I am scratching my head on that one. If memtest is running smoothly, it is really hard to pin the blame on the motherboard. I would run it a full 24 hours to make sure it is not the ram, though usually you can find out it is the ram within 1 pass.

Did you do a clean install of the OS? If you moved the hard drive over, you are just asking for trouble. Did you install the latest hyperion drivers? How about the latest video card drivers?

 

[the_woof]

I did just move the hard drive over--you are definitely right (that it was asking for trouble). However, I also tried a fresh install onto a different (but already formatted) disk, and that blue screened once and has shut down on me a couple times. I'll try reformatting that 2nd disk and installing, then backing up the first disk's data, then reinstalling to that.

I have the latest video card drivers. What are hyperion drivers?

 

[kshipper]

When you format. Make sure the BIOS settings for boot sector virus check is -OFF' and set Plug and Play to -YES- Do the long format. It shouldn't Blue Screen during the install of Windows. If it does then you have a hardware problem. Remove as many add in cards as possible If there are any). Check PSU conections (don't forget that pesky 4 pin +12v line to the motherboard). If your graphics card needs power too, check that it is hooked up too. Try it again until you can get it Windows installed.

If you get the Windows screen without BSOD. Install Chipset drivers first for the Asrock board and reboot. Then do network card, sound card and video drivers in any order. If you are still good and no sign of a BSOD. Boot to Memtestx86 and let it run a long time. if you see any RED items on Memtestx86 then you have bad memory. (sometimes you can fix bad memory with a reseat or a slight bump in voltage--like 0.010 volts extra).

If memory tests good. Run an intense graphics demo like the free 3dmark 2006 or older and let it run over and over. This will get things good and hot and reveal any problems in your build. If it passes that test then you are well on your way to a stable system.

You can head back to BIOS and flip the boot sector virus to -ON- when you are satisfied and nearly done with your build

 

[JMecc]

I couldn't start my dualVSTA when I got it due to the long solder points on the back shorting to the case - put some eletrical tape on the case and it worked fine.
Jo

 

[the_woof]

So, after being unable to install Windows any way I tried it, and even failing to install Ubuntu 6, I let the computer sit for 5 days or so. Today I thought I would try installing from my Slackware 11 DVD. It worked. No problems whatsoever. I tried it first with no lan or sound, then enabled lan, then sound. Installed NVIDIA graphics drivers flawlessly. Installed UT2004 flawlessly. Runs at highest possible settings at 1024x768 (haven't configured X to run at 1280x1024 yet). Now I think I'm going to put my SATA drive (Slack 11 is installed on my IDE drive) in another computer, get whatever data I can from it (I suspect it may be corrupted), then put it back and try to install Windows to it. I'll post another update then.

Thanks for all your help so far!