Strange problems with installing any OS.

[heckar]

Hello Tom's hardware I often visit your site but never actually posted on the forum.

Ok, so onto my problem.

I built an almost new PC, containing -

Asus P5VD2-X Motherboard
Intel Q6600 with Stock intel fan.
2 GB Kingston Valueram

and my old parts, Seagate 250gb, 40GB Maxtor, and a geforce 7600GT, and my 400W PSU.

When i tried to reinstall windows XP Professional ( I tend to do that when installing a lot new hardware ), it rebooted. During the install, around the point where you have to select your timezone.

I thought, hey, could happen.

So i re-tried. It rebooted again, even earlier this time.

So I thought the temps of my CPU weren't good. It was 36C when i looked in the bios. I know it could be wrong, but it gives a good indication, no?

So i tried a diffirent disk of windows. Same problem.

Then I tried a 64 bit of windows. again. Same went for my 2 Vista disks, one 32B and an 64B version.

Now the strange thing. I also tried Windows 98. ( with only 1gb of ram insterted now ), and that went fine.

I can leave the PC up and running for hours and hours in the bios without it crashing, but

I am seriously baffled by this
What could be up?

 

[Alvertte]

Test your RAM with memtest or other software ..Do you have a new Optical drive ?

Also erase,format and check the hard disk with the utilities from the maker of the HDD.

If you can upgrade the power supply to 550 W with a good brand name such as antec.

 

[chechnyan]

i am with Alvertte and
i feel its bad sector on you're hard disk

 

[pcgamer12]

Memtest86+ first. Reformat your HHD, or stick it in another PC to read the S.M.A.R.T. status, try to fix bad sectors, possible HHD damage.

 

[evongugg]

Tell us more about your PSU.
It may not have the power necessary for the system.

 

[Aragorn]

Sounds like the Win98 Install is working because one memory stick is bad and you took it out.

 

[heckar]

thanks for all the replies!

I will try all you guys said .... posting with an ameo now..in a car.

the hdd part not tho, i tried it this morning with multiple hdd s...same problem.


anyway,thanks!

 

[heckar]

Tell us more about your PSU.
It may not have the power necessary for the system.

My PSU? It's a SP-ATX-400W, from Spire.
I used a Wattage Calculator from a link from this forum, and that said i needed around 350W. So I think it's enough..

Sounds like the Win98 Install is working because one memory stick is bad and you took it out.

I tried using the 2nd RAM stick, and it had the exact same problem. ( With either Vista and XP )

Memtest86+ first. Reformat your HHD, or stick it in another PC to read the S.M.A.R.T. status, try to fix bad sectors, possible HHD damage.

How exactly do I read the SMART status? I know theres a option in the BIOS that enables SMART but what it exactly does i never understood.
But i'll try to do the memtest86+ now. First gotta find a USB stick then...

 

[heckar]

I ran the memtest86+ test, it ran for 9,5 hours without any errors...

I'm going crazy.

 

[heckar]

Come on.. Anyone? :<


I tried some more stuff now tho. I tried using a new PSU, 450 watt, but primarily because the +12v line on my old PSU wasn't exactly "steady".

This new one almost perfectly keeps 12v so that is fine..

I also tried using another video card ( Old PCI Video card thing ).

All, the same problem....