New motehrboard problem with XP

[Christos1332]

Hi. I just refitted my PC with a new motherboard, and now I use 4GBs of DDR2 and a PCI-E video card. P4 @ 3 Gigs btw. Ok I managed to rebuild the system succesfully. At first, the PC would turn on but the keyboard/mouse and the screen would not respond. They were dead and the screen would not work. Then, I opened the case and re-attached the 20-pin adaptor of my PSU to the 24-pin of the motherboard again. So it worked!(the manual of my motherboard indicates that I can use a 20pin PSU to the 24-pin bus.. and I can indeed it seems...or this makes other problems?) The keyboard was working perfectly and the screen was functioning. So I was prompted to run Windows XP in safe mode, or normally, or safe mode with command prompt etc. I chose to run normally first. After choosing it I got the winXP load screen and in 1 second the PC restarted. Again to the last screen with safe modes... I chose safe mode but the same thing happened. I chose all 4 from the list but nothing. So I decided to put in my Win XP CD and boot from there and see what to do. From there, I got this dreaded blue screen we all know about. I first chose quick system restore by pressing F2 (i think it was F2 not so sure..) and was asked to put a floppy disc I dont have ..so I went on the other way. In this step it is important to note that I have 2 Hard Discs in my system. One that I had XP in in my old PC and the other one for keeping downloaded files, personal data etc. etc.. So the CD recognized my XP installation in the one drive. I pressed R to get it repaired. After a few seconds the system restarted. And got to the windows mode ?(safe modes) choosing screen again . Of course nothing changed as the system restarted again after each choice. "What the hell" I though.."Ill just format my second drive (I have backups of the old files in it, in like 10 CDs ) and do a nice fresh XP installation there". I formatted succesfully (using the WIn XP CD) and then chose to install XP in it. The installation was succesful and after an automatic system reboot I was prompted in the welcome screen of the Windows XP installation (showing introduction messages on the screen, "approximately 40 minutes remaining of the installation" in the left side of the screen etc.). After choosing regional settings, setting owners name, time and date, the installation went on, saying "Copying files.." but after about 1 minute, the screen goes black. Then the blue screen appears again. A huge message appears saying that there was a problem with file "win32k" or something and a description like PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. I then tried to fix the installation by repairing form the CD but got a NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY or something like that. In another try I got an IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. Below there are instructions saying that if I have installed new hardware they must have not got installed correctly. It sais to contact my distributor etc. etc.
Anyone can please help me with this? I just wanna get XP working again with my new stuff on ..
Thanks in advance guys

 

[megamanx00]

Save all your files to some CD-Rs, DVD-/+Rs or an external Hard drive. After you do that format the drive and do a fresh install of XP.

 

[Zorg]

Kind of hard to follow the insanity. I assume you tried to install fresh with a format at the end of it all and it failed.

Download Ultimate Boot CD and run memtest86+. You will need to burn the ISO to CD with ISO Recorder or other ISO burning software.

Test your RAM with memtest86+. Install XP after you remove any bad RAM. If that fails, then use Active @Kill disk on the UBCD to zero write the drive and try again.

Also, it looks like you may have the HD controller set for AHCI. If so, you will need to load the drivers in order for XP to load. You can set it to IDE and not use the drivers, but I believe that may cause problems with the other drive if it was set as AHCI on the old machine.

 

[Christos1332]

Ok here is the deal. I tested my RAM with memtest and it was testing for like 15 minutes and it showed errors all the time. And only errors!
Now in every installation i get the "page fault in nonpaged area error" only. I read somewhere that I am supposed to tweak with some CMOS features to fix the problem. I can access my BIOS/CMOS (with the del key at the start) but, in the main CMOS screen I get only a few subsections and when I get to one of them, there are very few options there. It is like my BIOS is crippled. I remember like 3 times more options in the BIOS in my old PC. I cannot tweak with the CMOS that way. I have tried resetting it with that 3 pin thingy in the motehrboard but the problem persists. Any suggestions?

Here is the link with the CMOS tweak suggestions
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314063&sd=RMVP]. See method 2. I dont see any of these options in my CMOS help please

 

[geofelt]

If you can't run memtest without any errors for several complete passes, you don't have a useable pc. You MUST fix the ram problem first.

Start by running memtest with each stick by itself. You are trying to identify the bad stick. Also try good sticks in each ram slot ot eliminate the possibility of a bad slot.

 

[MaDMagik]

Geofelt is absolutely right, you have to have faultless hardware first. Did you actually read this article you gave link for? Their first two suggestions:

1) Make sure that your hardware is compatible
2)If your hardware is compatible, look for other hardware issues

You clearly have a memory problem, no amout of BIOS tweaking will make up for it. You bought new mobo so there is a chance that this ram that worked fine in previous mobo will cause problems on the new one. Whats the make and model of new mobo anyway?

As for lack of options in BIOS, in some new mobos you have to press a combination of keys to gain access to advanced options, google it or check your mobo manual.

But like geofelt said "You MUST fix the ram problem first. "

 

[Christos1332]

This is my new motherboard http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=945GCM478-L&class=mb]

And this is the RAM I use. http://www.twenga.co.uk/prices-JetRAM-JM4GDDR2-6K-TRANSCEND-RAM-memory-200929-0]

They are supposed to be compatible together. My first thought was that the new motherboard had its drivers screwed up and couldnt connect to the RAMs properly. But if this is a faulty RAM issue...and with the RAM being brand new...

Ill check it out and keep you posted. Thanks for your rreplies up to now

 

[Christos1332]

Wrong RAM url sorry..http://www.twenga.co.uk/prices-JetRAM-JM4GDDR2-6K-TRANSCEND-RAM-memory-200929-0
(Is there something wrong with the post editing?)

 

[Zorg]

As said, your RAM must pass at least one pass, preferably a few passes, of Memtest86+ or it will never work.

Manually default the BIOS, use the mobo manual for details. It's using a jumper or removing the battery etc., you may have already said you did that in your post I got lost about a third of the way through.

If that doesn't work, and it probably won't, you will need to try other RAM. Click on the memory modules icon on the Compatibility test Items. Just because it's not on the list doesn't mean it won't work, but it appears to be the case here.

Also, it looks like your 3G Pentium is on the CPU Compatibility List, but verify that.

 

[Christos1332]

Problem solved guys! It seemed that the one RAM was f**ed up. I am gonna return it to the shop tomorrow. It had like 50000 errors. The other one was ok. So I saved all my data and now I can enjoy my new rig.
Couldnt have done it without ya thanks a million..!

 

[Zorg]

Oh, I thought you already tested the sticks independently when you found the error.

Enjoy.

 

[knightmirror]

Good to hear you learned a valuable lesson. Hopefully, you saved the boot disc and marked it with a sharpie or something for the future. Just curious, since you fished out the bad stick did you try again with the good one; just to be 110% certain never hurts.

 

[Christos1332]

Actually my first thought was that either the motherboard doesnt connect well with the RAMs or BOTH the RAMs were bad. I thought that it tested both at the same time and not first the one in the #1 and then the other at #2. So now I use only one RAM stick (the good one) and I got 2GB of memory. Gonna call my vendor and see if he can do anything and change the bad stick...And yes I fully checked my second stick. So only the one is bad..

 

[Zorg]

That's why I said "after you remove any bad RAM". I should have been more explicit in my instructions. It's hard to gauge the level of the questioner and I've gotten a little lazy.

At any rate you know now. You will probably have to return the sticks as a set since, I assume, you bought them in one package. If it's a local vendor, then bring both sticks back in the package to make the swap easy.

Good luck