System Boots But Now Has Other Issues

[Kyronea]

This is a continuation of my previous help topic, here: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/266260-13-system-boot posted in a new post as the old one was no longer applicable.

Essentially, I can get the system to boot into BIOS. That works fine. However, once moving past that, going into Windows (Windows XP) I suffer problems.

Firstly, half the time Windows just freezes on its loading screen. Won't load after that. Has to be reset.

When it does load into Windows, the keyboard stops working completely. I tried two different keyboards--both USB--and they both stopped working once Windows loaded. I have an adapter to plug a USB keyboard into a PS/2 port, but on there the computer couldn't even detect it on POST, let alone Windows.

The mouse also malfunctions. Firstly it only even works when it's plugged via adaptor into the PS/2 port, but even there, after a moment or two in Windows it freezes up. The light is still on, but the cursor won't move.

Added to all of this is that the boot process is really slow, far slower than I would have expected from a Quad Core CPU and 8 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM.

I could use some more help, please, and thank you very much for whatever assistance you can offer.

 

[xthekidx]

Sounds like DOA MB. Reviews of that MB are pretty dubious, foxconn can be hit or miss, and it looks like that board is a miss.

 

[Kyronea]

But if it was dead, wouldn't it refuse to POST at all? As it was I had to contact Foxconn Technical support to get new BIOS chips just to even run my CPU, but as far as I can tell--from my very limited experience--looking at the BIOS all seems to be well.

 

[xthekidx]

No. DOA motherboards exhibit all kinds of weird behaviors. One behavior they show is not booting, but they often will partially boot and then just crash.

I had a DOA MB that would boot, but after 20-30 seconds, whether in BIOS or in Windows would crash and the display would become completely disrupted with lines. Board would also not overclock at all, even though reviews said it was a decent overclocker and the chip I was using is an overclocking champ. Replacing the MB completely fixed the problem.

 

[Kyronea]

Right then. Guess I wasted a lot of time and money with this piece of crap then.

I'll just send it back to NewEgg for a refund, and get a different motherboard. Not buying anything made by Foxconn again, that's for sure.

Thank you.

 

[Kyronea]

In fact, now that I think about it...does anybody have any recommendations for which board to replace this with? The CPU I need to use is this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115057

And the RAM(I have four sticks) is this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227324

So...recommendations, anyone?

 

[xthekidx]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128369

 

[Kyronea]

Now that one looks good and reliable. Cheap, too.

Thanks again.

I'm going to have to remember to ask people here from now on before purchasing anything. Wish I'd done that to begin with. Ah well...lesson learned.

 

[xthekidx]

That is actually one of the best P45 boards available. Its easily top 5 Intel motherboards for Core 2 chips. I will be very surprised if you have issues with it. Good luck with finishing up your build.

 

[jitpublisher]

Just throwing this out, but you did do a fresh install of Windows, right?
Also, lets toss this out to you as well.
I used to have a Rosewill power supply. Seemed to work perfectly fine. I would get an occasional lockup in Windows, and I had what I thought was a drive going bad. It would click and freeze, and sometimes not be detected on boot.
Well, one day, the system would not boot. Fans, lights on board, but no POST. After much fiddling around and troubleshooting, I decided to replace the PSU, and I decided to get something better than the bottom of the barrel Rosewill I had. Replaced it with a BFG LS series 680 watt.
To my surprise, every glitch I ever had was cured. Drive worked perfectly, and Windows worked flawlessly.
Bottom line, I would NOT rule out that Rosewill PSU.

PS...gave that board, cpu, memory, video card (DFI Lanparty CFX/DRG, 4600X2, 4 gig Patriot memory, 1950pro,) to a friend of mine who installed it into an Antec case with a Thermaltake 850watt PSU.
He just put it together last week, he added another 1950pro and is running Crossfire on it, though I never did.
It is working flawlessly for him as well.
Never under estimate the importance of a good PSU.

 

[Kyronea]

I did not do a fresh install of Windows. Why would I do a fresh install of Windows? I don't have my CD for it anymore, and even if I did it was already installed. All I was doing was upgrading the hardware.

But I will keep the PSU notion in mind.

 

[will_chellam]

Duh....

Are you saying you put an old HDD into a system with new MB?

If thats the case, then thats almost certainly your problem... when windows boots it loads drivers and software that was determined at the time of original installation - it will NOT update or change this just because you've changed your hardware....

 

[Kyronea]

Then what am I supposed to do?

How am I supposed to reinstall Windows? And if I reinstall Windows, is that going to wipe out everything I have on the harddrives I've already got in there?

 

[xthekidx]

I should have read that other thread more carefully. The PSU could very easily be your problem.

Do a fresh install of windows and see if your problem persists.

 

[Kyronea]

Well I managed to find a copy of Windows XP around the house--I have no idea if it was my original CD or some other copy--and I installed it, on one of the other harddrives. (I have three.)

Everything is reset to default--obviously--but also it is detecting the RAM incorrectly. It lists it as 3.25 gigabytes in the system screen. BIOS detected it properly at 8 gigabytes(which is what I have) so I don't know why THAT is wrong...

But then I didn't expect to have to reinstall to begin with...I'm still new to this sort of thing. I put together a system before, but it was brand new everything including OS, so I didn't know I'd have to reinstall it...

Keyboard and mouse work okay so far, so that's good.

Any suggestions on how to fix the memory detection, and maybe import most of the settings from the other copy of Windows?

 

[pat]

get a 64 bits os. 32 bits os only have 4 gb of addressing space.. The os first allow adress for hardware then the remaining, around 3.25gb is given to the RAM

 

[Kyronea]

Oh drat. Ah well. I'll take care of that later.

In the meantime, SO FAR I believe everything is working properly now. I definitely appreciate all the help I've recieved here. Thank you all very much.

 

[Twoboxer]

Duh....

Are you saying you put an old HDD into a system with new MB?

If thats the case, then thats almost certainly your problem... when windows boots it loads drivers and software that was determined at the time of original installation - it will NOT update or change this just because you've changed your hardware....

Well, I'm glad you said "almost certainly" lol. In fact, I jacked up a Vista HD and slid the Gigabyte mobo recommended above beneath it, replacing a flaky EVGA mobo. They are, er, pretty different mobos.

Vista booted up and adjusted itself just fine.

Having said that, this isn't always the case for Windows and says nothing about Win XP in particular. YMMV.

 

[jitpublisher]

Well, I'm glad you said "almost certainly" lol. In fact, I jacked up a Vista HD and slid the Gigabyte mobo recommended above beneath it, replacing a flaky EVGA mobo. They are, er, pretty different mobos.

Vista booted up and adjusted itself just fine.

Having said that, this isn't always the case for Windows and says nothing about Win XP in particular. YMMV.

It may "seem" fine. But I have never, never, ever, I repeat ever changed a motherboard unless it was very close to the original, that Windows would boot and everything work correctly. I just does not happen. Not saying it won't work, but a fresh installation is the proper, and smart way to do it.
Most of the time, it won't work correctly. Sometimes it will. But knowing the odds, and the problems you are most certainly going to run into later down the road (they will pop up eventually) I'll take a fresh install every time.
I am glad your install worked in Vista, but if you are comfortable knowing that you have drivers and resources being loaded everytime you boot for hardware you no longer have, then okay. Very lucky that none of them are conflicting with each other.

 

[Twoboxer]

. . . Not saying it won't work, but a fresh installation is the proper, and smart way to do it.
. . . .

On this we are in violent agreement.

There are several guides on how best to pull off this "heart transplant". It would be far easier if mfgers gave you the Windows disk for the OS you paid for, but many do not. Since Microsoft will allow you to change the mobo even on an OEM version of the OS, the lack of a disk seems an unfortunate impediment.

In any case, if you are not into your "last resort" . . . and if you are not prepared for a potential disaster . . . heart transplants should be avoided.