Computer restarting argh!

[SBOSlayer]

Hey all

I was just hoping someone can help me with this small problem i seem to be having. Lets start with the fact i'm currently a computer engineering student and have alot of experience fixing computers, however i have finally came across one i just can't rap my head around

I have a pc here and when i try to install windows it refuses to do it. Takes me to different stages every time before it just decides to restart. I have swapped out the memory, the hard drive, the cd rom drive, the graphics card and nothing. It still won't install windows without restarting. I even tried installing another hard drive with windows pre-installed, still restarts. also changed out the cables and checked that the capcitors aren't burst. There are no visible scortch marks on the board... I have absolutly no idea where the other problem could be unless it's a faulty motherboard or cpu.

It's an AMD athloon 3400+
512mb ram or 256mb (tested)
64mb graphics
120gb hard drive
Eberly (GA-K8VM-P-NF)

In addition i have taken out all PCI cards.

thanx for the help in advance

 

[o1die]

What version of windows are you trying to install?

 

[SBOSlayer]

Windows xp, also tried vista and just about to try linux just waiting for the cd to finish burning.

 

[ekoostik]

Is this a brand new build? Or is it a system that worked previously?

I have a pc here and when i try to install windows it refuses to do it. Takes me to different stages every time before it just decides to restart. I have swapped out the memory, the hard drive, the cd rom drive, the graphics card and nothing.

What about the PSU? What model are you using and have you tried swapping it out?

I even tried installing another hard drive with windows pre-installed, still restarts.

This doesn't really tell us anything. You can't pop a harddrive with an OS pre-installed onto a different motherboard without expecting to run into problems.

 

[wa1]

more likely PSU problem...
Have u tried with different PSU?

 

[vann]

+1 to power supply or capacitors on mobo, probably some of them are swollen and need to be replaced...

 

[ewor]

Have you tried remounting the cpu?
Have you ensured the heat sink is mounted properly?