reinstalling XP

Norbert_A_beaver · May 16, 2004

I have been getting the BSOD after playing music for a while ever since I updated my sound card drivers so I uninstalled them and reinstalled the original drivers however problem persisted. Actually it got worse, so bad that I can't load windows. So I think to myself well it has been awhile this computer is about 2 years old I think I should wipe the hard drive and reinstall windows. I tried to use a boot disk to transfer some files to my second harddrive and then wipe the primary drive. I will get to the dos prompt but I am unable to acess the hard drives. I first thought this was because the drives were in NTFS format so I did some searching on the web and found a boot disk that was able to read NTFS hard drives(from www.ntfs.com of all places) this resulted with an invalid command error in DOS. So I think well too bad I can't transfer the files. So I put in the Windows XP setup/install CD to reinstall Windows XP. It loads up and gets passed all the setup stuff and when it gets to the menu to choose what to do the computer shuts down for no apparent reason at all. No BSOD, not anyhting, everything just turns off. This is a repeatable error. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My System Specs are:
Athlon XP 1800+
Gigabyte GA-7VRXP Rev 2.0
512 MB 2700 RAM (one stick)
WD 40 gb, WD 100 gb
VisionTek GeForce 4 Ti4200
SoundBlaster Audigy X Gamer

blah · May 16, 2004

Reinstall windows into different directory, "blah" for example by on the same partition so you'll keep yer files yet will have brand spanking new system.

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

Norbert_A_beaver · May 16, 2004

I would if I could but you see the main problem I am concerned with is actually being able to install windows which has proven to be difficult because everytime I get to the main installation menu the computer shuts off.

blah · May 16, 2004

did you unplug everything but vid card

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

jihiggs · May 16, 2004

you have some kind of hardware problem. try different ram first.

wpdclan.com counter-strike game server - 66.150.155.52:27015
now featuring valve security module!

Norbert_A_beaver · May 17, 2004

I have taken out the sound card, but left the two hard drives, dvd-rom, CD-RW, and floppy drive hooked up. This still yielded the same result of getting into the setup getting past all the preliminary things and then right when I get the main setup menu the computer shuts off. I have yet to try a different stick of RAM but that will be my next step.

blah · May 17, 2004

To install windows you need ONLY vid, HD and CD rom, everything else can be added after. AND you have to try BOTH drives one by one. AND you need to change the cables (or put CD+HD on the same one once at a time). Comon, play with it a bit, possibilities unlimited..

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

mrface · May 17, 2004

exactly what blah said man;

take it down to bare bone then start adding stuff. when you start getting the problem again, you can further troubleshoot from there.

just use cpu, vid card, hd, cdrom.

"This Steel ain't stainless, Your bloodstains are all over this steel."
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Messianic Maniac.}=-</A>
{FLM}

Norbert_A_beaver · May 17, 2004

I have switched the RAM with a different stick from a working computer and the error continues. I put the stick of RAM in a working computer and it works fine so I am ruling bad RAM out as a problem. Now I will play with the IDE cables with just the vid card, dvd-rom, and hd. I will see what happens

jihiggs · May 17, 2004

could also be a bad cd rom or media

wpdclan.com counter-strike game server - 66.150.155.52:27015
now featuring valve security module!

Norbert_A_beaver · May 17, 2004

Alright, I played with a bunch of various setups. Both drives on one cable both on their own cable. HD with DVD-ROM, HD with CD-RW all yielded basicly the same result, that being shutting down or giving me a bluse screen with an error of 0x000008E or 0x0000007E message. I am at my wits end does anybody know what I should do?

Edited by norbert_A_beaver on 05/17/04 01:41 AM.

blah · May 17, 2004

Don't sweat it, bad IDE port on mobo happens to some nice folks like yourself *now just find out which one by having HD+CD on the same cable but different controller;*)

by the way, what timings for mem/cpu do you have in the bios? could you set them to default just to make sure its aaight.

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

peartree · May 17, 2004

Even better, click the 'Reload BIOS defaults' button. That usually gives you the safest settings. Then get on the net and do a Google search for those errors.

**** Never Assume ANYTHING ****

blah · May 18, 2004

Well, ahem, that's what I meant.

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

Norbert_A_beaver · May 19, 2004

Alright so I looked up the errors on microsoft telling me to update my BIOS which I do. I set the BIOS to default settings so nothing is overclocked or anything like that. I tried to used the WIndows CD again and reinstall Windows XP agian I get more errors. I looked those up on their website and they told maybe it was my RAM. Now I have ruled this out because I have used the RAM in another computer without any problems and I am currently using RAM that was in a working computer.
Now in one of the error resultions (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324103) given by microsoft said it might be a Boot sector virus and that I should scan for it and remove it. How can I scan for a virus that might not exsist when I can't boot windows? Do you see any resultion this?

blah · May 20, 2004

killing and creating new partition will take care on any virus out there

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

Norbert_A_beaver · May 21, 2004

Alright I think I might have solved the problem, I believe that the primary harddrive (the one with windows installed on it) Has some how become currupted and beyond my means to repair it. I don't know the exact problem with the harddrive but I am pretty sure is the root of all the problems. Thanks for all the help.

peartree · May 21, 2004

Corrupted, hmm? I suggest repartioning the drive, then reformatting and giving it another try. It's possible that the drive is bad, but I haven't heard anything that would lead me in that direction.

I've got to tell you that it really does sound like a bad IDE controller or some other hardware glitch, but without hands on, it's pretty much a guessing game.

If you decide to throw that drive out, let me know first so I can stand underneath the open window to catch it. I don't think the drive itself is bad hardware.

**** Never Assume ANYTHING ****

Norbert_A_beaver · May 21, 2004

Well I came to the conclusion that it is currupted because I tried running the Western Digital Diagnostic tools and when I do so the computer would shut off when i got into the main menu of the diagnostic tool. I took out the drive in question and ran the diagnostic tests perfectly and found no errors on the second hard drive.

Also inorder to reformat or repartion the drive I would have to use the Windows XP CD or a DOS boot disk (or atleast those are the only two ways I know how). The Windows XP CD shuts the computer down or I get a BSOD before I can even choose any options and when I run DOS it doesn't see the drive to reformat.

I won't throw the drive out because it had alot of stuff on it and I want to try and save it some how, but that some how still eludes me.

peartree · May 21, 2004

No, there are other means of saving the drive. One is to go to http://www.acronis.com/download/partitionexpert/ and download a atrial version of Acronis PartitionExpert. It's the same kind of thing as the former PowerQuest's Partition Magic. You may be able to rescue things that way.

I'm assuming that you've gone ahead and made the second drive ytour boot drive? then I'd slot the old first drive in as a slave and see if I couldn't copy the data off it.

Now, if you slot the old drive in as a slave and things won't work, then you've got more than a corrupt drive.

**** Never Assume ANYTHING ****

reinstalling XP

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Splendid

Distinguished

Distinguished

Champion

Distinguished

Splendid

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Share this page