Another A8N SLI Issue....system hangs in windows!

[Creideike]

Hello all,
I would like to first thank you all for all of your posts on all aspects of this board, they have been very helpful. I have read through almost all the post on this bord and am wondering besides the ppl who RMAed thier A8N SLI, was anyone getting errors during windows setup sometimes that would eventually lead to windows hainging and freezing or the blue screen with a memory dump error requireing a hard reset to reboot after a shot time after starting windows usually while downloading upgrades (e.g., SP2 for windows or the atomatic updater for Ever Quest II), this would eventually lead to windows just failing to start up at all?

Now I will tell you what I have done to try to fix this, checked PSU (Aeropower II +SE 550w, 30A on the 12V) I dont have the 24 adapter yet (don't think, as I have read, that this will help), have switched out 3 sets of RAM (Corsair XMS low latency and ultra low latency ram, Kingston value RAM, and Patriot) tried different DIMM slots as well as only one DIMM in B2, Removed my SB Audigy2 ZS sound card, pluged in the EZ conector and unpluged it under different Windows XP Pro instilations, set my RAM Voltage to 2.8V and messed with the latency setings as well as 1T or 2T, have tried every BIOS and Beta up to the new 1003-06, heat is not an issue the CPU and MB stay at about 36-41 C.

I have not tried another video card, a non RAID 0 array or different HD, a different PSU or another CPU .

Any Sugestions?

Windows XP Pro with SP 2 loaded befoure driver instlation / AMD64 3500+ 90nm / ASUS A8N SLI Delux / a single MSI NX 6800 Video Card / 1gig Corsair XMS Low latency RAM 2-2-2-6 / 1gig Corsair XMS Ultra low latency RAM 2-2-2-5 auto boot in 1T / AeroPower II+SE 550 PSU / Thermaltake Shark tower / Thermaltake Bigwater liquid cooling system / 2 Maxtor 60 gig SATA HD with 8 MB buffer in a RAID 0 array / Audigy 2 ZS sound card / MSI 16x DVD ROM / Memorex 16x DVD Writer, Flopy Drive,

 

[FastEddie]

In that your os is CF'ed (cluster flocked), I'd try a fresh install of the os and leave the Audigy right out of the mix. See if you can get your os and drivers installed without any bsods. If you are successful, then play with the Audigy.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

You may have to reformat the array, and do a fresh install

 

[Creideike]

Sorry didn't make it clear that I have tried seveal different reformats under several different configurations, includeing the latest without the Audigy 2 ZS in it!

Has anyone solved this, I forgot to add, or as I'm thinking its RMA time?

 

[FastEddie]

Originally posted by: Creideike
Sorry didn't make it clear that I have tried seveal different reformats under several different configurations, includeing the latest without the Audigy 2 ZS in it!

Has anyone solved this, I forgot to add, or as I'm thinking its RMA time?

Not real clear. You install WinXP Pro---any freezes or BSOD's through the initial installation?

You load the chipset drivers after the initial Win XP install. Freezes or BSOD's?

You use the auto update to add SP2. Freezes or BSOD's.

From your description, none of us have any idea how the installs went, or where you started encountering problems. If during the initial installation of the os, then we need to look at component issues and bios settings. If you start encountering the problems afterward, then components and bios settings starts to become a greyer area and software begins to play the major role.

 

[Creideike]

Sorry for being unclear.

When I first put the system togeather and got in to loading Windows XP Pro I had no problems during the instlation, it booted up fine and I was able to update windows load all the drivers and load a couple of games. Though upon updateing Half Life 2 using Steam, the system froze (mouse stopped responding) and I had to do a hard reset. Then I restarted windows and atempted to load EQII when it froze again. Upon restart it could no longet load windows in that it just stayed at load up screen with the progress bar infinitly going. So I reformated and reloaded still no problems during instlation but alas when I tried to start updateing EQ II it froze. I reformated several times with the same freezing always occuring in windows, however when I tried the Silicon SATA controler is when I got my first BSOD during windows instlation and it has happend to me since on the Nvidia controler a couple of times as well. I have reformated under most of the BIOS revisions and with different memory configurations and without the Audigy 2 ZS. I have noticed that many times, but not all, my HDD activity light will stay continously lit when Windows freezes. In addition to the freezing I get BSOD reporting "memory dumps" which I have to reset out of, and twice the computer has found errors on my array that checkdisk has had to repair labled "I$30 9454". Right now in the system I am running one 512 MB Corsair DIMM, and it freezes after about a minute, while when I had 2 gigs it froze after a couple of hours.

Any ideas?

Thank you for your responses

 

[FastEddie]

Yes/ I would go back to the NV S-ATA controllers, completely wipe the drives and start with a fresh install of the os. Leave the Audigy out of the mix for now. Leave in two memory modules on A1 & B1 so you have dual channel. If using the Corsair, then manually setup your memory to DDR400, and for now use relaxed timings with 2T. Make sure you also manually set the ram voltage at 2.75v (I run XMS and the spd on the modules never sets the voltage correctly).

So, set up a new raid0 on the nv ports (use ports 1 & 2), and go about installing WinXP, remembering to hit F6, at the begining of the install, for the nv raid drivers (hitting "S" twice to load both drivers).

After the initial os is installed, I want you to install the chipset drivers off the Asus CD. Also install DX9 (9.0C) and your video drivers. Make sure you have all devices installed and showing with no exclamations marks in Device Manager prior to your update to SP2. And when you install SP2, dl the complete package version, not via the online update.

Run this configuration for at least one day----without loading any other programs, games, game updates etc... We want to see if the system will run stable with the OS properly installed. When you install the chipset drivers, don't install the active armor, or the ai booster, or any of the other proggys on the setup disk. You'll get to there, but for now you want to see if you can run a stable os.

And I forgot to ask before, did you install the NV IDE drivers when you installed the setup package off the CD?

 

[mrscintilla]

I fail to see how this could be anything but software problem. Doesn't seem to have much to do with your motherboard.

 

[FastEddie]

Originally posted by: mrscintilla
I fail to see how this could be anything but software problem. Doesn't seem to have much to do with your motherboard.

That's what's going to be determined, but I think you're right.

 

[Creideike]

TY for your reply. I will follow what you said and see if I can get a stable OS. Now about the NV IDE drivers if they came with the chipset drivers then yes or the with any of the other drivers on the CD, however if they were under utilities then no....I trt to keep stuff I will not use off my system such as the NV Firewall, AI Boster and such.

TY again

 

[DavidHull]

Wait a minute. A BSOD in Windows XP is, 99 - 100% of the time a hardware or BIOS problem. I've built countless computers and fixed a zillion more and, I have never seen a blue screen in WinXP without a hardware problem to back it up. This creates software problems, but they are not the root.

Make sure you have enough voltage to your CPU.
Check your CPU temps.
Your hard drive, is it new or very old?
You've eliminated the RAM as a possibility, but what speed do you have it set at?
Have you run memtest?
Is the board Prime95 stable?
Drop any screws onto the MOBO that are lodged in?
Pinched ribbon cable?

Hope ths gets you on the right track.

Dave

 

[Creideike]

Yes/ I would go back to the NV S-ATA controllers, completely wipe the drives and start with a fresh install of the os. Leave the Audigy out of the mix for now. Leave in two memory modules on A1 & B1 so you have dual channel. If using the Corsair, then manually setup your memory to DDR400, and for now use relaxed timings with 2T. Make sure you also manually set the ram voltage at 2.75v (I run XMS and the spd on the modules never sets the voltage correctly).

K I followed your instructions to the "T" except I did not manualy set the CAS timeing I left them on auto. After haveing windows not recgonize my raid array and having my computer not post on restart untill I hit the reset switch....I loaded 1002 BIOS off the CD to replace 1003-06 I had on there. From there on I deleated the array rebuilt it and cleared the data. Started windows setup without problems, loaded BOTH Nvidia raid drivers and was able to set up windows. I loaded all the drivers INCLUDEING THE IDE DRIVERS(not sure if I should have done that), restarted the system when prompted upon driver instlations, and was really happy cause it seemed to work. Next I found the full 266 MB SP2 download not from Windows Update, and downloaded it without a problem, exited from all programs and started up SP2 install. The progress bar stoped and the mouse locked up along with the system....LIKE BEFOURE! So I hit the reset switch and as windows was loading got the BSOD saying I was missing a file and if I reloaded it maby windows would start. Tried that twice with the same results. so I thought lets start again, perhaps it is the IDE drivers. Cleared the disk data and went to reinstall windows, this time I could not perform a quick format so I did a regular format and at 100% it froze and I had to restart. Then tried one more time to load windows and this time it froze on quick format at 100%.

Make sure you have enough voltage to your CPU.

This is the only fix I have left to try on my own by getting the 20 to 24 pin converter tommorow!

Could this be a HD problem, I read one post that someone said there was perhaps an issue with Maxtor drives on this MB, but that seemed to only be related to setting up a raid array and getting windows to recgonize the full array space? Anyother ideas? and as always thank you very much

AMD64 3500+ 90nm / ASUS A8N SLI Delux / a single MSI NX 6800 Video Card / 1gig Corsair XMS Low latency RAM 2-2-2-6 / 1gig Corsair XMS Ultra low latency RAM 2-2-2-5 auto boot in 1T / AeroPower II+SE 550 PSU / Thermaltake Shark tower / Thermaltake Bigwater liquid cooling system / 2 Maxtor 60 gig SATA HD with 8 MB buffer in a RAID 0 array / Audigy 2 ZS sound card / MSI 16x DVD ROM / Memorex 16x DVD Writer, Flopy Drive,

 

[govern1]

Could it be the Maxtor hd's?

Shawn

 

[FastEddie]

If using the XMS Corsair memory, for stability, you really need to manually set the memory voltage at 2.75. This is what Corsair recommends when using this memory. You should also manually set those memory timings to say 2.5-2-2-9-2T (for the moment, as this setting takes your memory out of play as a contributing factor).

 

[FastEddie]

Originally posted by: DavidHull
Wait a minute. A BSOD in Windows XP is, 99 - 100% of the time a hardware or BIOS problem. I've built countless computers and fixed a zillion more and, I have never seen a blue screen in WinXP without a hardware problem to back it up. This creates software problems, but they are not the root.

Make sure you have enough voltage to your CPU.
Check your CPU temps.
Your hard drive, is it new or very old?
You've eliminated the RAM as a possibility, but what speed do you have it set at?
Have you run memtest?
Is the board Prime95 stable?
Drop any screws onto the MOBO that are lodged in?
Pinched ribbon cable?

Hope ths gets you on the right track.

Dave

He's had the os installed a number of times, to find it CF'ed on the install of game updates and os updates. How can you even make the claim that a BSOD in WinXP is 99-100% of the time hardware or bios, when the os has been loaded and the problems start to appear on a botched attempt to load these updates.

Back to installing the os. Still seems that the os runs until you start updating. And in answer to your nv ide question, no, I wouldn't instal the nv ide drivers---they worked hit or miss on NF3 based systems, I doubt any major imporvements have been made to correct them with NF4. Your IDE devices should also be placed on the Secondary IDE channel, properly jumpered as master slave and properly attached to the cable as master slave.

Did you check in Device Manager after you installed the OS and the chipset drivers? To determine whether any exclamation points existed on devices that still hadn't been recognized or installed? And that prior to the install of SP2? You see, everything seems to work up to that SP2 point.

 

[Creideike]

Did you check in Device Manager after you installed the OS and the chipset drivers? To determine whether any exclamation points existed on devices that still hadn't been recognized or installed? And that prior to the install of SP2? You see, everything seems to work up to that SP2 point.

Yes I did and everything was ok except my USB controler which it can't find the driver untill I install SP2. Man that really sucks if I have to have my DVD drives on the same seckond IDE channel for burning purposes master/slave configuration sucks....however I would rather have a stable system , so I will try it a keep you all updated...

I am worried though if it was a strictly windows/software problem whh dose it freez during NTFS formating during WIndows setup?

TY for your input

 

[JonGalt26]

To answer someones question about the maxtor hardrives, yes, i think it could be the maxtor hardrives. Especially if NCQ is turned on OR they are in a RAID. Unfortunately right now I dont have time to find links but i have read alot about it because if my own problems getting my SLI rig to work.
Jongalt

 

[century child]

Originally posted by: Creideike

Did you check in Device Manager after you installed the OS and the chipset drivers? To determine whether any exclamation points existed on devices that still hadn't been recognized or installed? And that prior to the install of SP2? You see, everything seems to work up to that SP2 point.

Yes I did and everything was ok except my USB controler which it can't find the driver untill I install SP2. Man that really sucks if I have to have my DVD drives on the same seckond IDE channel for burning purposes master/slave configuration sucks....however I would rather have a stable system , so I will try it a keep you all updated...

I am worried though if it was a strictly windows/software problem whh dose it freez during NTFS formating during WIndows setup?

TY for your input

Have you already tried running Memtest86+ to make sure your memory configuration is stable? That would be my suggestion as it sounds to me like problems I've experienced in the past that were RAM-related. I notice that you are running 2 gigs of RAM and that the modules are not exactly the same type. With these dual channel memory controllers (especially the really picky ones), even modules of a different revision can cause problems, much less a completely different series. My suggestion to you would either be to try running with just 1 gig matching modules and see what happens (and run Memtest86+ in any case).

 

[FastEddie]

"I am worried though if it was a strictly windows/software problem whh dose it freez during NTFS formating during WIndows setup."

You've never once said it froze during ntfs formatting!

And you only want to run two sticks of identical memory!

I'll sit this one out!

 

[DavidHull]

I am worried though if it was a strictly windows/software problem whh dose it freez during NTFS formating during WIndows setup

As I said before, I'd bet a few lives that this is a hardware problem.

And you've already established that your RAM is fine. Do you have a different hard drive you could try? Otherwise, I'd RMA the board.

 

[Creideike]

So to update!
I got my 20 to 24 ATX converter, but befoure I instaled it on a normal reboot, it started trying to load AFLASH from the CD to load up a new BIOS due to a "BIOS Checksum Error", and I thought that is funny.....I did nothing perviously to my system except set my memory timeings to FastEddie's recmondations nor did I have a beta BIOS loaded like 1003-05. So it loaded and restart and did the exact same thing OVER AND OVER AGAIN? So I reset BIOS and pluged in my conveter and sure enough after setting everything and rebooting it gave me the checksum error....SO F*&^ IT ALL, its going back to Zipzoomfly and I already have another one on its way

Please oh great lord or whatever you are....no more huge problems problems with my next board

Thank you all again for your help and responses!

 

[matthewcoo]

I have been having issues with my board as well but don't want to get into that as I am RMA in my ram sticks hoping that is the cause of my BSOD's and harddrive constant corruption....

ANYWAY did u say I should put my CDRW- dvdrom on the second IDE channel and have nothing in the primary channel???

thanks for the help

 

[Creideike]

Yes FastEddie said link them up to the seckond IDE channel in a master/slave cinfiguration and don't load the IDE drivers off thr Chipset drivers for your ASUS CD....GL . Its not good, but I thought my problems may be due to my Maxtor drives, but if you are getting the same problems with WD then it should be something eltse. Something I did not try is to load Windows on a non Raid configuration....if you have time you may want to try a fresh install with one HD and see if you still have problems...and hopefully you will never get my last BIOS problem...other than that I have tried almost everything except a new CPU and PSU

 

[Creideike]

So in case anyone sees these same problems as I, I just got my new RMA board and it seems to be working fine with all my memory, HDs, and SB Audigy 2 inslaled. Just a bad board, or I did something I guess.

Anyways ty again for all those who helped me

 

[bwentzel]

It seems to be a common theme with this board that you can't run anything besides the 1002 BIOS if you are going to use Maxtor Diamondmask 10 SATA drives, RAID or otherwise. And definitely don't turn on NCQ!

The Maxtor's are super fast, but gotta wonder why there are so many problems. I finally toasted my 300gb drive yesterday and it will not recover. Makes a clicking sound when you power it up.