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Best Way to Reinstall Windows XP?

G

GizmoFreak

Golden Member
I'm getting tired of the random BSODs, which has been running more rampant of late. So I'll reinstall (clean install) Windows XP Pro. I have several PCI cards in my box. A modem, USB 2.0 card, TV tuner, and sound card. Is it better to reinstall with the cards in or take out the cards first, reinstall, then add the cards (and corresponding drivers) back in?

I'm concerned that perhaps all those PCI cards are partly to blame for the more frequent BSODs. So I'd like to install them in the most ideal way.
 
I guess the best way to rule out each PCI card would be to reinstall Windows with no cards installed, and then add each one until you get the blue screening happening again. Of the cards you list, I would mostly suspect the TV Tuner - what make and model are all your PCI cards?
 
Do you have DMP files in your \Windows\Minidump folder? If so I can take a look at them to help you determine the culprit. You should not need to reinstall Windows.
 
Originally posted by: spherrod
I guess the best way to rule out each PCI card would be to reinstall Windows with no cards installed, and then add each one until you get the blue screening happening again. Of the cards you list, I would mostly suspect the TV Tuner - what make and model are all your PCI cards?
Click to expand...

It's just that I'd probably have to wait up to a week to get my first BSOD, so it'll be slow getting all my PCI cards in with this process. Or perhaps it's a PCI card conflicting with another one?

I have:

Hauppauge PVR150 TV Tuner
M-Audio Revolution 7.1
Not sure of the modem and USB card until I check at home. They're both generic I believe.
 
Originally posted by: GizmoFreak
Originally posted by: spherrod
I guess the best way to rule out each PCI card would be to reinstall Windows with no cards installed, and then add each one until you get the blue screening happening again. Of the cards you list, I would mostly suspect the TV Tuner - what make and model are all your PCI cards?
Click to expand...

It's just that I'd probably have to wait up to a week to get my first BSOD, so it'll be slow getting all my PCI cards in with this process. Or perhaps it's a PCI card conflicting with another one?

I have:

Hauppauge PVR150 TV Tuner
M-Audio Revolution 7.1
Not sure of the modem and USB card until I check at home. They're both generic I believe.
Click to expand...


if you have no luck with the DMP files, then try installing without the TV tuner if possible and see how that holds up - can you give any information on what the BSOD says?
 
Originally posted by: GizmoFreak
Not sure about the DMP files. How do I check? And if I don't have anything, how do I set it up to create DMP files?
Click to expand...

They are automatically created when you BSOD. They should be in the minidump subfolder under your Windows directory.
 
Thanks, guys. I'll look for the minidump subfolder when I get home tonight and report back here.

I was getting the BSOD before I installed the TV tuner card. But I feel like I'm getting it more frequently since I installed it. I have no hard data to support this though. And it could of course be coincidence.

I think the blue screen says something like 'beginning physical memory dump' or something like that. Eventually the screen turns to the black dos screen with the Abort, Retry or Cancel message.
 
Install and remove one at a time. Having only one card in at one time will allow you to find the offender much easier.

At this point after installing and removing one card at a time, all of your drivers should be installed and no need or reason to install them again, as windows should find them automaticly.So with that in mind, if it is a confilct between two pieces of hardware then add them back one at a time untill you get those bad results again.

Also you could have a bad PCI slot or system drivers.
 
Ok, I've found the Minidump folder. There is one file in there called Mini101804-01.dmp. What is the next course of action?
 
Here is the analysis of the crash dump file. Your culprit appears to be the ati2mtag.sys file, which is probably related to your video card. So, a couple of questions.

1. What model video card are you using?
2. Are you overclocking your video card? If so, revert back to stock settings and see if the problem continues.
3. Do you have the latest retail drivers for your video card?

Good luck.

Debugging Details:
------------------


BUGCHECK_STR: 0x7f_8

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: DRIVER_FAULT

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from f8401c13 to f838994e

STACK_TEXT:
ef84f00c f8401c13 82ab5054 0000000d 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulRC6PllReadUlong+0x16
ef84f030 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x5b
ef84f054 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f078 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f09c f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f0c0 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f0e4 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f108 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f12c f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f150 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f174 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f198 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f1bc f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f1e0 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f204 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f228 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f24c f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f270 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f294 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f2b8 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f2dc f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f300 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f324 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f348 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f36c f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f390 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f3b4 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f3d8 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f3fc f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f420 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f444 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f468 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f48c f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f4b0 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f4d4 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f4f8 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f51c f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f540 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f564 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f588 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f5ac f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f5d0 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f5f4 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f618 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f63c f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f660 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f684 f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f6a8 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c
ef84f6cc f8401c24 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5054 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetMemoryClock+0x8f
ef84f6f0 f84024c1 82ab5000 ef852004 82ab5000 ati2mtag!ulR6DGetCoreClock+0x6c


FOLLOWUP_IP:
ati2mtag!ulRC6PllReadUlong+16
f838994e 55 push ebp

SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX: 0

FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner

SYMBOL_NAME: ati2mtag!ulRC6PllReadUlong+16

MODULE_NAME: ati2mtag

IMAGE_NAME: ati2mtag.sys

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 3fd9ffc9

STACK_COMMAND: kb

BUCKET_ID: 0x7f_8_ati2mtag!ulRC6PllReadUlong+16

Followup: MachineOwner
Click to expand...
 
First off, MrChad, I appreciate your looking at this!

The graphics card I'm using is a Radeon 9500 Pro. I think it's Connect3d model but I'll have to confirm when I get home. I think I've just kept the drivers that came installed with the system about a year and a half ago from ABS PC. I'll go ahead and update the drivers and see if that improves anything.

Nope I've never overclocked by GPU.
 
Ok, my card is a Connect3D Radeon 9500 Pro w/ 128MB. The drivers for the card were dated as of December 2003. I went to the ATI website and downloaded the latest ATI Radeon drivers. I passed on the Catalyst control panel however. Any disadvantage to this? Keeping in mind that I don't game on my PC. I'll report whether the BSOD's stop.
 
Originally posted by: GizmoFreak
Ok, my card is a Connect3D Radeon 9500 Pro w/ 128MB. The drivers for the card were dated as of December 2003. I went to the ATI website and downloaded the latest ATI Radeon drivers. I passed on the Catalyst control panel however. Any disadvantage to this? Keeping in mind that I don't game on my PC. I'll report whether the BSOD's stop.
Click to expand...


I don't use the catalyst control panel, I pass on it every time and have no troubles. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. Just download the neccesary parts and skip on the fat.
 
Ok updating the Radeon drivers didn't fix the problem. The BSOD returned last night. I took a look at the minidump file aftewards and it says last modified 10/17/04. So does that mean nothing was recorded?

Some more details about my issues. The BSOD usually happens over night or during the day while I'm at work. So the screensaver is going and usually the only thing I still have open is FireFox. I don't believe I have any powersaving measures in place. After the BSOD happens, it eventually tries to reboot itself. But it always go to the black DOS screen with the message Boot Failure, Please place disk then retry or abort. Something like that.
 
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