BSOD when installing WinXP on 8RDA+?

[KnickNut3]

Hello. I'm setting up a machine that has already given me numerous problems. Part one--no post. Now that I RMA'd my CPU and finally got it to post, I can't install windows. Here's my system:

Epox 8RDA+
AthlonXP 2200+
Geforce4MX 4400
Maxtor 80GB HD
Lite-on DVD-ROM

That's all that's hooked up. No bells, no whistles, no additional USB, no Firewire, no PCI slots used at all.

I go to install Windows XP. It goes through ~3 minutes of loading all the drivers. When it gets to the "Setup is starting Windows" part, I get the infamous BSOD - "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" every time I try. I know these problems are usually connected to PCI ports, drivers, and the like, but I have NOTHING connected, and I haven't even installed anything. I tried a friend's copy of XP Pro just to see if it would install, and got a similar error. "PAGE..." something. I'll try to find it exactly later. Only tried that one once, though.

I've updated the BIOS, tried fail-proof settings, tried optimized settings, double-checked all BIOS settings to the best of my knowledge, checked the RAM (I know it's good), checked the vid card (ditto), and the HD is fully formatted and ready for an install.

Any suggestions? This is baffling. Hope it's not representitive of this machine's whole life. . Thanks for the help.

 

[EeyoreX]

Sounds to me like RAM. Especially since you are getting IRQ_NOT... and PAGE_FAULT... BSOD errors. You say your RAM is good (how did you test it?) but maybe you should try a different stick with your motherboard and see if the BSODs go away. My experience with these types of errors at Windows install (or at any time for that matter) are almost always a bad stick of RAM.

\Dan

 

[Willoughbyva]

do a google search for memtest86 and test your ram with that if you have no other means of testing it.

 

[KnickNut3]

Someone suggested that I turn off my caching (as per the MS site) and it worked. Unfortunately, it's painfully slow, so I'll try to get the caching back on.

I know the RAM is good because I had used it for a couple weeks in my machine that's working.

 

[AkumaX]

stop o/cing

maybe you put aggressive ram timings by accident or something, iono ????

 

[EeyoreX]

RAM can go quick. I had ram that worked great for about 6 months, then overnight it was kaput. Do yourself the favor and try memtest, worst it will do is check your memory all okay and we can work to find different causes... Just have it do its test before bed one night, so not even a waste of your time.

\Dan

 

[KnickNut3]

I'll double check the RAM anyway. Anything so I can turn caching back on.

 

[Ape]

Check this out.

Click Here

Ape Out.

 

[KnickNut3]

OK, here's the deal: It would only install or boot with CPU Internal Cache disabled. It would then be painfully slow. Every time I tried to enable it, even after XP installed, I'd get a BSOD and auto-reboot. I tried Memtest86, and it failed miserably about 2 1/2 minutes in (tens of thousands of errors), even at the most passive speed settings. Now, this stick was working just great in my other machine for the week I needed it, and now I get this. Am I sure that the RAM is the culprit? Should I RMA it? Could you please explain why it works when CPU cache is off? Thanks.

 

[blueribb]

Can you borrow a stick of RAM from a friend ?

Bad memory is quite common.

 

[EeyoreX]

If you have tens of thousands of errors, i'd say with near certainty that the RAM was your problem. However, if it was not, I would still RMA it and get yourself a new/replacement stick. I'd be willing to bet that will fix your problem.

\Dan

 

[KnickNut3]

This weekend I'll rip apart this machine (with PC2700 DDR) and try it out. While I"m at it I'll just switch the RAM sticks to see. Thanks. Any other tips/predictions?