Cannot install windows

[Comdrpopnfresh]

I am trying to install xp media center 2005. I have the oem 3-disc install set, and a slipstreamed DVD with all the discs combined. Neither will work. While copying files, some don't do it right away. More importantly, I get a message saying my computer is not acip compliant, although it is. I've tried pressing f7 when loading the install disc- no dice.
I have my system at stock speeds to assure overclocking and stability is not an issue. A memory dump is ocuring, so I've taken out half my ram, and now have 1 gig of my newest crucial in.
Is there anyway to check for system stability (other than memory with memtest) without a windows install? I have a backtrack2 livecd, and can get a ubuntu one easily. I have no other computers of the same chipset available to cross-diagnose problems.
My install discs are clean, with no scratches, and I've tried using two different drives.

Technical data:
STOP: 0X000000A5 (0X00000002, 0X865A72D8,0XE1146450, 0XS863A9030)

In the meantime, am going to try single dimms, one at a time per install try.

 

[myocardia]

STOP: 0X000000A5= Windows XP's error code for your BIOS not being fully ACPI compliant.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

I have just flashed to the shipping bios. I know my bios is acpi compliant. If I don't figure something out soon, I'll have to rma this board, methinks

 

[Slugbait]

(0x00000002, Parameter2, Parameter3, Parameter4): This error is defined as ACPI root PCI resource failure. To discover what current resources are being used by PCI devices, ACPI must be able to query the CRS descriptor in the ACPI namespace. This error occurs if the BIOS lacks a pointer to the list, or if the list is empty, or if the list contains errors or conflicts.

Things to get you started:

• Use a PS/2 mouse and keyboard. Not USB input devices with PS/2 adapters, but PS/2 devices.

• Pull all PCI cards.

• Disable everything you do not need for install in the BIOS. This includes network adapter, a secondary SATA chipset, etc. Even disable the ISA crap (serial and parallel ports)

You might consider trying F7 again, but yeah, the board may need to be RMA'd.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

My board got to the point where it kept telling me the bios were corrupt, and needed to be replaced. Yesterday evening I gave up, after flashing the shipping bios a bunch of times to only see the same message. That, and Asus kept connecting me to some level three technical support manager; and a deadend, b/c a prime working hours all I got was a voicemail. I got some non-english speaking rma rep who didn't understand why I didn't want to RMA this board for the third time. Who the hell would want a fourth iteration of a mobo that dies every 6-9 months?
Anyhow, I got a bit of an appiphany today, and decided to boot the system w/o the 4-pin power plug in. When I then booted with it in
(and nothing but gfx, ram, and cpu connected), I was able to flash the bios, and the board seems stable.
However, when I go to install windows, on either my original discs, or my new nlited sp3 disk, I got an IRQ error w/ a hex output of all zeros with an A at the end (as well as an inability to copy various files during setup).

Which made me think maybe I had an issue with my harddrive. I booted from my partitionmagic cd, and reformatted the entire drive, adding my needed partitions. I then ran partitionmagic's version of dskchck, and found the hdd riddled with errors. I'm confused as to whether or not my harddrive is the root of my current (and maybe overall) problem, or if the mobo is shot, and makes it appear as if there are problems w/ the hdd. I never experienced problems w/ the hdd when I was using the system normally yesterday.

I feel like the inability of the windows setup to copy files, and the rampant errors would show harddrive problems. But i suppose the question is, can a bummed mobo create an illusion of a bad hdd? Would running linux, or some sort of boot-up stability testing reveal if the problem lies in the mobo?

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

I couldn't successfully load backtrack2, and tried other cd-loaded os's, including dos, via memtest. It revealed that a single stick of ram was dead, the others were clean for 5 min (which I feel is satisfactory, given that the bad one through off thousands of errors in the same timeframe)
I'm going to try and install again, in hopes that what didn't work before was the cause of this one stick.

Question: Could the one bad stick also cause the symptoms I seemed to experience from the mobo? Thanks

 

[jdkick]

Faulty memory will cause all sorts of grief. After flashing the BIOS did you restore default values before trying to install the OS? After pulling the faulty memory are you still getting errors on the drive after a fresh format? You could snag the diagnostic utility for the HDD manufacturer and run through a full test just to see what it sees. If you continue getting drive errors try swapping the drive to different port/swap out the cable.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

After pulling the bad stick, there were no more hdd errors (so it was obviously occuring in the caching and transfer mechanisms, aka ram), just a bunch of bad_pool_header messages.
I seem to have resolved the problem. It seems that after using my memory (within manufacturer warranted voltages) overclocked for so long, the modules didn't work at stock voltages anymore (or the mobo is so messed up, the droop or skew on voltages took them below what I set them too- no way to tell, as my mobo doesn't report current ddr voltages). So I returned the DDR voltage to what it was when I overclocked it, but left stock speeds up. I still had to do the f7 at storage drivers during install, but things seem to be going okay now. My main concern is getting a fresh install, so I can deal with any and all RMAs accordingly.

Anyone know what to say to tech support/rma reps/managers to get step-up credit, a reimbursement, or a newer product? I don't want a fourth mobo of the same design, and mine is one of best three built for s939. Without the mobo, there is no need to have the ram. I'm thinking it is simply time to move on to s775, and go intel.

I feel any of the three options (step-up, reimbursement, new product credit) is favorable for me, as everything in my system tied to s939 has appreciated in value- nothing can be bought at the prices I got them for, so if I'm given any of the three options based around what I paid, or what it goes for now, I'll be in good shape to have an alright system.

I'm alittle pissed that nlite doesn't work with sp3 however. I wasted a bunch of dvds to realize that. My mediacenter install was missing every single installed program, including mce itself. I'm just doing the install between the three mce discs, and a sp3 update disc.

This situation sucks, however, because I feel problems can crop up at any time, and although rma'ing will help, an upgrade seems to be the only reliable route to go. I was initially planning on saving for just a new gfx card, but it seems if I do get an intel system, it will still have my 7600gt in it- which is pretty much for naught- as this doesn't open me up to anything new. weak

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

got sp2 installed, but now i can't get by the windows boot screen, unless i choose safe mode. and the acpi stuff is making me mad- I have never had to shutdown windows, then turn of my computer since the P2 days, this is ridiculous.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

Got windows to install, sp3 included. However, I have to leave the computer on for a good 10 minutes for it to cycle between restarts and attempts at entering the logon screen. Asus didn't return my calls- so much for customer service.