Can't install OS, any OS. Could it be the IDE?

[quadcells]

Hi All,
A friend wanted me to help out with his pc problems. He is running a P3600MHz cpu on a Asus P3B-F mb. Everytime he boots up he would errors once it got into the OS(WIN98SE). It lock-up the computer, even in "Safe Mode" he would get errors. So he asked me if I could load up WIN XP or 98SE. Well I can't do it from a CD because I keep getting read errors.."Can't read xxx.xxx" Everytime it is a different file.
I have tried differnt know good cd drives and hard drives.
Then I tried to install WIN 98SE from a partition on a different drive, but part way thru I lost all data on that partition and the WIN98 folder.
The only thing I can think of is that the IDE ports on this mobo must be bad or maybe it is the BIOS.
The BIOS is 1006, I just found the 1008 beta 4. May be I'll try flashing the BIOS with that beta. Does anyone know what that beta BIOS does?
Any help would be great.
TIA

 

[AndyHui]

I'm more inclined to think it would be the RAM.

BIOS 1008 makes a number of ACPI fixes for Win2K, but mainly updates the microcode for later processors. I highly recommend you upgrade the BIOS.

 

[quadcells]

The RAM? It passes the memory test, but I guess that means nothing. I think he has two SDRAM PC100 sticks in it(128meg, 64meg). I'll check that when I get home later. Thanks for the help. The only other time that I seen memory bad I all so got the memory beeps at post.

 

[Boonesmi]

i also was thinking ram is the most likely problem (or possibly overheating)

download memtest86 (www.memtest86.com) it boots your pc from a floppy and runs some good diagnostics on the memory

if it passes then you know your whole memory subsystem is in good order

 

[kgraeme]

Is the optical drive for the installer CD a slave on the first IDE channel or a master on the second IDE? I have had the same issue if the drive is a master on the second channel, but if I have it as a slave on the first ide channel then everything installs fine.

 

[quadcells]

And the winner is:
Memory!!!!
Thanks all, One of the two sticks was bad.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Yeah, Andy is a bad cat