ECS 755A questions

[GregANDTCH]

Yeah,
I just had to go out & buy a 755A before Anandtech reviewed it.

I first installed the board with my old HD/WinXP install.
My previous board is a K7S5A which worked well, I just wanted to upgrade and give the old board to my wife's niece.
(I just told my wife the last part.)
I wanted to try going into safe mode first & removing all the MB listings under device manager, but I was too slow with F8.
Even though Windows worked, I would get random reboots.
Now I just had to buy a WD-Raptor to put a fresh install of WinXP.
(convenient HUH )
Now since I had to enable the serial ATA port, I can't enable my USB ports.
I get the IRQ_not_equal blue screen.
If I go into the bios & "reset the configuration data" (enable it),
after I reboot, it's STILL enabled.
Should I have enabled APIC when installing WinXP?
If you know a good page with bios explanations, just post a link.
It is installed as ACPI.
I can change the boot order & boot off the old HD and then I can use the USB ports and the SATA hd.
(it just reboots randomly)
I just wish ECS would post a bios update.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[GregANDTCH]

Anyone?
BUMP

 

[Peter]

Windows XP is best installed with ACPI and APIC enabled. Most definitely absolutely so. I wouldn't bet on an old installation from a completely different (and APIC-less) board to migrate properly.

Reinstall time ... but first pay a visit to www.memtest.org, download their software, and run it!

 

[GregANDTCH]

Thanks for the reply Peter.
On my clean install, I did have ACPI enabled, but not APIC.
I've got APIC enabled now, will that make any difference or is it too late?
I downloaded this BIOS update even though I have the 755-A :
Modified 755-A2 bios
from this thread
AMDmotherboard forum
I now have had the USB ports enabled for over 24hrs and haven't gotten a BSOD.
The BSOD usually has something to do with "usbohci.sys".
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I did run Memtest, just not for a long time.
How many passes do you think should be run as a minimum?
Thanks again

 

[Peter]

A couple of memtest passes should do.

Have a look at Device Manager and see for yourself whether the machine is using the APIC interrupt controllers. Interrupt numbers above 15 are a sure sign for this.

 

[GregANDTCH]

Thanks!
No it's not setting any IRQ's above 15.

I think this bios may have helped.
I'm now over 2 days & no BSOD.
It didn't go 8 hours before having one on the old bios with the USB ports enabled.

 

[Peter]

You still should see to getting the APICs going. There's a performance reward in that.