HELP! I've crippled my computer!

[Shooters]

First here are my system specs:

Pentium III 700 MHz (retail heatsink and fan)
Gigabyte GA-6VX-4X motherboard
2x64 MB PC100 RAM
Western Digital 10.2 GB 5400 RPM hard drive
Voodoo3 3000 AGP
Soundblaster Live! X-Gamer 5.1
Linksys Etherfast ethernet card
DVD drive
HP 4x4x24 CDRW
Aopen midtower case with 250 Watt Power Supply

After running my computer for a few months I decided to try overclocking it just to see what would happen. I set the jumpers on my motherboard to increase the FSB to 125 MHz and left everything else exactly the same. I turned the computer on and Windows started fine. I started Unreal Tournament to see what kind of performance increase I would get, but got a blue screen. I esc'd out of it but got yet another blue screen that I couldn't esc out of, so I just turned my computer off and reset the jumpers back their original setting of a 100 MHz FSB. I turned the computer on again, but I got some strange errors and couldn't get into Windows. I tried reinstalling Windows using my startup disk, but was also unable to do that, so I just reformatted my hard drive and reinstalled Windows. When Windows started for the first time I didn't get the usual hardware detection notice that I usually get for my ethernet card and soundcard, but strangely enough during the installation process Windows asked me for my network identification settings (workgroup and computer name), so it must have known that I had an ethernet card installed because I wouldn't have asked me for my network settings otherwise. Anyway, I pulled them out and and put them back in and still didn't get anything. I also tried searching for them through the control panel, but had no luck. Then I pulled them out and inserted them into different PCI slots and started up again. When Windows started this time I got the hardware detection notice for them, so I installed their drivers, and everything works fine. Have I somehow killed the two PCI slots that the cards were originally in? Also, do you think my AGP slot is okay? My videocard works fine, but I'm afraid that I may have harmed that somehow also.

Thanks,
Shooters

 

[Bartman39]

It sounds like you fubar`d the OS on the OC`ing attempt... When you reformated and installed Win9X it did not like the way you had setup the cards in the board (IRQ conflicts)... I would say take the Nic out and reinstall the OS without it and let Winblows set it all up then install the Nic and its drivers... (put your other cards in the same original spots also)... One more thing in your bios there is a setting for PNP OS (yes or no) I would say no and arange the card as needed to separate the IRQ`s do this if you still have problems... but make sure the Nic is not there for the install of the OS...


I`m not sure about your MB but most newer boards have IRQ assignments in the manual (for the various slots)...

 

[Shooters]

So, you think it's a software problem and not damaged hardware? Also, in the case that I did "fubar" my OS when I attempted the OC, shouldn't that not make a difference since I did a complete wipe and reload by formatting my hard drive and installing Windows? Thanks for the help. I'll try your suggestions tomorrow.....too lazy and tired to do it now.

 

[mchomicz]

>Also, in the case that I did "fubar" my OS when I attempted the OC,
>shouldn't that not make a difference since I did a complete wipe and
>reload by formatting my hard drive and installing Windows?

It may have been a complete coincidence... From the many times I've installed Windows 9x, I'd certainly agree with Bartman39: install your OS on as bare bones PC as you possible. Read - nothing but the vid card. Then, one at a time, add your other cards.

 

[Slapstick]

My guess is that when you OC?ed to 125 MHz you were running the PCI bus at 41MHz, (way out of spec) Some HDD?s don?t like to run on that high of an OC?ed bus and one of the first signs is a corrupted windows registry. If you reinstalled windows and everything is working then your ok. If you try OC?ing again I suggest you go for 133 MHz then the PCI and AGP bus will back in spec, (1/4 divider for PCI = 33 MHZ and 1/2 for AGP=66MHz) A basic rule of thumb is a FSB of 66MHz to 100 MHz the PCI divider is ½ and the AGP is 1/1 from 100 to 133 the divider is 1/3 for PCI and 2/3 for AGP and at 133 and up ¼ for PCI and ½ for AGP.

 

[Shooters]

How do you change the pci and agp divider?

 

[scaryjeff]

Most boards change the dividers automaticaly when you select the FSB, especially 'softmenu' type boards. Have a look in the manual, it should say there.
Oh and it asks for a workgroup and computer description regardless of hardware.