How do I get this A7V system STABLE?!

VinY · Jan 28, 2001

I have had so many problems with this system that I just want to trash it. Here's the specs:

Duron 600@600
ASUS A7V running 1005C BIOS
128mb Mushkin RAM
Diamond V770 Ultra 32mb TNT2 Ultra running Detonator 6.31's
Diamond MX300 Sound running Aureal Reference drivers
Linksys LNE100TX Network Card
Quantum 15gb HDD
Teac 540-E 40x CD-ROM

For one, this system does not run stable in Windows 98/2000. I think the problems may be coming from the ATA 100 controller. I was having so many problems with it when I was building the system, and I saw a new bios that could disable it, so I downloaded and flashed to that. I'm not sure what I should do, is there any way I can get it back to try and fix it from there? I have the Via 4-in-1's installed, and still problems. For example, in Windows 98, the system may just hang or crash after extended use of a few hours and it has to be force rebooted by CTRL+ALT+DEL or the reset button on the case. Also, I am convinced the TNT2 Ultra doesn't work on this motherboard. When in Windows, my mouse cursor randomly develops 4 vertical lines around it in a square. Also, when looking in System Information, almost everything is on irq 10, 11, 14, 15. Is this a problem? If anyone can give me help with this, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

AndyHui · Jan 28, 2001

Regarding Win2K's IRQs....

Windows 2000 has been installed in ACPI mode and that is how it assigns its plug and play resources. Most people have no problems, other people do have problems. Usually it's all assigned to IRQ9...supposedly it's used as a gateway to virtual IRQs above 15.

Anyway, here is the article from Microsoft dealing with it.

If you want to manually assign IRQs, or just let Windows do it properly, you have to change the ACPI mode HAL to Standard PC HAL.

To do this, go into Device Manager, and look under Computer. It should say Advanced Configuration Power Interface PC. Change this to Standard PC by changing the driver. Then reboot. Hopefully it should come out OK. The problem with doing this is that it does not support the APM drivers as a fallback, so you will need to manually switch off your computer. There is a way to install it....it's here on the forums somewhere, although I do not believe it is a complete solution.

If you need to reinstall, hit F5 while it is detecting all the devices right at the very beginning to manually select the Standard PC HAL. You may also need to turn ACPI off in the BIOS if you have that option.

VinY · Jan 28, 2001

Bump..

Regalk · Jan 28, 2001

I am using 1003 Hacked BIOS and latest Promise drivers. I have the Asus GF2MX, SB Live, NIC, TV Wonder PLUS a Voodoo3 3000 PCI - SO I should complain BUT I am NOT since it works like a charm. Duron 600@900. Check that BIOS has BOOT to ATA100 devic (or scsi can't remember now). If not email me for all my BIOS 1003 settings).

Dulanic · Jan 28, 2001

Put the sound card in PCI3 and reserve IRQ5 for it. Put the NIC in PCI4. That may or may not help but its a start.

VinY · Jan 28, 2001

Can anyone give me a link to HACKED Diamond MX300 Windows 2000 drivers that don't lock up games? Trying the beta ones at www.vortexofsound.com just crash Quake 3 with the same looping sound. Thanks!

nortexoid · Jan 28, 2001

the vortex reference should work flawlessly in win98(se) though...

anyway, try setting your vid card to AGP and siable SBA,etc...if u think it's your vid card that is...try adjusting the AGp aperature size as well - it worked for my old Savagae 2K...

otherwise, i would suggest strategically peeing on it - say, from the top of a bunk bed or the like.

good luck.

VinY · Jan 28, 2001

I want to run Windows 2000 for stability instead of Win98, anyone know where to get hacked MX300 drivers?

Luv2Teach · Jan 28, 2001

Just some info... I have 3 friends that have the A7V and TNT2 cards... and they also experience locking up ECT... we have narrowed it down to their TNT2 cards... they purchased geforce2/GF2MX and problems were gone....

Whitedog · Jan 28, 2001

I used to have HORRID problems with my system as well (A7V) with any OS I installed... 98/ME/2000... and the problem Never went away until I changed a bios setting something like "System Performance" from "Optimal" to "Normal"

it has something to do with changing from AGP 4x to 2x and other such performance settings... Ever since I made this bios setting change my system has ran SMOOOOOOOOOOTH as silk.

I can't tell any performance degradation either. It still ROCKS!

try that... It could fix it for you.

VinY · Jan 28, 2001

Whitedog:

I just set the system performance setting to Normal and will see how things go. Thanks!

EDIT: In addition, I have a very dirty installation of Win98 on here. I'd like to throw Win2k on it but my brother still wants to be able to play Quake 3. Any word on hacked MX300 Win2k drivers..?

Whitedog · Jan 28, 2001

Quake3 doesn't work well on 2000??? I thought it did?

Dulanic · Jan 28, 2001

<< Date Posted: Jan/28/2001 2:22 PM

I used to have HORRID problems with my system as well (A7V) with any OS I installed... 98/ME/2000... and the problem Never went away until I changed a bios setting something like "System Performance" from "Optimal" to "Normal"

it has something to do with changing from AGP 4x to 2x and other such performance settings... Ever since I made this bios setting change my system has ran SMOOOOOOOOOOTH as silk.

I can't tell any performance degradation either. It still ROCKS!

try that... It could fix it for you. >>

That was a BIOS 1004 problem, upgrade to BIOS 1005C.... its at www.asus.com.tw and that should fix it for you... let me know.

Dulanic · Jan 28, 2001

<< EDIT: In addition, I have a very dirty installation of Win98 on here. I'd like to throw Win2k on it but my brother still wants to be able to play Quake 3. Any word on hacked MX300 Win2k drivers..? >>

Ummm Q3 runs JUST as well on Win2K.... I run it and I gained 1 FPS over 98.... and if your 98 install is dirty and all bloated then I bet youll gain 5-10FPS switching to Win2K if you format.

velvtelvis · Jan 28, 2001

Whitedog's fix worked for me.
There is one option when instaling the 4-in-one drivers that let's you select between "normal" and turbo. It's either for DMA or AGP drivers. Anyway. Don't use turbo.

I finaly gave up on the promise bus and went with the via one. It's not made much of a difference since my disk on only 5700rpm anyway. Use the ATA-66 bus until you get everything else stable, then try switching over.

I'm still using bios 1003, simply because it's a hell of a lot cooler running. That could be the cause of your hangs right there, actualy, Q3 making it overheat.

I'd also advice against instaling the windows tweek toys that asus throws in on the CD. I'm not sure that they caused problems, but my stable instal doesn't have them.

VinY · Jan 28, 2001

Listen...Quake 3 runs fine in Windows 2000 with a Sound Blaster Card. The Diamond MX300 Drivers are BETA FOR WINDOWS 2000. For some reason, they don't work in games with Windows 2000 and crash Quake 3. This is the problem.

VinY · Jan 28, 2001

Also, sometimes when I goto Start--> Shut Down, the system reboots itself instead of shutting down. Any idea?

Whitedog · Jan 28, 2001

Yea, it's just too easy to ignor tweaking your system when it's been running SOOOOOO smooth.

I tried to flash 1005c man, and it just hangs... I type the file in and it reads it off the disk and just goes to sleep! :|

BTW, I found build 33 drivers Dulanic..

Whitedog · Jan 28, 2001

Hey, awdflash.exe is just a vanilla program right? Or do I have to get a certain one to go with the bios? I gotta get this damn thing Flashed! hehe

erub · Jan 28, 2001

my friend has been messing with a system he built, A7V - he can't get it to work with the bad graphic cards that he has bought - TNT/TNT2 either - under any OS. Try upgrading the graphic card.

Dulanic · Jan 28, 2001

Whitedog... try the newest aflash... 1.32

ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM/BIOS/BIOS_FLASH_UTILS/aflash132.zip

VinY · Jan 28, 2001

Does anyone have an MX300 running Quake 3 in Win2k stable? Thanks..

Whitedog · Jan 28, 2001

Cool.. Got 1005C loaded and got all the performance setting set back to Optimal. Running good so far

BTW, got my promise controller drivers updated too (build 33).. Thanks! Works good now. Boot's normally. I don't have to keep them disabled now

How do I get this A7V system STABLE?!

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