Impossible to fix error: Cannot boot system.

[Coldkilla]

This process is sort of long winded, I hope you will bare with me because we really need some help. I retyped this whole thing like 3 times to make it more easy to read.

Problem: New computer, all new parts. Error at system startup, and loading into windows.
Motherboard: ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775
OS: Windows XP professional

We start the day off by turning on the PC with the operating system disc in the drive. We made sure to go into BIOS and set the startup option to CD drive first and the hard drive second. Well anyway the Operating System CD began to load that blue screen that asked about partitions and what not. We 'Created a new Partition', and chose the "Quick" option as we assumed that was best for a new hard drive. The process completed sucessfully (we believe). The system then restarted, with the same CD in the drive. A second time the blue screen loaded, this time showing us 1 partitioned drive. The only mistake I think we made during this whole process is that we chose to create a second partition. Once the computer began to copy the windows CD (there was a loading bar), a few seconds later the "Blue Screen of Death" appeared and restarted again. This time there was an error that displayed VERY briefly at start up (we had to restart the pc about 20 times to actually be able to read it and write it down:

Express gate is not installed on your system or the installation is incomplete. To get internet access within seconds of turning on your computer, please use the express gate installer to install the express gate.

CE306080CE64

The system then froze at the loading screen where you see the motherboard logo and options to enter BIOS. When I say 'Froze' I mean you couldn't enter BIOS if you tried. We thought this was a hard drive issue. So we took his hard drive out, put it into my computer (I removed mine), we put his OS cd into the drive and it loaded and we got the whole OS installed without ANY problems. We then took the drive and put it back into his computer. Again, the error still popped up briefly and froze at the logo screen. We then thought to ourselves "Its trying to load the CD first so perhaps we should remove the CD" we did that, same problem occured. We were stumped, but then thought that removing the CD drive would fix it. It didn't. We then unplugged the hard drive as well and it worked! We went directly into BIOS and changed the startup options to load the hard drive first. We then turned the system off, plugged the hard-drive in, and the system at least allowed us to get into BIOS. We then put the CD drive back in and had the same good results. Now when we turned the computer on, we still got that same error at the beginning BUT we got passed the logo screen and now had two options:

Windows XP Professional
Windows XP Professional

We then remembered that we started to install a second OS before the installer crashed at about 3%. (for good measure we restarted again with the OS CD and looked at the partitions, theres was still only one partition). We chose to load the first one (2nd one didn't work). Windows began to load and we got to DESKTOP! Hurrah! BUT, now the keyboard didn't work, the mouse didn't work. We couldn't do anything. We inserted the motherboard driver disc into the computer and its dialog installer box came up but showed up behind the two things on the screen: New hardware detected and "Windows has encounted an Error" (no specific error). We were unable to choose anything, we couldn't hit 'enter' we couldn't 'move the mouse', but the lights on the keyboard and mouse were on... why couldn't we get it to work?! We then took adaptors for the USB mouse and keyboard and made them PS/2's, same result - no movement.

Ok whew this is getting long winded...sorry to keep your attention so long. So anyways, we restarted the PC and decided to go into BIOS and look for this "Express gate" thing, to our luck we found it and disabled it. We now no longer had errors at startup, but now had the system freezing at about 10 seconds after bootup, then we restarted now it froze at 7 seconds, then 5, then 3... then it locked up once again at the logo screen and now we are STUCK... I've got the biggest headache of all time, almost as much as it probably was to read this entire problem. I went downstairs and my cousin decided the format the entire hard drive again but and we're back at square one... the system freezes prior to the option to get into BIOS and we're stuck waiting for the world to end.


I will REALLY appreciate any help we can here.

 

[bruceb]

First thing I would check is if the On Board NIC is Enabled in the BIOS
Next did you load the motherboard chipset drivers ?

 

[Coldkilla]

The motherboard Chipset drivers? The motherboard did come with a CD but:

1. We had it inside of the computer during startup and it ether froze at the logo screen or never loaded.
2. At desktop the 2 errors were on top of the motherboard installer and we did not have access to the keyboard or the mouse (even though the lights were on).

Board NIC in BIOS? Where exactly can I find that? This just got more complicated because now I'm doing this remotely as he took the computer home with him.

edit: to make things more complicated and making more impossible for anyone to help in the forum here: He says "Its probably a DOA motherboard" and will end up waiting 4-6 weeks for a new one. Is there any reason I can dissuade him or is that a possibility here?

 

[Coldkilla]

I called him, no answer - but if there are any more suggestions I would really appreciate it.

 

[Pretty Cool]

Sounds like it is a hardware, not software problem. Sort of like when your overclocked computer is unstable. Try the usual like swapping RAM, underclocking, better power supply, and whatever else. Also look at the users reviews on Newegg to see if others are having a similar problem with the motherboard. Hopefully, your friend bought all the parts locally so exchanging them would be relatively painless if it is determined that one component is causing the crashing.

 

[Coldkilla]

It's actually quite annoying. I do have a comparable PC, and I did talk to him about this yesterday. I'll be traveling up to his house and having a full day to play with it tomorrow and hopefully find the problem...

He's gunna owe me big time lol.





If anyone can suggest ANYTHING that may prove helpful tomorrow it would really save me a lot of time guessing and waiting a few hours for more responses. Even guesses are welcome as I will be attempting anything.

 

[jimmyj68]

Some times it helps to -if you can-format the hd to clear it completely.

Clear the CMOS on the MB.

With the clean HD installed see if the machine will post to a state of no OS system installed. Don't put the windows CD in until the bios is operating properly at default settings.

If so, turn off the machine after you put the XP load disc in and then restart the PC to see if windows begins to load as designed. If your bios states "no system installed, install the system cd and hit enter" then you won't have to turn it off to start windows loading. Unless you have a pressing need to install additional partitions other than the default single partition windows offers - don't mess with it. Just follow the prompts windows offers for format etc- don't do quick format, take the time to have cookies and milk while the machine formats the new HD.

If you are able to successfully complete all of the above it is likely you don't have a hardware problem. Windows should load successfully - then!!! not before!!! install the motherboard drivers etc. from the motherboard cd. They are program dependent and you should never try to install them on the motherboard with no OS in place. If you have a nic on the motherboard and are connected to internet access windows will automatically put you to the internet during the installation process. However I advise against allowing this until you have some form of anti-virus/spyware/trojan program installed. There are things out there that will leap on your PC the instant it has unprotected internet access.

You should be good to go....

 

[Coldkilla]

-Is clearing the CMOS dependant on the type of motherboard I have? If so, how can I do that?
-I can try to format the hard drive completely once again.
-By "Post to a state of no OS system installed" do you mean something like "No disk to load" or something to that effect?

If your bios states "no system installed, install the system cd and hit enter" then you won't have to turn it off to start windows loading. Unless you have a pressing need to install additional partitions other than the default single partition windows offers - don't mess with it.

Can you restate that I'm a little confused.

If you have a nic on the motherboard and are connected to internet access windows will automatically put you to the internet during the installation process.

How can I check this? And if an ethernet cord is connected and works with another machine, am I gaurenteed to have a connection to the internet? From memory I thought drivers were needed to detect the ethernet connections.

Thanks for the tips, I will follow them.



Any other information/suggestions are welcome.

 

[jimmyj68]

I'm not good at posting questions and responses so try and follow.

Your motherboard should have a CMOS jumper somewhere on it. Usually it is a three pin jumper with a two pin connector shorting two of the pins on the three pin jumper. Check your mothrboard manual. If you can't find that, disconnect all power to your power supply and turn it off at the switch on the rear. There is a button battery on your motherboard about the size of a nickle. Carefully remove it. Leave it off for five minutes or so and then reinstall it. Doing this destroys all changes to your boards bios other than the default firmware settings. Be carefull to reinstall the battery with the correct polarity. The larger flat side of the battery is the anode (positive) side. It usually faces up.

If all goes well after this the system should post (do all of its motherboard system checks and hardware connection detections, hd's etc connected) and stop with a line saying no operating system installed or loaded and in some cases ask that you put in the OS disc and press enter to begin the install process. If it doesn't ask you to do that, then while power is available, open the cd/dvd drive tray and put in the XP disc - close the tray and power off the system (you did plug in and turn on the power supply a while back right?). When you turn on the machine again it should begin installing XP.

If you have an active ethernet connector plugged into the motherboard, XP will install the needed drivers and connect you to the enternet through that ethernet connector - want it to or not. Leave the ethernet connection open - Xp will still install the needed drivers. You can connect to the enternet later after you install some safeguards.

p.s. some contemporary motherboards allow for installed programs or functions to make changes to the basic input/output system (bios) firmware. it will require special efforts to reverse these changes. I'm not sure what the procedures are. If that is your situation, someone on the technical problems forum has that answer. If that is not your situation and I doubt that it is, you may in fact have a faulty motherboard if trying the above does not solve your problems.