Back in October, I decided to try my hand at building my first system. Armed with several FAQs and an AS strap, I assembled everything perfectly... Or so I believed. The system wouldn't POST. After trying everything I possibly could (including having a shop test the things I couldn't) I finally RMAd the mobo. I reassembled the system and WHAM, instant POST. I was so happy to install Windows and run apps successfully, I wasn't terribly troubled by the occasional crashes. I thought most of the drivers were probably still green and there were compatibility issues that time would work out.
Now, months later, I've since accepted that this isn't a driver issue. Despite the most recent drivers for every single component, I still get fairly regular BSoDs. I can easily predict the various methods in which they can be provoked-
1-Play RtCW... After completing the first level, the game will hang while loading the second- Upon rebooting, I will get a BSoD (usual IRQL less not equal, but otherwise Page Fault in non-Paged area). Subsequent reboots will produce endless iterations of these BSoDs, although often there will not even be an error header.
2-Open up winamp and let it play 5-6 songs- It'll crash to a BSoD.
3-Open up any app and let it run for a while while I go elsewhere- Crash to BSoD after 30-45 minutes.
4-Attempt to shutdown after any prolonged period of activity.
In all cases, it is necessary to power down the PC for 15 minutes or so before I will be able to boot Windows XP successfully- Otherwise, every time, I'll get a BSoD right when my desktop should appear (immediately after the XP 'Windows Loading' screen).
I was having trouble diagnosing the problem myself, so I took it to a shop. They solved nothing. Two MORE shop trips later and the problem still remained. Soliciting advice gleaned me the suggestion that the video card wasn't Win XP friendly, that the sound card wasn't WinXP friendly, and that maybe the mobo was defective (which considering the travail the first caused me, I was certainly ready to accept). Despite the contradictory suggestions, I decided to err on the side of caution and ordered new components for each of the aforementioned areas. They haven't arrived yet, but I've been doing more tinkering while awaiting them (secondguessing my rash decision to order yet more costly components). Running the windows HCL-whatever, I discovered that the soundcard still wasn't really XP recognized. Interesting. I flashed the BIOS (again, just to be sure). Then, just for kicks, I downloaded a simmtester (something version 1.45?). I duly made the boot disk and rebooted. I ran the program. Instantly, my system rebooted. Subsequent repeat attempts (tonight only) yielded the same result- Proceed to reboot, do not pass go, collect no dough.
So here's my batch of questions- Does this mean one of my two sticks of memory is DEFINITELY the culprit? Is it still possible the problem lies elsewhere (mobo, PS, cooling)? I mean, I thought the PS was good (Enermax 465-VE, I believe, dual fans, pretty darn expensive). The shops I consulted with indicated my cooling was adequete (I'm not OCing, layout is as spacious as possible, Lian Li PC60-USB is aluminum, has numerous fans, retail CPU uses stock fan which should be adequete since its running at spec, even PS has two fans). Frankly, I think maybe this is progress... But I'm not even sure on this count!
Ultimately, I intend to build my girlfriend a system out of the components that I replace (but that I believe to still be viable). The tricky part is determining where the %*($*& the problem lies, something I have yet to get a definitive answer on. I'm getting awfully weary of throwing money at this problem, and frankly at this point I'd just really really like for my system to work so I can not worry about it for a long time to come. I'm getting sick of the whole sordid deal, war-weary as it were. I'm desperate, and yet I keep trying... But I'm way out of my depth, and I'd appreciate whatever cogent advice the forum would care to throw my way. Without further verbal diarrhea on my part, here are the system specs:
Athlon 1800XP CPU (retail, stock fan)
Shuttle AK31A mobo
2 sticks Kingston PC2100 DDR-RAM, 512MB each
Radeon 8500 video (LE, ordered before the designation existed)
Philips Acoustic Edge
IBM Deskstar 60GB 60 GXP 7200RPM HD
Enermax 465-VE PS (431W?)
TEAC 3.5"
Pioneer 10-6S DVD-ROM
Lian Li PC60-USB Blue Aluminum case
Windows XP Pro
(irrelevant components- Syncmaster 1200NF, Logitech Optical Wheelmouse, MS Natural Pro keyboard, Kilpsch Promedia 5.1s)
The parts en route currently-
VTek Ti4600
Abit KR7A
Audigy XGamer😱
Now, months later, I've since accepted that this isn't a driver issue. Despite the most recent drivers for every single component, I still get fairly regular BSoDs. I can easily predict the various methods in which they can be provoked-
1-Play RtCW... After completing the first level, the game will hang while loading the second- Upon rebooting, I will get a BSoD (usual IRQL less not equal, but otherwise Page Fault in non-Paged area). Subsequent reboots will produce endless iterations of these BSoDs, although often there will not even be an error header.
2-Open up winamp and let it play 5-6 songs- It'll crash to a BSoD.
3-Open up any app and let it run for a while while I go elsewhere- Crash to BSoD after 30-45 minutes.
4-Attempt to shutdown after any prolonged period of activity.
In all cases, it is necessary to power down the PC for 15 minutes or so before I will be able to boot Windows XP successfully- Otherwise, every time, I'll get a BSoD right when my desktop should appear (immediately after the XP 'Windows Loading' screen).
I was having trouble diagnosing the problem myself, so I took it to a shop. They solved nothing. Two MORE shop trips later and the problem still remained. Soliciting advice gleaned me the suggestion that the video card wasn't Win XP friendly, that the sound card wasn't WinXP friendly, and that maybe the mobo was defective (which considering the travail the first caused me, I was certainly ready to accept). Despite the contradictory suggestions, I decided to err on the side of caution and ordered new components for each of the aforementioned areas. They haven't arrived yet, but I've been doing more tinkering while awaiting them (secondguessing my rash decision to order yet more costly components). Running the windows HCL-whatever, I discovered that the soundcard still wasn't really XP recognized. Interesting. I flashed the BIOS (again, just to be sure). Then, just for kicks, I downloaded a simmtester (something version 1.45?). I duly made the boot disk and rebooted. I ran the program. Instantly, my system rebooted. Subsequent repeat attempts (tonight only) yielded the same result- Proceed to reboot, do not pass go, collect no dough.
So here's my batch of questions- Does this mean one of my two sticks of memory is DEFINITELY the culprit? Is it still possible the problem lies elsewhere (mobo, PS, cooling)? I mean, I thought the PS was good (Enermax 465-VE, I believe, dual fans, pretty darn expensive). The shops I consulted with indicated my cooling was adequete (I'm not OCing, layout is as spacious as possible, Lian Li PC60-USB is aluminum, has numerous fans, retail CPU uses stock fan which should be adequete since its running at spec, even PS has two fans). Frankly, I think maybe this is progress... But I'm not even sure on this count!
Ultimately, I intend to build my girlfriend a system out of the components that I replace (but that I believe to still be viable). The tricky part is determining where the %*($*& the problem lies, something I have yet to get a definitive answer on. I'm getting awfully weary of throwing money at this problem, and frankly at this point I'd just really really like for my system to work so I can not worry about it for a long time to come. I'm getting sick of the whole sordid deal, war-weary as it were. I'm desperate, and yet I keep trying... But I'm way out of my depth, and I'd appreciate whatever cogent advice the forum would care to throw my way. Without further verbal diarrhea on my part, here are the system specs:
Athlon 1800XP CPU (retail, stock fan)
Shuttle AK31A mobo
2 sticks Kingston PC2100 DDR-RAM, 512MB each
Radeon 8500 video (LE, ordered before the designation existed)
Philips Acoustic Edge
IBM Deskstar 60GB 60 GXP 7200RPM HD
Enermax 465-VE PS (431W?)
TEAC 3.5"
Pioneer 10-6S DVD-ROM
Lian Li PC60-USB Blue Aluminum case
Windows XP Pro
(irrelevant components- Syncmaster 1200NF, Logitech Optical Wheelmouse, MS Natural Pro keyboard, Kilpsch Promedia 5.1s)
The parts en route currently-
VTek Ti4600
Abit KR7A
Audigy XGamer😱
