Intel D875PBZ reboot issues

[Overkast]

Anyone, please help me! I'm having this problem where my PC won't reboot automatically when selecting "restart" from Windows XP. It will shut down, but it never boots back up... I have to manually press the reset button on the case for it to finally reboot.

Here is a description of the problem and how it is occuring:

This problem with Windows not rebooting occurs ONLY after the installation of the INF Update file that came on the Intel Express Update CD with the mobo. The problem occurs on the 2nd reboot after the INF Update installation. In other words, the sequence is as follows:

Win XP SP 1 Fresh Install > INF Update > 1st automatic reboot (successful) > LAN Drivers installation > 2nd reboot (failure, shuts down but never loads back up) > manually pressing reset button > boot-up.

The malfunctioning reboot process only starts to occur on the 2nd reboot. After that, it becomes a continuous problem thereon. Even if I shut down the PC and press the power button to turn it back on, I still only get a black screen with no boot-up, and once again I must manually press the reset button to begin the XP boot-up sequence. It's only after I've shut down the PC for a few hours that I can boot it back up without pressing the reset button. This leads me to believe that there's an internal timer issue, or maybe a cache issue that is not allowing the motherboard to complete it's registry of essential files.

I've tried a seperate XP install and then installing ONLY the INF Update w/o the LAN drivers, but I still get the same problem in the same sequence (1st reboot successful, every other reboot unsuccessful). So the problem is not the LAN drivers.

I also tried another seperate XP install and then not installing ANY of the Intel drivers (including the INF Update), and I still get the same problem in the same sequence. So I know it's not necessarily the INF Update file either.

Has anyone heard of a problem like this before, and how I might go about solving it?

Here are my system specs for your reference:

P4 2.4c w/ stock HSF
Intel D875PBZ mobo
1 GB (2x512) Mushkin PC3500 Level 2 DDR (stable @ 2-3-3-6 timings)
2 36GB WD 10,000RPM SATA Raptors
NVIDIA GeoForce 4 Ti 4400 128MB
SoundBlaster Audigy LS
DVD-ROM
CD-RW
Antec TRUEPOWER 550w PSU

 

[us3rnotfound]

There have been 14 bios revisions! Update that mobo: Linky

 

[RalfHutter]

It's a giant issue with BIOS P12 on that board. Intel's really made a mess of the BIOS on this nice board. The last BIOS that left PAT enabled was P05 and it's also the most stable. The newest BIOS, P14 has fixed a lot of issues but has still left PAT disabled. My recommendation (as the owner of 4 of these boards) would be to go with P05 unless you just can't stand to run an older BIOS, in which case go with P14.

There's a 1200+ post thread about this board over at Asusboards forums that details the BIOS problems with this board. The issues with the P12 reboots crops up here at post #690. The issue with PAT being disabeld started around post #200 and continues throughout the thread.