New computer acting weird :updated

[GnomeCop]

What I've got:

- AMD AthlonXP 2400+
- Asus A7N8X Deluxe - bios says rev. 1002
- (2) 256MB sticks of samsung pc2700 DDR-SDRAM
- Radeon All-In-Wonder 8500DV 64MB
- Western Digital WD800JB 80GB special Edition Hard Drive
- Samsung SpinPoint 40GB Hard Drive in a removeable rack
- LG 16x DVD-Rom Drive
- Lite-On 48x24x48x CD-RW Drive
- Generic 400W psu

Just got all these parts from newegg, slapped them together and it boots up just fine, all IDE devices are found without errors or pauses. After a clean install of winxp pro, and its about to go into the desktop for the first time... it restarts, same thing happens everytime. Tried formatting and re-installing twice now and twice the same thing happens. Doesn't reboot at random times. The HD can be heard spinning down, then back up when it reboots itself. The samsung ram I have has chips on only 1 side of the dimm (does that matter?), they are identical.

Any ideas what might be causing the restarts?
Is there some kind of incompatability I am missing? some setting not set?
Thanks



- got past the restarting... bios still reacts a little strange to USB keyboards and mice.... wont detect MS Intellimouse explorer. Flashed BIOS to the 1003 final.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: GnomeCop
What I've got:


- Generic 400W psu

Any ideas what might be causing the restarts?
Is there some kind of incompatability I am missing? some setting not set?
Thanks

check your vrails in the bios. 12v, 5v, and 3.3v, also check your Vcore.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I've had the exact same problem too except my system setup. When it happened to me, it was because of some of the drivers. They were conflicting with XP and so everytime it tried to install drivers for something, it crashed. Remove as many parts as possible such as the CDRW, 2nd hard drive, etc. and try it. When I had this problem it was with a capture card's drivers, if you have any old video card lying around tri that.

 

[GnomeCop]

hmm I didn't even get to a point to even install any drivers yet, but I guess its time to remove some components to see if they are causing it

 

[techfuzz]

Originally posted by: GnomeCop
hmm I didn't even get to a point to even install any drivers yet, but I guess its time to remove some components to see if they are causing it

Yup, this is what I was about suggest myself after reading your first post in the thread. Start with nothing connected and start adding components one by one until you figure out which is causing the problem.

techfuzz

 

[Psychosylph]

I'll second the PSU idea. A good power supply will probably fix you right up; see if you can borrow one. If not, the next thing I would do is check the RAM - either by using memtest or by running it with one or the other separately. Mine was rather picky about the memory until I upgraded the BIOS.

 

[GnomeCop]

what kind of problems do you see if the motherboard doesnt like your memory?
restarting? like what I'm seeing?


anyways I do have an extra GF3 Ti500 I could try, and an enermax 300W psu I can try, hope its not the memory because I dont have any other sticks lying around I can try


damn wont be able to do all this until I get home... gonna be a long night again.

 

[zShowtimez]

I would give the PSU a shot first. Ive seen a few systems die with crappy ones..

 

[GnomeCop]

yeah that sounds like a good idea... I may put in my zalman 300w psu, that thing is handling a much more loaded system than this.

 

[GnomeCop]

my dear god.... so far it looks like its the driver that is supplied by Microsoft for the ati aiw8500DV ...

still testing though, god I hate troubleshooting

 

[GnomeCop]

Well it seems that the drivers supplied by microsoft for the RAdeon AIW 8500DV 64MB have problems with this setup. If I use my WinXP Pro Slipstreamed SP1 CD to install windows, then I get the restarting everytime right before it enters the desktop.

Decided to try installing winxp using the original non SP1 splipstreamed disc (no radeon drivers on that one) and it got into windows xp desktop for the first time ever, and subsequent tries without a problem.

Flashed the A7N8X Deluxe to the 1003 final bios, seemed to fix a couple of bios problems, USB doesn't seem to work though in windows

The power supply isn't the problem it seems. all voltages are at nornal levels with no dips.

only problem that I am aware of that remain is that WinXP won't recognize my intellimouse explorer
...but I bet more problems will rear their ugly heads soon....... freakin amd systems

 

[GnomeCop]

hey anyone here use a Radeon AIW 8500DV 64MB with windows XP Pro SP1?

when you first install it, do the microsoft supplied drivers cause weirdness?