New computer can't do anything......

[ezraa]

I found your thread when searching for help with my system. I have the same MB (NF7-M) and had similar problems: The computer would freeze, Blue Screen and randomly reboot when trying to install windows. After replacing the MB, MEM, XP CD, Heat Sink, I found your thread. I disabled the Precache and made some other changes in the bios (turned off both spread spectroms, disabled IRDA, set the AGP Aperture size to 32MB, and set the FSB/DRAM ratio to 6:6) and for the past 2 hours the Board has been rock solid.

Thanks for all your helpful posts.
- Ezra

 

[kcbass]

I will definately try that when the new HDD comes, but I'm pretty sure I've already done all that. 

 

[kcbass]

Could it be a bad processor? I would think that a bad processor wouldn't even let me get that far. I'd think they'd have so many errors that the cd wouldn't even boot up and initialize correctly. 

 

[kcbass]

bump 

 

[kcbass]

Any opinions? 

 

[kcbass]

bump 

 

[tyanni]

Considering you've replaced everything other than the CPU, why not try it?

 

[kcbass]

I ran out of both time and money a long time ago on this system. I need to be absolutely sure. 

 

[kcbass]

well ezraa, I made the modifications you mentioned in your post, and I got a blue screen. Can you be a little more specific with some of you BIOS settings and hardware specs? What kind of memory are you using, what kind of video? Onboard, AGP, PCI??? My blue screen keeps telling me to switch video adaptors (i'm using the onboard), but AGP and onboard run on the same channel.....and I don't have (or want) a pci card...I'm just trying to disable everything possible in the bios except the video. 

 

[kcbass]

bump 

 

[kcbass]

I was able to borrow a spare Athlon XP processor, and it looks like everything's working fine, so I guess is was the processor. Looking at the one I removed, there's some stray ceramique on the surface of the processor (i guess it got smeared last time I put the heatsink back on). Could the stray compound be causing shorts between the chips on the surface of the processor? If it can, I'd like to remove them and retest before I decide the chip is dead and order a new one. Is there an easy and guranteed way to remove that stuff (i.e. alcohol and a toothbrush?...)? I've been using 91% alcohol and coffee filters, but it's tough to get in-between some of those chips that way. Any suggestions?

 

[kcbass]

bump

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: kcbass
I was able to borrow a spare Athlon XP processor, and it looks like everything's working fine, so I guess is was the processor. Looking at the one I removed, there's some stray ceramique on the surface of the processor (i guess it got smeared last time I put the heatsink back on). Could the stray compound be causing shorts between the chips on the surface of the processor? If it can, I'd like to remove them and retest before I decide the chip is dead and order a new one. Is there an easy and guranteed way to remove that stuff (i.e. alcohol and a toothbrush?...)? I've been using 91% alcohol and coffee filters, but it's tough to get in-between some of those chips that way. Any suggestions?

Isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Don't use a toothbrush :roll:, you might take some of the SMT components clean off.

And yes, thermal paste can cause this problem as it conducts electricity, albeit not very well.

 

[Paperlantern]

if that was what was causing the error, funny, not one single suggestion from microsoft was any where near correct

 

[kcbass]

Exactly. Hurrah for microsoft incompitence....I tried to clean off the processor, but it looks like some of the compound got under some of the raised chips and I can't get it out....regardless, it doesn't work. I might try cleaning it again.