New mobo + cpu not running under Win2k *UPDATE* <- 20:35 CST

[StageLeft]

CLIFF NOTES:
Abit NF7-S, 2500+ Barton, Kreton 3500 memory, ata 33 IDE hd, gf3 ti-200 video.

Upon finishing the install of windows 2000 prof or server my computer boots up and operates fine. If I immediately install the most recent nvidia drivers, OR if I get somewhat through the process of auto windows updates (without the nvidia drivers from their website) at some point my install gets corrupted. It will freeze for 10 min at the end of the windows loading splash screen. It will then finish loading and upon getting into windows the only thing that will work is my USB mouse (I've tried PS2). It will move, but nothing is interactive. 10 sec later I hear a beep and the comp freezes. This happens whether or not I install the nforce chipset drivers. I'm currently on Win ME, and running fine. Any ideas?

I should add that when, after the win2k corruption, I load with a floppy disk I get the error that there is a bad partition or formatting on the harddisk. I've tried both ntfs and fat. Is it possible that this problem is actually corrupting the partition?
END CLIFF NOTES

<- that's about as short as I can make this!

*UPDATE 20:25*
Definitely my Geforce 3 causing this problem. Before installing the vid drivers I get this in the resouces for my adapter:

Input/Output Range 03B0 - 03BB used by:
NVIDIA nForce2 AGP Host to PCI Bridge
Input/Output Range 03C0 - 03DF used by:
NVIDIA nForce2 AGP Host to PCI Bridge
Memory Range 000A0000 - 000BFFFF used by:
NVIDIA nForce2 AGP Host to PCI Bridge

That may be normal, but then upon installing the drivers manually (instead of using the .exe I just unzipped them and updated driver for the "? vga adapter"), those conflicts go away. Everything seems to be good. It asks me to reboot. I do. Then freeze. I found an old ati agp card to put in its place and the same thing happens. The second these drivers kick in I get nailed. How do i boot in safe mode? I doubt it would really help anyway, but maybe it would. I recall something about F8

CONCLUSION: AS SOON AS THIS BOARD RECEIVES ANY DRIVERS RELATED TO THE AGP CARD, IT CHOKES IF IN WIN2K <- Remember, I'm in Win ME now with the drivers installed properly and 3d gaming is functional.

 

[JBT]

Are you installing the SW IDE drivers? if so DON'T they are BAD news. just intall the "in the box" drivers and I think you will be fine.

 

[paperfist]

I wonder if it's the IDE drivers for the nVidia chipset causing a conflict with Win2k Server?

I had a problem very similar to yours, same MB, CPU & OS but I was using an ATi9500Pro and each time after I installed the video drivers my blood pressure went up! No sooner did the drivers install did Windows become very unstable, nothing else could be installed and I would get system slow downs and lock ups galore.

I also tried it the other way you are thinking of doing, install all the service packs and updates first, DX9, etc. Still even after doing it that way the problems would occur again right after the video card drivers went in.

I just gave up and installed Win2k on the very same system and everything has been running fine for the last 9 months.

 

[DaveSimmons]

This is where having multiple partitions and imaging software like Ghost can help.

Also, did you ever run a memory test program? I had corruption installing SQL Server on one box a while back and it turned out to be a bad spot in the second stick of PC133 SDRAM -- installing W2K Server itself apparently didn't need enough RAM to use the bad part of that stick, but adding SQl Server did.

 

[Maleficus]

Originally posted by: JBT
Are you installing the SW IDE drivers? if so DON'T they are BAD news. just intall the "in the box" drivers and I think you will be fine.

quoted for emphasis

the SW IDE drivers will ruin u hardcore.

 

[imported_Phil]

No they won't. There's been some reports of instability, but they run fine on my nForce-2 Leadtek board.
If they're not stable, uninstall them.

Sheesh.

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

Before you install your drivers again, decompress them and then cancel the install. Replace the display driver it auto-installs with the 53.03 series. It might not help, but it's a good idea anyway since the 52.16's that come bundled with the nforce2 3.13's suck.

Further, the IDE drivers might indeed be corrupting your install. Try installing the drivers without the IDE drivers.

 

[StageLeft]

update first post

 

[StageLeft]

Update 2 on first post!

 

[MichaelD]

Maybe you said it and I missed it, but:

When I'm doing a fresh build/install, I do:

OS
Service pack(s)
Mobo drivers
Videocard drivers

Maybe you tried to install the motherboard drivers before the Service pack? I don't see WHY that would make a difference, b/c I've forgotten to install the SP before the mobo drivers and I was fine. Maybe in your case, for some reason, it's farting out? Did you install the SP first?

Are you running a SATA drive? I've read lots of different posts where folks have been having probs with them. Maybe you could put the SATA drivers on a floppy and hit F6 during the preinstall phase?

I hope this helps a little.

 

[Special1Sauce]

get the latest 4in1s for me that solved alot of prolbems

 

[StageLeft]

Maybe you tried to install the motherboard drivers before the Service pack?

I've tried most orders If I do a FRESH install and go right to the windows updates it will kill me during them. It will take the service pack and maybe another update or two and one of them screws me. If on the other hand I do the video drivers first, that also kills me. I need at least the nforce network card to get the service packs down, but for the vid driver I tried that before even touching them - I loaded up for the first time and put them on. Reward = failure.

I'm strongly considering now going and blowing some unplanned money on that 120 gig WD harddrive from best buy for $70 AMIR. I would hate to just buy that hoping for it to be the solution, but with only 26 gigs HD space left now anyway it wouldn't be a bad move either way. Maybe my 6 gigger hardrive is just not set right in bios or something. Not sure, but it obviously works with win ME.

 

[farscape]

Kind of makes you start thinking about that Shuttle board now don't it?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: farscape
Kind of makes you start thinking about that Shuttle board now don't it?

Nah, it kind of makes me start thinking that I should have taken that lesson to heart back in 1998 with my first foray into AMD...I kept that lesson close for over 5 years. Perhaps I needed it taught to me again.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Special1Sauce
get the latest 4in1s for me that solved alot of prolbems

You mean the latest win2k drivers from nvidia - the same thing that come on the CD (except updated), correct? I'm going to check my bios and try them, and I'm going to install win2k this time over top of Winme. I 90% expect to have to rebuild ME, yet again, but I'm a sucker for punishment.

 

[StageLeft]

Bumpers with another update!

 

[StageLeft]

I like bumper cars!

 

[farscape]

2000 Server? I seem to remember something about video card compatibilty and 2000 server (or was it 2003 server?) - got to check the MS site - being very specific about card and drivers. Something about people using server for personal - not business- figuring it would be a great gamer OS. Lots of probs getting anything higher than low end to work and MS saying that it was a no-go (on purpose).

2000 pro tho shouldn't have those type of problems unless it might be related somewhat to unseated processor that you had before. Hope that nothing got cracked or damaged during trying to seat that HSF.

 

[mooojojojo]

You say you tested with an 'old' ATi card. How old is it? AGP 2x?

I remember my motherboard manual stating specifically that I should not use anything less than a AGP 4x card (voltage regulations I think). But then again the notches on the old card are incompatible with new slots so they shouldn't go in at all. Even with that there are some 2x cards with 4x notches that can physically go into a 4x slot, but I figure you wouldn't get as far as windows with one of these cards? Also your GF3 should be at least AGP 4x... Not sure if this helps but I thought I'd give something to the thread.

 

[StageLeft]

Come to think of it my old ATI agp card would not go in. If I said I tested with it, I was dreaming, because it will not fit I have used windows 2000 server with this card before and gamed - just not on this board. I just wrote this to Mith in PM

WHere I'm at now is I installed windows 2003 without incident. it comes with gf3 ti200 drivers built in. I was unable to try the new ones (ran out of time), but the existing ones in 2003 worked fine and I've confidence that the ones from the site would as well. I presume that XP will function as well.

The problem with windows 2000 is that there is definitely some conflict with it, any AGP card (I think any AGP card would do it), and my board. I have figured a way to reboot it each time safely (uninstall the VGA adapter prior to boot, then it finds it just after booting). So, i think if I updated win2k in pieces like this I could probably get win2k to the point where I could install my GF3 without issue.

But that's all something I Hope I don't have to do. I've got a proper key for 2003 and I'll be putting that on this evening and putting this nightmare behind me

I've lost track of these recent OSs - are 2000/XP/2003 all based on the same kernel? Ie, what works in 2000 would work on 2003 and in turn on XP, GENERALLY?

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

I've lost track of these recent OSs - are 2000/XP/2003 all based on the same kernel? Ie, what works in 2000 would work on 2003 and in turn on XP, GENERALLY?

Not really.
XP is far far better than 2000 in terms of compatibility with a wide range of hardware.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Shanti

Originally posted by: Skoorb

I've lost track of these recent OSs - are 2000/XP/2003 all based on the same kernel? Ie, what works in 2000 would work on 2003 and in turn on XP, GENERALLY?

Not really.
XP is far far better than 2000 in terms of compatibility with a wide range of hardware.

So there are drivers that come out for XP that don't run under 2003? If that's the case would 2003 use XP versions of software or 2000 versions? Ie, in the future when something comes out for XP it will surely be supported under 2003?

 

[Milkman95]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
So there are drivers that come out for XP that don't run under 2003? If that's the case would 2003 use XP versions of software or 2000 versions? Ie, in the future when something comes out for XP it will surely be supported under 2003?

Haha.. one would hope software for XP would be compatable with 2003.. however 2003 is a server OS not a desktop/gaming OS. Also drivers will always be a bit different between the 2 if for no other reason than to be difficult.

The AGP?x could be the source of your problems. I have seen some new boards that only support AGP8x... and i don't think many if any GF3 boards were 8x, but its been a while so not sure on that. If the board does support older AGP then i think its a driver/card issue. To solve it i would use older drivers. For win2000 and a GF3 i would try the 45.23 w2k drivers first... if those don't work try the 41.09 or 41.03. And if those still don't work.. try the 12.41.(most stable driver nvidia driver release i have used for older g-force cards... don't remember if F3 is supported.. or only GF2 and lower with those). When it comes to drivers.. newer is not always better.

Good luck.

Edit:
In case you dont' know where to get the older drivers...
ftp://download.nvidia.com/Windows/

 

[BatmanNate]

Scoorb,

Try the 21.80 drivers. Those are the most recent drivers that I could get to work properly when using a GeForce3 Ti200 under Win2k.

 

[Milkman95]

Originally posted by: BatmanNate
Scoorb,

Try the 21.80 drivers. Those are the most recent drivers that I could get to work properly when using a GeForce3 Ti200 under Win2k.

Hmm.. ok.. real world experience with the problem. Forget the above unless this doesn't work then. I never used the 21.x drivers....

Oh and post how this turns out so i can note this for future problem solving.