new used computer not working right...advice please

[ny_driver]

I got a MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum, w/ Athlon 3500. I'm trying to install windows xp and so I put in the disk and setup loads the setup files, but when it gets to the point where it says windows is starting(right before it asks which partition I want to use) I get BSoD. It fires up and I can get to the bios and all that, just can't load windows. Looking for ideas...Thanks

 

[tcsenter]

Make sure the install disc is patched to SP1 at a minimum, SP2 or SP3 preferred.

 

[humanure]

does this system have a new drive or is it the original? If it is the original I would wipe it clean with boot and nuke first, then install windows. If it's a fresh drive try checking the RAM with memtest, if it passes install with 1 stick only then install the other sticks later.

 

[Lead Butthead]

Have you tested the RAM first?

 

[nipplefish]

Are you using any SATA drives? You may need a driver disk...

 

[Lead Butthead]

Are you using any SATA drives? You may need a driver disk...

That's probably not the problem; missing driver would just cause Install to complain that there's no HD to install to. OP said it BSoD.

 

[ScorcherDarkly]

If it's a fresh drive try checking the RAM with memtest, if it passes install with 1 stick only then install the other sticks later.

I apologize if this is dense of me, but if its a fresh drive, and he can't boot the system, and doesn't already have memtest, how would he be able to install it? I'm curious because I've had a similar problem with booting a computer (old drive, no BSoD, but it resets itself right as windows should be loading, so basically the same thing) and don't have memtest, as far as I know.

 

[Lead Butthead]

Memtest86+ is available as a bootable ISO image. If OP can post, access to a computer isn't a problem. I think CD/DVD writer these days are fairly prevalent.

 

[Jimbo]

Looking to the shotgun method of 'try anything' troubleshooting methodology, have you tried jumpering the motherboard into default setup, and then re-flashing to the most current BIOS and then re-setting back to default BIOS config and then reinstall XP?

If it's an older motherboard that's never been re-flashed to a later BIOS, you can get all kinds of strange things happen.

A blue screen that early in the process, makes me think memory issues. What voltage does you memory say it needs? It you have DDR memory that requires more voltage than the board at default wants to supply, you can have issues like that unless you manually bump the voltage.

 

[Lead Butthead]

I think default voltage requirement are specified in DIMM SPD, so unless that is corrupted (in which case the board probably won't event post) otherwise I think OP is in good shape. But yes, I agree OP should probably try resetting CMOS to default to see if that helps any. At that stage of Windows install it's usually bad driver or bad RAM in my experience.

 

[humanure]

to scorcher- like LB said, memtest boots from a cd drive, floppy, usb key etc.