OMFG!! Win2k Pro will just NOT install!!! please help!!

[jfall]

My friend has been trying to install Win2k professional on his computer for about a month now, we have tried everything and it will just not work. Everything installs, we boot back up and the hardware is detected, we get past the setting up admin password screen and time/date. Once it hits `searching for network components` we get a blue screen with a memory dump error.

Things we have tried:

1) Flashed the BIOS to the latest revision
2) Tried the hard drive on a different controller
3) Tried Fat32 and NTFS
4) Tried removing the network card, the modem, the sound card and the cd writer
5) Tried new ram in all 3 ram slots
6) Tried taking out the hdd and installing win2k on someone elses computer and then putting the hdd back in his computer.
7) Tried a three different video cards (which were in win2k pro systems)

It is something to do with the NT technology, he cannot install NT, Whistler, 2000 pro or server, he can install win98/me without problems.

Here are the specs:
- Genuine Intel PIII 667
- A-Bit VA6 with latest bios
- We have tried 256 pc-133 ram, 64 pc100 ram, 64 pc133 ram, 128pc133/100 ram
- D-Link 530tx nic card
- Sound Blaster Live Value

There is nothing else that I can think of that we can possibly try, does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[RC5Bri]

That is some major trouble. I assume that you are not overclocking the cpu? If so, set it back to its rated speed. When running Win9x, are there any random lockups/BSOD's? It is a really strange problem, maybe something with the motherboard is bad?

 

[jfall]

Nope CPU is not overclocked, we have actually even tried underclocking it.. I am thinking that there is something with the board.. i'm currently looking into install switches that will allow me to bypass the network detection

 

[SCSIfreek]

Ahhh another Abit mobo . nah I'm just a little anti-Abit hehehhe.

Ok have you played around with the IRQ's? Many times there is a IRQ conflict between your network card, HDD's and some other components in you box. Check the manuals on the Mobo and see if the Network card is seating on a shared IRQ. Lately, I have been trying many ways to inprove my system that i found a lot of problems are related to IRQ conflicts . Let us know if you had switched around the cards in the provided PCI slots.

also, If you have another network card try using it. last route to take is install win98SE and upgrade the damn thing to Win2K and see if it works



--SCSI

 

[jfall]

It shouldn't be an IRQ conflict, it gets past the hardware detection.. and we have even removed the NIC, modem, cdrw and soundcard... I know the board must be supported, there HAS to be people in the world who own Abit VA6 motherboards that have win2k installed on them.

 

[sharkeeper]

Try it with disabling L1 and L2 caches. Yes, it will take a century but see if it crashes.

Cheers!