Problem installing Win2k - Bad Motherboard?

hagur

Junior Member
Feb 15, 2000
6
0
0
My friends computer suddenly started acting really weird. Sometimes it would just freeze for no reason and sometimes the screen went blank. Since he was running Win98, I thought it was just time to format and re-install, but during the Win 98 installation, I got all sorts of stupid error messages. Among the messages I received were "Overflow error", and something like this: "Setup has detected that one or more applications has attempted to use an illegal font". When I pressed OK, the setup continued, but the font changed to something I've never seen before.

Getting a bit frustrated, I ran a virus scanner but found nothing. Then I tried installing Windows 2000. The setup always stops when the actual installation begins, i.e when it starts to copy files to the harddrive ("after it has created a list of files to be copied"). It will either display an error saying that a certain file could not be copied correctly, or it will display a stop error. These are the stop errors I've received so far:

BAD_POOL (Several times)
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (Once)
NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM (Once)

I thought it had to be the memory. The machine has 2x64mb dimms. I tried removing one of them, but things didn't improve. I then removed the other one, with the same results. I've installed a new hard-drive, (20gb Maxtor DiamondMax) instead of the old one (8gb Fujitsu), but with no luck. I've also tried another video card.
I've even tried to install a BIOS upgrade.

The system is:

Abit BE6 with TH bios (newest)
Intel P3-450
128mb SDRAM
20GB Maxtor DiamondMAX
Creative Riva TNT 128 16MB
Sound Blaster (?) Soundcard
Pci Modem

Now I'm beginning to suspect the Mobo ? What do you guys think?
 

BigAl427

Member
Feb 7, 2001
25
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0
Oops, almost forgot. When (if) installation is complete, re-install sound card and drivers. G' luck.