So last night I got a new 3rd stick of RAM and an Audigy 2 value card. Up to then my PC has been working fine (maybe 6 months or so and no real crashes). I install the extra RAM and the sound card and reboot. Fine. I install the software for the card. Fine. Reboot now? No, later. Then I try to remove some new icons (AOL, etc.) and BAM, my PC reboots! Uh-oh.
Now for the mess... XP won't load. Says my system32/config/system file is corrupt or unavailable. So, I try to reinstate an old version using XP repair console. Reboot and same problem. So, I try to run a XP repair install. It runs chkdsk for almost an hour (tons of repairing orphans and things like that) and runs install... but freezes up with 3 minutes to go! So, I try again... no luck. Then I try a full install (over the old one) and I finally get to a desktop... with NO ICONS (except recycle bin). I install my mobo drivers, with some difficulty, and when I reboot I get an error saying it cannot load my kernel dlls. Argh. So, I reformat the partition that boots and has the OS on it and do a full re-install of XP. Man, I must have typed in my product code 10 times last night! Should fix the problem, right? But, no... I'm still getting the kernel DLL problem.
I really don't want to format the partition of the HDD I use for storage - and I don't have a spare HDD to move my files to (plus it's SATA and I don't have another PC that could read it).
I'm pulling my hair out on this one. Would something in the BIOS be responsible? My extra stick of RAM (taking the 3rd slot) seemed fine for a while, but would that do it? When I get home today I'll try taking the RAM out... but I'm really at a loss over whether this is hardware or software. Could a loose connection on the mobo be responsible? If so... why would that mess with my systerms files?
I'd appreciate any thoughts.
Thanks!
Now for the mess... XP won't load. Says my system32/config/system file is corrupt or unavailable. So, I try to reinstate an old version using XP repair console. Reboot and same problem. So, I try to run a XP repair install. It runs chkdsk for almost an hour (tons of repairing orphans and things like that) and runs install... but freezes up with 3 minutes to go! So, I try again... no luck. Then I try a full install (over the old one) and I finally get to a desktop... with NO ICONS (except recycle bin). I install my mobo drivers, with some difficulty, and when I reboot I get an error saying it cannot load my kernel dlls. Argh. So, I reformat the partition that boots and has the OS on it and do a full re-install of XP. Man, I must have typed in my product code 10 times last night! Should fix the problem, right? But, no... I'm still getting the kernel DLL problem.
I really don't want to format the partition of the HDD I use for storage - and I don't have a spare HDD to move my files to (plus it's SATA and I don't have another PC that could read it).
I'm pulling my hair out on this one. Would something in the BIOS be responsible? My extra stick of RAM (taking the 3rd slot) seemed fine for a while, but would that do it? When I get home today I'll try taking the RAM out... but I'm really at a loss over whether this is hardware or software. Could a loose connection on the mobo be responsible? If so... why would that mess with my systerms files?
I'd appreciate any thoughts.
Thanks!
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