What is the problem?

[Metalhead]

Here goes:

Last spring I bought a M'board/CPU bundle from Mwave. 750Mhz T-bird on a Tyan S2390B. It ran fine for a couple of months then I started getting illegal operation messages in Netscape and Internet Explorer. "Invalid page fault in unknown module yadda yadda..." I was advised it could be a RAM defect so I replaced the RAM to no avail. By this time WIN98 had stopped functioning completely and I tried to reinstall. No dice. Reformatted the hard drive with the Maxtor setup utility. Nothing. Kept getting corrupt Cab file message when I tried to run Windows setup. The software worked fine on another computer so it wasn't that. I assumed the M'board went belly up...


Last week I ordered another bundle from Mwave and installed it. This one: 900 Mhz Duron on a Shuttle AK31 with 256MB PC2100 RAM, put it in the case with a brand new hard drive and installed Windows 98. It worked fine for one day. ONE DAY! When I tried to restart I got an error message about a missing or corrupt VxD file and something about not being able to communicate with Device 3 subject B. It wouldn't even load to safe mode. Tried reinstalling Windows...nothing. Same Corrupt Cab file messages. And occasionally a message about finding a drive compression utility on the disk and setup cannot continue.

I also ordered a shuttle board for the previous Tbird for another computer but when I tried it I still got the same messages as last year.

Everything but the case is different...

Is there a ghost in the machine? Or are AMD's just crappy...

The AK31 and Duron are on their way back to MWAVE...maybe they can figure it out...but in the meantime, any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[ojai00]

First of all, welcome to Anandtech

It seems that if you're getting the same errors on 2 computers, it could be a bad Windows 98 disc. I know you said that it worked on your other computer, but do you have a spare one lying around that you could try? Good luck.

 

[Metalhead]

Thanks for the welcome...

I knew I would forget something...I borrowed my friends Windows98 disc and got exactly the same results.

The only thing my feeble mind could come up with is...

Could the power supply damage the processors or boards? It is the only common thread among all this.

 

[DaiShan]

have you considered the hard drive? that in my mind seems to be the linking factor here. do you have another hard drive you could switch out with it? power supply is another idea, how many watts on it? also how old was it?

 

[Metalhead]

Used three different HD's...one brand new and the other two less than a year. Maxtors

The case and hence the power supply are less than a year old...I think it's 300W


????

 

[Metalhead]

*bump*

I am going to try a new power supply if an when they send the combo back.

Anyone ever heard of a power supply damaging a board or processor?