Windows 2k error reporting - Hardware malfunction.

[kormaster]

When i try to install windows 2k and during the "finding components to install" section of the installation...the installation just stops and this screen comes up telling me that "hardware malfunction...pls contact your vendor." The only reason i decided to upgrade to 2k is because my mom kept complaining that the computer kept locking up and freezing up on her...often. Here are the specs for the computer:
1.0 AMD 266FSB
MSI K7t turbo
Crucial 256 @ pc 133
ATI Rage 128
20gigs maxtor HD

Okay...so far i know it is not a HD problem...because i installed the HD from a friend's computer and the computer kept freezing and stuff. So therefore...i'm thinking it could be a mobo or chip? I really doubt that too...

PLEASE HELP ME!!!...I have no idea what is wrong...any kind of help will do...thanks in advance!

 

[SkylineHKS]

what part of the installation man? are u upgrading to 2k or clean install 2k? If you are getting a malfunction report, but the comp was fine before, win2k might detect that it is a media type, are you running UMDA ATA100 HD? because win2k is known to not have support with ATA100 until SP2, that might be your problem, or the BIOS has some how set to a wrong option to disable some hardware, you might want to chekc that out if you can! I will check back to see if I can help you more

Wish you luck!

Peter Wong

 

[heffe734]

thanks...oh and BTW...i'm doing a clean install...and my mobo does support the UDMA 100...so i don't think it's that. I really do think it is a hardware problem...but i just don't know what right now. Cuz remember...the computer was locking up and freezing on ME which i had b4. So i thought it was ME and that's why decided to go 2k. Anyone else???

 

[SkylineHKS]

ok first, the mobo support ATA100, but win2k don't.. not until SP2 came out, so its not hardware problem its software confrontation... but if your computer locks up, it could be bad thermal on the CPU that made it lock up... but it does not explain why u can't intall win2k.. what type of memory are you using? It might be a case of bad momory, becasue my 64mg went bad and I kept on freezing and getting blue screens, see if taht might be it

 

[Jace]

Go into CMOS setup, Integrated Peripherals, and disable Soundblaster. That should do it. If that doesn't work, then disable both Soundblaster and MPU 401 (don't alter the MPU 401 IO setting) Hope this helps.

 

[heffe734]

i'm kormaster's friend...his mom is using the sound card that's built on the mobo. She does not have a separate card. What is listed above is what she has. Also, i'm thinking it might be memory issue too. I've never heard of viking memory until i saw it on newegg's store.

 

[SkylineHKS]

Oh I didn't realize that it is a sound integrated mobo, that might explain it... IRQ problems and it won't accept it cuz its having IRQ conflicts... so it freeze... well that might be the case

 

[Jace]

Disabling Soundblaster in the CMOS won't disable the onboard sound, the Soundblaster option is only a "compatibility" feature of the Legacy Audio support on the motherboard. If you disable the Soundblaster option and the MPU 401 option in the CMOS, Windows 2000 will finish installing for you, I've had this exact error before myself and have corrected it by doing this.

I was pretty surprised myself when I got this error and was able to correct it in this way. Turning off the Soundblaster option won't make any difference in the sound either. I have tested the sound feature on the MSI K7T series motherboards (I support 10 of them, 6 with Win2K, and 4 with WinMe/9x) and have found that it is in fact best to disable Legacy Audio all together in the BIOS, unless you are going to use a joystick on the MPU/MIDI port.

BTW, Viking memory is very good quality.