xp install is going crazy

[drew726]

I've probably tried to install windows 20 times now. I get errors like "page fault in non-paged fault area", "irql is not less than or equal", and a whole bunch of different stop errors. And it also seems like those errors are completely random because sometimes i crash further into the installation and sometimes not. I have two different copies of XP and when the installation is copying the files after format, it sometimes says a file is not copied correctly and to retry by pressing enter. I highly doubt the cds are bad because it works on the other computers. I completed an installation once and the computer is highly unstable. There were exceptions being thrown all over the place by windows. Ive tried flashing my bios but nothing seems to help. Could my prob be a faulty mobo, hd, or ram? I thought maybe it was the cd-rom drive or a bad ide ribbon, but ive tried switching them and nothing worked. I even tried changing some irq values for my sound card. I'm suspecting right now that my hd is bad, being that its not new. But anyways this is what i have on my computer:
A64 3000+
1 gig pc3200 corsair(2x512mb)
radeon 9800 pro
samsung 60g 7200rpm (the hd was pulled from my celeron 700)
gigabyte ga-k8ns
turtle beach santa cruz 5.1
nec nd-3500a

 

[mechBgon]

Raise the memory voltage to 2.7 volts. Also, what brand, model and wattage is your power supply?

 

[drew726]

some generic 420w psu that came with this case.
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=11-144-035&depa=0

Actually I had the computer for about 2 weeks before I added another 512 stick of ram to it. At that point it was pretty stable. Then I decided to fresh install and thats when the problem arised. What will increasing the voltage do in helping with the errors?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: drew726
some generic 420w psu that came with this case.
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=11-144-035&depa=0

Actually I had the computer for about 2 weeks before I added another 512 stick of ram to it. At that point it was pretty stable. Then I decided to fresh install and thats when the problem arised. What will increasing the voltage do in helping with the errors?

It could also be a bad data cable to your HDD or optical drive. If in doubt, replace them with flat, regular-style 80-wire ATA cables in good condition.

Raising the memory voltage, I suggest that because many motherboards default to 2.5 volts, which is a little low for most PC3200 memory. The fancier and wowzier the RAM, the closer I get to recommending 2.8 volts

 

[drew726]

I took out the new 512mb ram and the xp installation went fine. this boggles me because corsair is a pretty reliable company and i dont think the ram could be bad. Do you think its in my mobo? I will try taking out the older ram, and putting the new one in and see how it runs with just the new one.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: drew726
I took out the new 512mb ram and the xp installation went fine. this boggles me because corsair is a pretty reliable company and i dont think the ram could be bad. Do you think its in my mobo? I will try taking out the older ram, and putting the new one in and see how it runs with just the new one.

Did you raise the voltage? Corsair makes some PC3200 modules that call for up to 2.75 volts. If you're trying to scrape by on 2.5 volts, then it stands to reason that you may have problems.

 

[drew726]

i increased the voltage up to 2.7 and when i tried to install it didn't work

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: drew726
i increased the voltage up to 2.7 and when i tried to install it didn't work

Can you try a different optical drive in this computer as a fact-finding step?
Edit: also, I assume that the CDs are genuine and that you checked the underside for scratches, fingerprints, etc?

 

[eydolic]

Just because it is a good company, doesn't mean that it can't make a defective part. Gigabyte, the manufacterer of your motherboard, is also considered a good brand. So, why do you think that it is the problem and not the ram? The problem is most definitely the ram. I like Corsair, but I have had my share of problems with it, too.

 

[gan911]

well, this is almost exactly like my post, i mean i might as well copy and paste my problem. I've finally got the windows to install, but i cannot boot into windows...it just flashes the blue screen for a fraction of a second and then reboots itself. I have a good psu, good HD (brand new seagate 160), k8vse, 3200+, corsair pt. 2-2-2-6 pc3200 (i put the voltage up to 2.8), bfg 6800gt.

i've never had problems like this before, i mean it was working fine, then it just went kaput...i didn't even touch the damn thing. Keep this post going, as i want to see what fixes your problems as well

 

[drew726]

yeah its a real copy, and i put in an old 40x cd-rom drive to install also. it also had problems

 

[eydolic]

Isn't it ironic how you are using the same RAM?

 

[styrafoam]

First try installing with the new stick by itself. If that works try putting the second stick in, but install it so as not to run in dual channel. Also try memtest on the ram, you could have possibly gotten a bad stick. It's happened to me, but not from corsair.

 

[eydolic]

Drew's board doesn't support Dual-Channel.

 

[drew726]

hrm, turns out the newer ram is fine. I installed windows with 1 stick, and now im switching back and forth and they seem to be working fine. But when i plug both of them on, the system reboots out of nowhere. Any more ideas?

 

[eydolic]

Start off by making sure that the automatic reboot when errors occur is disabled.

 

[gan911]

how do you do that? i'm gonna try booting up with one stick as well....maybe i'll get into windows

 

[cygan]

Debugging RAM sticks can be brain threatening,lol, cause they tend to confuse you all the more. I have had these probs previously. The best think would be to use one of the sticks, or get two new ones, prferably of the sam batch in cas of dual chamnnel memory usage. Take my advice, you will have to worry a lot lesser.

 

[drew726]

yeah one is actually cas3 and the other is cas2.5 because it was cheaper than cas3 on newegg, but the mobo should just run it at cas3 anyways...hmmm...

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Force lower timings (3-4-4-8) and higher voltage (2.7v) in the BIOS. Bludgeon RAM with Memtest86 until it works.

- M4H

 

[gan911]

yea, tried booting up with either stick....still getting a quick blue screen of death and auto reboot...
btw how do you turn it off?

 

[drew726]

gan911: turn what off?

still doesnt work after changing timings, but i think it has to do with my ram being double-sided. Read somewhere that nforce3 boards have probs with it

 

[gan911]

turning the auto-reboot off. I'm gonna go and buy a stick of cheap-ass ram soon....maybe that'll fix my problem. Then i'd have to sell the expensive stuff though =(

but you guys have a good feeling that this is a ram issue right?

 

[drew726]

k got it booting up at 2.5-4-4-8

 

[drew726]

nm it crashed lol, the computer freezes at the memory test screen when i set it to cas 3.0.