New Motherboard and Ram...new problems...

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 12:47 PM

The motherboard is a Shuttle AV49VN Via P4x400 P4 533FSB Skt478 DDR Atx motherboard
The ram is 2 sticks of DDR 512mb 64x64 PC-3200
The harddrive is a Maxtor 80gb
And I also have a Radeon 9800 XT 256mb video card and a brand new CD/RW Rom

So anyways, I install everything correctly, I am using a HD from my previous machine so I hook everything up and I go to start the machine up and everytime it goes thru the windows login and is JUST starting up it resets the computer. So I think that maybe with all the new motherboard drivers that the HD needs to be reformated and have windows 2000 pro put back on it. So I boot from the win 2000 pro cd, reformat the hd but EVERYTIME i get to the "Coping setup files" it always says that when it gets to 17% at the driver.sys file that it can't copy the file and to please make sure the cd is in the cd-rom. So I think, ok bad win 2000 pro cd, so I put in a different one from a friend, same error at the same exact spot. So I try replacing the HD with a different one and reformat it and setup windows...same exact error in the same exact place. @ 17% it can't read the file. If I hit retry it finds it but then moves onto the next one and says it can't read that one and then, no matter how many times I hit retry it doesn't work. So what could be going on here? Do I have maybe some bad cables? I have the HD jumpers set at CS but I have switched them back and forth from CS to master. Is there ANYTHING else I can do to try and troubleshoot this problem? Might have I have a cable in the wrong spot on the motherboard that might be causing this? I am just stumped. Thanks

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 01:10 PM

I also reset the cmos and when i reboot it it tells me,
"CMOS Checksum error, defualts loaded, Warning CPU has been changed or CPU Ratio has change failed. Please reenter CPU settings and CMOS setup and remember to save before quit"

Is this normal?

AT_curiousB · Mar 3, 2004, 01:47 PM

Just a suggestion, remove one of your memory sticks and try again, itf that dont work, change the memory stick for the one you removed and try again. I had the self same problem turned out to be incompatable memory sticks.

Vampyromaniac · Mar 3, 2004, 01:58 PM

Hmm I think it might be the mobo. Can you try reformat/install using your old motherboard, just to see if it works? If it does, I'd say the new mobo is bad, and should see about doing an RMA.

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 02:05 PM

Bingo. Replaced the new memory with the one of the older sticks and now its working. I am gonna try loading all the drivers and get windows running good and then try to switch the memory back over to the new ones and see what happens.

Vampyromaniac · Mar 3, 2004, 02:16 PM

Ah, lol... yeah Memory, that's what I meant

PangingJr · Mar 3, 2004, 02:35 PM

i used to have this same prob on 3-4 brandnew machines,
replaced the CD drive to use a old 40x ones during the win2k installation, worked everytime.

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 02:57 PM

Ok, now when I loaded windows 2000 pro and loaded all the drivers I restarted the machine with the NEW ram in it. Gets to a certain point during the windows log on screen and then reboots itself.

Here are the specs on the NEW ram
Elixir 512mb DDR-400mhz-CL3 PC3200U-303330

Is there something in the bios that is causing my memory to act funny that I can change?

Vampyromaniac · Mar 3, 2004, 03:01 PM

check in the BIOS that the CAS Latency (CL) is set to 3 . . . all I can think of. Maybe even try "BIOS safe settings" or something to that effect, if it exists in the BIOS.

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vampyromaniac
check in the BIOS that the CAS Latency (CL) is set to 3 . . . all I can think of. Maybe even try "BIOS safe settings" or something to that effect, if it exists in the BIOS.

That is set at 2.5 and I am not able to change it for some reason. Is there some stuff that is disabled in the bios that is keeping me from doing so?

PangingJr · Mar 3, 2004, 03:18 PM

when i had the prob that was years ago and that was pc100/pc133 RAM and i did not do anything with the RAMs. i'am not sure about this new hardwares and the bios settings. i'd say try changing to the old ones again and see if you can get pass logon.. if so, i'd pay attention on how to set the bios properly. if you think you've already set it right but you still cant pass the logon screen then maybe the installation is corrupted.

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 03:24 PM

When I put the old ram in (PC2700) it runs fine, starts up and everything, but when I put the new ram in it restarts over and over again. So I know its related to the ram but I am wondering, what are the settings people are using for their PC3200 Ram in thie Bios?

PangingJr · Mar 3, 2004, 03:29 PM

ok so i hope your new RAM is okay and its just about the settings.

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 03:36 PM

It reads the new ram when the bios is loading. It makes it passed the ram check and everything. I am just curious if there is something that the Bios default is enabling or disabling from keeping the ram from working. Like that CAS LAtency set at 2.5T and I can't change it. What would cause that? Do I really need it set at 3?

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Mar 3, 2004, 03:53 PM

Your PC bios is reading the cas, ras, etc from the SPD on the ram. Your timings should not be a problem, but if they are then somewhere in the bios you will have change a setting to access the timings, try looking for something that lets you change ram settings to optimal. aggressive, devault, expert. Expert will allow you change the ram timings.....that is if it that is the problem.

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 03:58 PM

See, thats the problem, I have no idea if it is that. I know its the ram but there is so much stuff you can do it the bios that I am not sure what I should enable and disable and I don't think I should be until I know exactly what is wrong.

This is frustrating, lol

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Mar 3, 2004, 04:01 PM

hmm have a floppy driver?....try memtest...

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 04:17 PM

memtest? Where do I get that at? Never done it before.

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 05:39 PM

Ok, I am mad, lol.
I always tell people to check out the "simple" things first and then move on from there. Well I need to start taking my own advice. lol. This isn't my computer, its my roomates. I was just helpin him out with his problem. Anyways, I tell him to double check the manual, so he does. Anyways, this motherboard can't handle PC3200 APPARENTLY. But when I checked the stats on his motherboard it says
"MEMORY: DDR200/266/333/400 DDR SDRAM (one DIMM to DDR400), 3 x 184 pin DIMM, Up to 3GB"
Now does that mean it can only handle ONE DDR PC3200 stick? and the rest have to be 2700 or below? I don't think I can combine the 3200 with the 2700 so I would have to have either one 3200 or 2x 2700's. Is that correct? Here is the site on the motherboard.
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=241236

AT_curiousB · Mar 3, 2004, 06:04 PM

I have read the site at the link you give, and my take on the specs for the board would be ONE stick of 3200 OR 2 sticks of a lesser type in the other availabe slots, but I personally would not mix the ram and would use either or. YMMV

91Bird305 · Mar 3, 2004, 10:20 PM

So far the ONE stick of 3200 and 2 sticks of 2700 are running together pretty well. I ran a memtest and everything came out clean. We will see how it runs though. If it crashes a lot then I will have my buddy order a different mobo that can handle more then just one PC3200. Thanks for all your help everyone.