Emmanuel

Hello, I am running Windows XP Home Edition SP2, and I figured out it was unstable. For example, on booting, it does not load all my startup programs, don't remind me to enable them via msconfig, services.msc etc. because I've already done it. When I boot my computer, the POST complete, it says Updating DMI Pool, then it says Update success, Windws load normally. I overclocked before but figuring out it didn't make my computer faster, I downclocked it back. I installed Windows XP on a SATA 300 HD with the Promise 0779 controller or something really similiar to it. When I built my comp, it was in november, on the first attempt, it booted correctly, I mean no alarm. Then I installed Windows, the controller I used was the one I listed above. It told me something like, "The controller is not digitally signed" or something similiar, I pressed ignore. It proceeded and completed the installation. I could log on and install games. It was a PC for Christmas so then it stood a month in the basement. On christmas, I plugged it, but the fans were turning real slow and there was a contiunous low beep. I turned off the power supply, tried again and it worked. Before christmas, I didn't even try to overclock, because I used it only one day. Well Windows starts the Startup programs when it feels like it, it used to crash sometimes during the Windows loading but now it stopped. I did a Update Install (It's somekind of repair install that "renew" Windows to its original version without removing applications) to make sure I didn't remove any useful programs by accident. It repaired the fact that Windows don't take 15 minutes like it used to do sometimes when shutting down. Then I reinstalled all my drivers, and Windows security updates. I can play my 3D games, surf the internet, I mean everything you could do. I did a BIOS update one day, and another one later, but the new one was weird because the BIOS did not show the Windows Logo and the Gigabyte (manufacter) Logo like it used to. So I roll it back to the previous one. I also ran DXDIAG, everything was detected, CPUz detected all the Hardware, I ran a Hard Drive ("Volume C:" for me) check, defragmentation. And one other strange thing is that, trying to figure out this problem, I unpluged my computer to check if anything was lose, when I turned it back on and logged on Windows, it said : New hardware detected listing all my components and drivers... but it was already installed and then it said: Your hardware is ready to use; and when I run DXDIAG, it says: "Dxdiag has detected that there may have been a problem accessing the system information the last time this program was used. Would you like to bypass the system information this time?"
And I used to have Norton Internet Security 2005 and uninstalled to puit Mcafee 2006.
So sorry for writing a big book explaining my problem but my questions are:
-Could the reason be a Hardware problem (I did not clear CMOS though loaded safe fail defaults)?
-Is it most likely to be the Hard Drive?
-Could it be the CMOS or BIOS corruption---* On my motherboard, I have 2 BIOS, one main and one backup, I even tried the backup one but the same problem.
-Could be reason be that simply Windows XP is uncompatible with my Hard Drive?
If any components you can think about might be the cause, thank you for telling.
HOPE SOMEBODY HELPS ME OUT THIS LITTLE PROBLEM.

ENTERPRISE

Well first of all it could be a corrupt install of windows it could also be

.A dying HDD
.A dying CPU
.You need to update your bios.
.Reset your C-mos with the power out of the back of your computer first.

Windows will not have any compatibility issues with your HDD.

Also if you are overclocked this can cause instability problems if so please get rid of your overclock and find a more stable overclock.

EDIT: I notice you are runnig a SATA drive ..Now these drives really do not like overclocks unless there put into a locked SATA port on the motherboard.

__________________

Emmanuel

What do you mean "Reset your C-mos with the power out of the back of your computer first."? I need to remove it manually?

ENTERPRISE

What i mean is take the power cord out of the back of your PSU ( the back of your computer ) then push the power button on your computer to release any residing power in your system .Then take the little battery out of your motherboard.

__________________

dazed and confused

No, unplug your psu from the wall and press the power button on your case. Then move the reset cmos jumper to clear for at least 30 secons, preferably one miute. Move the jumper back, and plug your psu back in. Then start her back up. This sounds a lot like a dieing hdd to me tho.

(Woot, 900th on topic post.)

__________________
Tact is for people who are not witty enough to be sarcastic.

Unofficial .net thread killer

Team ArMaDa member and folder.

ENTERPRISE

Unplugging from the wall and or PSU does the same job so it does really not matter at all. congrats on you 900th post lol..and yes it sounds like a dying HDD to me also.

__________________

Emmanuel

Yes it sounds same to me 2, hope it is, wait, I got a lil chapter to add, under More help/msinfo/hardware ressources/signed drivers, it says Promise SATA Console SCSI processor : NO (under the signed column).
What could be the signs of a dying CPU? The first eventual thing could be that, before I overclocked, my CPU was about 34 celicus according to Easytune 5 from Gigabyte, but now it's about 40 celcius. If once I tried to put the CPU Vcore voltage to ~3,5v, could it have damaged it (Socket T 775, normal Vcore: 3,875v). But the annoying thing is that it works, so how can I trouble shoot an eventual DAMAGED components. I can play all my games, high graphics, high sound. I can't wait for Windows Vista, it will need to controllers!!

ENTERPRISE

Sounds like a corrupted Bios update that does..Haave you made sure that in the bios options you havent got ''BIOS FLASH PROTECTION'' enabled as this will stop you from flashing your bios..Disable it if you have it and try again.

__________________

Emmanuel

Well the update is working in the sense that on booting, it shows the new version of my BIOS, but Flash protection is disabled. Now, could it be only a Video Driver incompatible or causing corruptions? I have the latest 84.21 from Nvidia. Another thing, when I boot Windows, when I logg on, while it's loading my settings, it tries to reach my Floppy Drive making the sound and the light green like if it was trying to get something. My father has XP Professional edition SP2 and the Floppy drive is never accessed on logg on. And if I need to remove the battery, it's a pain in the ass cause I got to go through wires, between my video card and the case, and I don't even know how to remove it. I tried with a screw driver but did not want to force the thing out cause if it breaks, I'm dead, but it didn't come out. Now, I have a little manufacter program called @BIOS, that allows me to update BIOS (I use it normally), and under it, there are two boxes saying: Clear DMI Data Pool (desktop managing interface) and//Clear PnP Data pool. Should I try one of these? Please be sure on that one cause I have no idea of the results if I clear them.
And there is something else I have no idea it is, in the POST, it says my hard drive name but next to it it says Ultra DMA 7, what is it?

ENTERPRISE

The accesing of the Floppy drive when booting up is normal its just the OS using the '' Floppy seek '' procedure to make sure the Floppy drive is there as such. Yes whe using @BIOS you can clear both the DMI and Pnp this may help you out. The Drivers can sometimes cause Windows Errors..Go into safe mode by tapping f8 during system boot and from here you can uninstall any dodgy software or drivers as such namely your G-card drivers and update them to the latest ones when back into normal windows.

__________________