Computer issues - Help!

[SXRguyinMA]

I got a computer from my aunt because she got a new one. It's a Compaq Presario S4120WM. It's got an Athlon XP 2600+, 1GB DDR-333 (new) and 80GB WD HDD (also new). I brought it to work to setup as a shop computer. The first time I tried to run it, it would randomly freeze when trying to install windows. Thinking it was the memory I replaced it. Still no go. I then popped in a spare 80GB HDD I had, still no go. It will get to various points in the setup before it freezes. Sometimes only to the setup windows screen, other times it'll go through setup and then freeze just before the first reboot.

I got a BSOD after it got throughs etup, but froze right before the restart. It was the following error:

"PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA 0x00000050 0xF7BB7FE4, 0x00000000"

I looked up this error and it said it's usually a virus error. But with it being a wiped drive and a fresh install, that doesnt seem to be it. I'm not getting that error anymore, but It's still freezing. the MS KB said to try replacing the RAM and disabling video memory and L2 cache. This MB won't let me do either of the latter, and I've already replaced the physical RAM.

Think it's a bad MB? :think:

:EDIT: this is the KB article I found that most closely matched my issue:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/171003

[farlo]

try a different optical drive, i had an old ibm thinkpad that would give random bluescreens when doing a windows install, and when i tried a spare dvdrom it worked without issue.

may not help, but worth a try.

[NightrainSrt4]

+1 for optical drive or media. A sketchy drive was causing bsod when I was building my first rig. Then down the road when I was reinstalling XP on my brother's computer was getting bsods when installing and I guess the disk had started to go bad. Had to grab a new one, and worked perfectly.

For whatever reason both were showing up as ram type bsods. My guess was that it was still loading corrupted bits into memory and when it hit those memory locations and the bits were wrong it freaked and called it a memory error. Just my theory with what happened to me.

Your issue might be different, but you already swapped the ram. Aside from a bad motherboard/memory slot I can't think of anything else. It's worth it to try with a new disk at the very least.

[SXRguyinMA]

a new drive is not a bad idea, I'll try that next. +rep to you both :D

[TheGreatSatan]

Most BSoD's I've seen are memory related...

[SXRguyinMA]

but I've already swapped in known good memory. the only thing I can't disable is the onboard video memory and the L2 cache like the MS KB article says to. I'll try a new drive first, if that doesn't work I'm aiming for MB

[Drum Thumper]

Just out of curiosity...did you run a memtest? I'm personally leaning towards the optical drive as well, but you never know...

[SXRguyinMA]

Just out of curiosity...did you run a memtest? I'm personally leaning towards the optical drive as well, but you never know...

no, but I put in memory that came out of a perfectly working computer

[Drum Thumper]

no, but I put in memory that came out of a perfectly working computer

I'd run it just to rule out a bad mobo. Pop in a ubuntu disc, it should give you the memtest option.

[SXRguyinMA]

I've got memtest 86 on a cd, I'll try that

[diluzio91]

can it boot to a USB? cuz i would just make a usb install disk.

[Lothair]

For troubleshooting hardware related problems, I always start with the absolute minimum components installed and work my way up until I encounter a problem. If that doesn't work, then try the same thing again but in different configurations. It'd have to be a pretty tricky and odd problem to avoid being discovered from doing as much as that.

I love my Rampage III Gene. It has on-board LED and beeping troubleshooting as well as hardware LED indicators so you know if certain individual components are functioning or not. Made building my Phantom a breeze. Gotta love how far technology has come. lol

[Mark_Hardware]

Look at the mobo. I had a computer lately that did EXACTLY what you are describing. Turns out, it had some bad caps on the mobo.

[SXRguyinMA]

ok swapping DVD drives didn't work. I'm downloading memtest onto my USB drive now, will post with results

[msmrx57]

Have you tried resetting the BIOS?

[billygoat333]

Have you tried bumping the vcore voltage a step? worth a shot. (worked for me in the past when having this problem before)

[SXRguyinMA]

Have you tried resetting the BIOS?

I have not


Have you tried bumping the vcore voltage a step? worth a shot. (worked for me in the past when having this problem before)

I have not and can not. It's a Compaq, so all the [useful] BIOS settings are locked

I checked for blown caps, none are.

I'm going to burn a copy of UBCDforWin tonight at home and try the memtest tomorrow

[SXRguyinMA]

ok so I burned a UBCDfor win last night, and it won't boot from it like it's supposed to. I popped it in a different machine that's running XP, and it worked fine. If I put the XP CD back into the problem computer, it'll boot from that just fine

[Luke122]

Try a new optical drive and data cable.

[SXRguyinMA]

this is with the new drive, but I haven't tried a new cable yet

[dr.walrus]

Do you have an equivalent computer with similar parts? A part by part swap is best for completely indeterminite errors. Also check for how long the computer is on during each failure - if it's relatively consistent that points towards overheating.

If it's not RAM or drives (you've swapped both) it'll be mobo/cpu/PSU. Any of those could cause a blue screen - make sure nothing else is attached.

[SXRguyinMA]

well it's not BSOD'ing anymore, just freezing. It'll range from a minute to 2 minutes. Sometimes it'll freeze at the "press enter to install windows" screen, other times it'll get a little farther.

HDD, RAM, DVD drive have all been swapped already, all to no avail.

the BSOD only happened after it froze after it installed windows, and just before it was to reboot for the first time. no BSOD's since

[SXRguyinMA]

well I followed this guide (http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/39880/how-to-combine-rescue-disks-to-create-the-ultimate-windows-repair-disk/)last night and made a sweet USB boot utility, and it's running Memtest86+ V4.1 right now, so we'll see what happens

[SXRguyinMA]

well it made it 55% and I got this:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/downsized_0106010950a.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/downsized_0106010950.jpg

any ideas? :think:

[dr.walrus]

tbh I'm not sure how much help this approach will be - surely it seems there is a hardware fault in your mobo or CPU?

[SXRguyinMA]

tbh I'm not sure how much help this approach will be - surely it seems there is a hardware fault in your mobo or CPU?

well I'm running Ubuntu 10.10 off the USB, and posting from that computer right now. I've been messing with it for 15 mins now with no lock-ups or anything, any recommendations on test to run in Ubuntu?

[dr.walrus]

well I'm running Ubuntu 10.10 off the USB, and posting from that computer right now. I've been messing with it for 15 mins now with no lock-ups or anything, any recommendations on test to run in Ubuntu?
I thought it was locking up outside the OS? I'd stick Pime95 on it and run half an hour on each setting. That'll rule out RAM/CPU/mobo - if you still have these problems running off your HDD or optical drive after that, the IDE bus on your motherbaord or something like it is duff

[SXRguyinMA]

the only time it was locking up on me was before/during the XP Pro install from CD. So far running Ubuntu off the USB is working fine :think:

[SXRguyinMA]

well I ran Ubuntu off the USB for a while with no issues, so I installed it to the HDD from the USB and so far so good :? Once its dont isntalling updates I'll dl proime95 (or the ubuntu equivalent) and see what happens

[billygoat333]

maybe a bad burn on the install disc? try a different install disc perhaps? I found with my win7 installation disc I had to burn it at the slowest setting on my burner or else it would throw errors every time I installed . stupid, (I blame the cheap media I was using lol) but it worked.

[SXRguyinMA]

well I've used this same disc to redo XP on 3 other computers here at work and it's worked fine every time lol. still so far so good for ubuntu

[billygoat333]

hmm... did you install it during a full moon? Might be the tides...

[SXRguyinMA]

well I think it's a cpu issue. Ubuntu finally froze after having a 100% cpu load for a few minutes.

Anyone have spare Athlon XP 2600+ they want to donate to my shop? :D

[AmEv]

Well, I have an XP 1800 socket A, but it's my only one.

Wanna trade? :rolleyes:

[mDust]

Did you install ubuntu from the USB drive or optical drive?
Does the mobo have SATA?
Also, find an Ubuntu temp monitor and find out how hot the system and CPU are getting under load.

[SXRguyinMA]

Did you install ubuntu from the USB drive or optical drive?
Does the mobo have SATA?
Also, find an Ubuntu temp monitor and find out how hot the system and CPU are getting under load.

Installed from USB

No SATA

Will try temp monitoring program

[mDust]

Installed from USB

No SATA

Will try temp monitoring program
Memtest was loaded from the ODD too, right?
Assuming temps are good, try installing windows from USB as well.
So far it looks to me as though the ODD, its cable, or its bus is causing problems.

[SXRguyinMA]

memtest was run off of the USB, see above post. ODD has been swapped, so maybe cable. It's still freezing in ubuntu though. I downloaded and installed a couple temp monitors from the software isntaller, but can't for the life of me figure out where they are and how to get to them :?

[farlo]

ive got a 2800+ barton