[anthonylitz]

Hi all, I have had a bad couple of days tring to figure this problem out! Please help!

XP's setup will halt and not allow XP to install to a new computer. The specs:
Biostar M7VIG 400
preinstalled AMD Duron Mobile 800
vDATA 512meg 333 mhz
ROSEWILL DVD Writer DL

Sometimes the system halts after the drivers are copied to the HD, before the progress bar appears. Or the system halts during during XP's setup coping system files. When I get the setup this far, the progress bar it would stop at 56-47% every time I try to install.

I tried XP home and pro disks and they both halt at the same spot!

I then tried another brand of 512meg 333 ram. After swaping ram, setup now halts at 16% every time I try to install.

I installed the bios update from biostar's website. I have the same results.

When the system restarts I see it says 266 mhz Memory Clock Speed. Is that the speed of the RAM? If so that is an error, it should be 333.

Also is it possible there is a hardware conflict of the DVD drive?

All hardware and software being used here is new from newegg recently. So it's not the software, and I know it's not the ram. So it it the MB or processor? I can't take off the processor off to swap on another because I want to send it back to newegg for a working replacment if necessary!

ALSO I did put an old harddrive into the system with 98 on it, I tried to start it like 3 times with that, I always saw the logo come up but then I would get a halted system with an hour glass. Once though it started briefly and was taking a look at the "new hardware" before halting again

Ok well that's what I got and have done so far on this project. I am darn frustrated with this situation, I am pretty sure I am gonna send it back for replacement tommorow, I just need to know am I missing anything I would hate to send it back and then be in this same situation in a few days again.

Thanks all!
Anthony

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I would check the CPU/RAM settings to start with. Normally a duron 800 will run at an fsb of 100Mhz (100x8) but I believe a mobile duron 800 is capable of running at 133MHz (133x6) - which it sounds like yours is.

The reason the memory is running at 266MHz instead of 333, is probably due to the cpu FSB being set to 133MHz. This is doubled to give the ram speed (ie 133 x 2 = 266). Some boards will let you clock the memory independently of the cpu, so you can set the cpu FSB to 133 & the ram to 166MHz (166x2 = 333). Whether this is the case with your system however, I don't know.

Also the vcore voltage for the cpu should be 1.5V I believe.

If you don't want to send the board back or if it comes back the same & the cpu/ram settings check out ok, I would test the memory itself & the hard drive (and drive cables).

Use memtest86 to test the ram : http://www.memtest.org/
This will run from a bootable floppy disk.

Use a bootdisk with scandisk or chkdsk on to test the drive for bad sectors.

If this all checks out, then try changing the drive cables and resetting the bios to default or fail safe values. Also make sure that any anti-virus/boot sector protection in the bios is turned off.

Next thing to try is to install windows using only minimum hardware ie. remove any pci cards & external devices you have except for video, keyboard & mouse. If your system has onboard audio/modem/lan etc, try disabling these in the bios.

Let us know how you get on

[Samm]

I would check the CPU/RAM settings to start with. Normally a duron 800 will run at an fsb of 100Mhz (100x8) but I believe a mobile duron 800 is capable of running at 133MHz (133x6) - which it sounds like yours is.

The reason the memory is running at 266MHz instead of 333, is probably due to the cpu FSB being set to 133MHz. This is doubled to give the ram speed (ie 133 x 2 = 266). Some boards will let you clock the memory independently of the cpu, so you can set the cpu FSB to 133 & the ram to 166MHz (166x2 = 333). Whether this is the case with your system however, I don't know.

Also the vcore voltage for the cpu should be 1.5V I believe.

If you don't want to send the board back or if it comes back the same & the cpu/ram settings check out ok, I would test the memory itself & the hard drive (and drive cables).

Use memtest86 to test the ram : http://www.memtest.org/
This will run from a bootable floppy disk.

Use a bootdisk with scandisk or chkdsk on to test the drive for bad sectors.

If this all checks out, then try changing the drive cables and resetting the bios to default or fail safe values. Also make sure that any anti-virus/boot sector protection in the bios is turned off.

Next thing to try is to install windows using only minimum hardware ie. remove any pci cards & external devices you have except for video, keyboard & mouse. If your system has onboard audio/modem/lan etc, try disabling these in the bios.

Let us know how you get on

[Doby]

Hi anthonylitz and Samm,

I have this board but with a 2500 semperon, yes you can set the ram clock indepenantly but I would let it at 133 for right now and experiment later when the os will load and the system is stable.

The bios is very limited as far as voltages go at least the version I have as I did not upgrade to the latest so I think the best thing here to do is clear the cmos and load optimized defaults in bios if you have not already done so and give it a try.

The mobile duron should be set at a fsb of 133 hopefully the bios will recognize it as such and will load the correct settings and I think that is why newegg offers this combo.

But I agree with Samm most of the time when a OS won't install with the symptoms you describe its either wrong bios settings or bad ram so I would test the ram with memtest before sending the combo back.

newegg has offered this combo for a long while now so it should work with the mobile cpu by loading the optimized defaults or they would have had so many problems the would have disconntiued it.

So after clearing the cmos, loading the optimized defaults and checking the ram with memtest you get the same results you should send the thing back but if you miss any of these steps you could get a new combo that does the exact same thing.

Rick

[Doby]

One other side note the board seems picky about psu's a generic won't work, I tried.

I have a Thermaltake purepower 420W that sold for $36 US at newegg, I know $36 for a psu is pretty cheap but I caught a deal and it is a name brand and the voltages are stable and the amps are good.

I would recommend it for almost any socket A board.

Rick

[humorsavesmysoul]

try a new hard drive. i just had a similar problem yesterday, it halted at 64% several times and would not go any further, tried a different hard drive and presto, problem solved. Old drives aren't reliable enough for troubleshooting

[anthonylitz]

Thanks everyone for the help offered, but I really tried everything it sounds like! I did run memtest for a few hours and tried another 512 chip too. I also tried two other HDs. I tried EVERY setting that had to do with the FSB, jumpers, and Bios related. Even put new cables in there. Oh, and yes I change to one other power supply. The only "test" I did that almost worked was, I unplugged the Rosewill DL DVD and put on a CD Burner and setup got to 99% ! I am sure you can image my disappointment when the computer locked up at 99% As suggested I did change the PSU too!

SO I really tried to replace everything except taking that chip out, which I didn't want to void the warrenty. Alas I did return the board, after 10-12 hours of debuging.

To Fun Times
Anthony

[Doby]

Sorry man, yes its time to return the thing as you certainly tried everthing, let us know how you make out when you get the new one

goodluck!

Rick