i have just installed a new MB into a white box system that had a failed athlon socket a mb and processor. MB=Machspeed: P4M800 CPU=Intel Celeron 340 D 2.93Ghz MEM=512MB Kensington DDR 2700 PS=450w Okia Installed CPU and cooler, Memory, and put into case. Connected 2-IDE cables, CH1=Master HD, CH2=Master CD. System boots to BIOS, and does a full POST. All looks good, proper CPU, MEM, HD, CD, but when it starts booting the OS from the HD, it resets! I tried booting from a XP Install CD, it starts the setup blue screen, but as it reads the system info, it just stops (no reset) and I have to do a reset. I tried a different HD with XP on it, and it begins to boot the OS, but before it gets to the Xp startup screen, the system resets. I appreciate you thoughts. jeff

could be any number of things .. are the fans all running? you might get a multi-meter and test the outputs on your PSU. next thing is the memory. test the memory to see if it is good. before all this tho .. check all your connectors and be certain they have good solid fits. make certain you have your HD setup as single master and not cable select .. (just a few things to check out first) best of luck Frank :

Random reboots are usually caused by a weak power supply, & I see that you have a cheapass Okia. If you're trying to use the same HDD with XP already installed from your old configuration, it won't work...you have to do what's known as a "repair install". Lockups during XP installation are usually caused by bad RAM. This space for rent