Hello all, I've been building a new computer, and so far all has gone perfectly. All components are new, except the PSU which is about 6 months old, and the hard drives - one is also about 6 months old, and has hardly seen any use, the other is over a year old and has Windows XP SP2 installed. I'll give a little hardware list at the bottom, but now for the problem: when I currently try to load Windows, when the XP logo on a black screen appears I get a very brief glimpse of a blue screen of death - too fast too read - and the computer reboots. When I first got all my basic hardware installed, including my old primary hard drive, I repaired the XP installation with no problems - it booted correctly, and I went on to install drivers etc. When I got my internet connection going, I had a look for BIOS updates for my motherboard, and found the latest is version 0706. I installed it (flashed) using the ASUS update utility from within Windows. Then the computer restarted - I think the BIOS updated correctly - and Windows would not load. At first I got the BSOD after the loading bar under the XP logo made one cycle. After again trying to repair my XP installation, when it first tried to load, the BSOD appeared as soon as the XP logo appeared, with no cycle of the loading bar. This is how it remains now. I should add now that the same thing happens if I choose the option to start Windows from last known working configuration, or from safe mode, or anything like that. I'm pretty sure it's not my memory, although that did occur to me - I've got two identical DIMMs which I've switched and tested seperately. Could it be that Windows doesn't like the new BIOS version, and won't simply repair but needs to be totally reinstalled, from a formatted hard drive? Or, could it be the BIOS hasn't updated properly? From what I can tell, it seems fine - it's just loading Windows that doesn't work. Is there any way I can find out? Thanks, Marc. My system: MB: ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe CPU: AMD FX-62 RAM: Corsair DDR2 800 (Two sticks 1GB each, one currently installed) VGA: GeForce 7950 580W Hiper PSU

Hard to tell. I would set the bios setting for the fail safe or default setting and try. I'd try to get a dump log if it exists and diag it that way as well as look at event viewer. Might get a diag suite and let it run from a disk or floppy. Many linux live cd's offer a memetest that will so a limited test of the system. Rebooting is also a known virus issue. I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you goober.

Something like this statement is on all major mboard web sites where you download bios updates: You should never flash your bios if you are not having any problems! If you are having problems, flashing your bios is NOT a cure-all and doing so will often not help! You should never flash your bios unless you find specific information such as in the release notes for the bios updates that it will fix the problem you are having! You are taking a big risk when you flash your bios - if the flash fails, and/or the flash chip physically fails while flashing (this is COMMON - these cheap flash chips can only be flashed an unpredictable small number of times), you will have a mboard that will not boot. AND - if you have the choice, never flash your bios using a utility that runs in Windows - using a floppy based flashing procedure is the most reliable way of flashing your bios! Since you've already flashed it....... After you flash the bios, the first time you boot you will get a "Cmos Checksum Error...." or similar message. You will either be prompted to enter the bios Setup or you will automatically go there. Enter the bios Setup, and load Bios Defaults (of any kind) - save settings, reboot. You MUST do this (or Clear the CMOS by moving a jumper on the mboard) in order for the bios update to be fully accepted by the mboard. Loading Defaults may work in situations where Clear Cmos does not help. If you have AGP video, after you flash the bios make sure your AGP video is enabled in the bios, has been assigned an IRQ, and AGP video is initialized first - if those are set to PCI, you will have may no video once Windows starts to load. If you have a fairly recent model scanner or printer connected to a parallel (LPTx) port, you also need to make sure it is set to EPP, EPP/ECP, or ECP mode in the bios - usually EPP is fine - ECP mode also requires you use Add Hardware in Windows to install an ECP port if it is not already there in Device Manager. ..... If your computer still doesn't boot into XP properly after loadiing bios defaults, you may have used the wrong bios update - e.g. it supports some of the hardware on the mboard but not all of it. In the worst cases, if you used the wrong update the mboard will not boot at all after your flash the bios. You may be able to flash the mboard again by downloading an update on another computer and using the bootable floppy method of flashing, but you must make very sure that you have the right update for the right model and the right mboard version.

Im having the EXACT same problem, except for me my windows XP loading screen loads for about 3mins and then the BSOD flickers, and system restarts. I have tried almost everything from Buying a new HDD to installing WindowsXP pro from a different CD. I have not touched my BIOS though. This is really anoying me now, I have built numerous systems and this is the first time anything like this has happend, ive been having this problem for about 4months, ive also formated and reinstalled alot. For some reason when you change something I.E unplugg a hdd or take our a stick of ram or just something that changes the system the computer will boot up for the next couple of days but then the problem will just return. I have looked at event viewer and no information has helped me. Albatron K8SLI AMD Opteron 148 GEIL 2gb (1gb+1gb) gigabyte 7600gt Auidgy 2zs 200 SATAII seagate 320 SATAII seagate 200 SATA maxtor

You should have started a new thread, but here goes.... Has this computer always had this problem, or did it work fine for a long time before this problem? If it has always had this problem, it can be caused by a lot of things. Have you changed or added to the ram in this computer since it last worked properly? If you have not touched any settings in your bios since your computer last worked properly, obviously settings in that probably haven't got anything to do with your problem. Since you have re-installed Windows numerous times, obviously it's probably not caused by software problems (re-installing once was enough to prove that). A defective or failing power supply is more common these days than at any time in the past and can certainly cause your problem. Check your PS. See response 4 in this: http://www.computing.net/hardware/w... Have your checked your current temp readings in your bios Setup to see whether they are out of line? Have you looked inside your case to make sure your cpu fan is spinning okay, and your cpu heatsink is relatively unclogged? Is your computer and everything connected to it protected fron voltage surges and spikes? If they are not, those can damage anything connected to your computer. ATX mboards are always powering ATX mboards in some places even when Windows is Shut Down or in Standy or Hibernate modes. Because of that, whenever you fiddle with any connection or component inside your case you must disconnect the power to the case to prevent possibly damaging something. Did you do that? If you didn't it is quite possible you have damaged something. This is less likely to be your case, but have you checked all your hard drives with manufacturer's diagnostics? See the latter part of response 1 in this: http://www.computing.net/windows95/...

-Computer has always had this problem, but doesnt show itself untill about 5weeks into fresh WindowsXP install. -None of the hardware has been changed -Components are protected by a surge protector but havnt always been, although electrical storms are very rare where i live -Nothing has been touched in BIOS -I had to re-install windows to get my PC to work again so thats why i reinstalled it. *PSU thanks for pointing that out, my PSU is an ATX one but my mobo is ATX-2 or soemthing and the connnector on the mobo has 4extra pins although mobo manual says that it can work fine with the older type connector but reading on forums some ppl have problems with this, might be my case, but why would PC work fine for couple weeks after installing Windows? -Temps are fine, ram is heatsinked, case's air flow is good. -CPU heatsink and fan are fine, and clean *Mobo has red led's when powers connected so most of the time if im touching anything i turn it off at the back, maybe been lazy one or two times while plugging in a SATA or soemthing. -Hdd's have all been checked and are fine Thanks for your reply, i think possibly might be something to do with the PSU some how, its a very very strange problem i have as after it crashes a couple of times and THEN boots up i have no problems, its only when i turn it off go to sleep wake up and turn it back on that it happens, however this morning i booted it up, windows xp screen was loading and loading so i just hit the killswitch and the back wait about 1min and then turn it back on and it booted straight into windows.

"-Computer has always had this problem, but doesnt show itself untill about 5weeks into fresh WindowsXP install." Then it didn't have the problem for 5 weeks. If it were a problem with the mboard or cpu, you would likely get unexplained black screens and rebooting or shut offs long before 5 weeks had gone by, not BSODs. If it were a problem with the ram, you would have had problems from day 1. Ram can be damaged by things such as power sikes or surges or a PS that is putting out too much voltage, but if it were damaged you would likely have problems all the time, not occaisionally. Defective ram is extremely rare otherwise. "Components are protected by a surge protector but havnt always been, although electrical storms are very rare where i live" Lightning hitting the power grid anywhere can cause spikes or surges even if you weren't aware of it happening close by. You can have spikes or surges in the AC power grid or in your own home for other reasons that cause damage. In some circumstances damage can be done to your computer even if it does have spike and surge protection. When I said "Is your computer and everything connected to it protected fron voltage surges and spikes?" that includes all the AC to DC adapters and directly connected AC power for devices connected to your computer, and your internet connection (cable - coaxial, or ADSL, or Dial-up, or Fax modem - telephone cable). "I had to re-install windows to get my PC to work again so thats why i reinstalled it." Many people do that when they can't figure out a problem, but that's often not the only to solve the problem, and if you're doing it many times, obviously it's probably not a software problem. If your mboard manual says a 20 position main connector from a power supply will work fine, it will - there is nothing connected to the extra 4 positions in the 24 position socket on the mboard in that case - it is that way so that newer PSs with a one piece 24 position main connector can be plugged into the main connector on the mboard. Actually, most newer PSs have abandoned using a one piece 24 position main connector - it's usually a 20 position one with a 4 position one that has wires coming from the same wiring bundle that can be clipped onto the 20 position one to make it 24 position one if you need that. "Mobo has red led's when powers connected so most of the time if im touching anything i turn it off at the back, maybe been lazy one or two times while plugging in a SATA or soemthing." Some mboards have an led like that to help remind you to remove the power when you fiddle inside the case. Try to remember to always remove the power. I used to frequently not remove the power when I was just connecting the power to a drive but would remove it to do anything else. Not long ago I fried a power supply (it died immediately) merely by plugging in a hard drive, so now I always remove the power. Regardless of whether the current voltages in the bios seem okay and even if the PS doesn't stink and it's fan works fine, faulty PSs are common, especially if it is what we call an "el-cheapo" PS. If you paid less than about $40 for the new PS, or you paid less than about $80 for a new case with a PS already in it, it is an "el-cheapo" PS and a lot more likely to cause you problems. If you have or can borrow another used PS you can try, do that. The colors of the wires at each position in the main connector from the PS must be the same, and there are two wires at some of the positions that must be the same - if the manual says a 20 position one will work, it will. You could try loading a mboard monitoring utility in Windows that can be set to run all the time to monitor temperatures and voltages, and set it so you will get a warning sound or message if the voltages get too much out of whack. If you tell me what brand and model of PS you have, I can probably tell you whether it is an "el-cheapo". It seems you have checked out most things that can cause hardware problems otherwise. Since your mboard has PC-e slots, the capacity of your PS must be at least 420 watts, or higher. If the capacity of the one you have is less than that, or if you have an el-cheapo PS that is rated for that or more (they often lie about the max capacity), you probably need to get a better PS.