maddening failure to install any OS.

[Baby Lee]

I'm trying to set up a new computer for my father and am having a dickens of a time with the OS install.

Here are the particulars.

Motherboard - Soyo SY-P4RC350
Processor - Intel Celeron D 320, 2.4 GHz, 533 FSB, 265Kb L2 Cache
Hard Drive - Western Digital 200Gb, 7200 RPM, 8 Mb Cache
DVD-RW Drive - Digital Max 16x DVD Dual Drive
Video Card - ATI Radeon 9100 Pro [on board]
------------ATI All in Wonder Radeon 8500DV [AGP] - this is the one I'm using.

OS - Windows 2000 CD boot, CD install [later tried XP Pro to similar luck]

I should also mention that he bought a cheapie case with an Austin 300W ATX power supply. I initially thought that might be the problem, so I swapped in my own Q-Max 350W power supply. No better luck there either.

-----

Anyways to the problem.

I use the WD bootable CD to partition the HD to the 137 GB limit the OS has until you install SP3-4.
I then restart with the Win2K bootable CD. It goes through it's initial file xfer and goes to "starting windows 2000." I get the initial pages about accepting the EULA and what partition I want to install the OS on just fine. Then it starts installing files [the blue DOS screen with the yellow progress meter]. Then around the time it's copying 'digimon.dll" it starts saying the read failed. Then the read failures come hot and heavy, until I get a different blue screen with a 'DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL' error, a bunch of reference #s and an instruction to check bios, disable new hardware, etc.
I've tried;
changing power supply
unplugging chassis fans and taking case sides off instead [to lessen power supply load]
changing from AGP card video to onboard video
changing IDE cables [several times]
putting both DVD and HD on the same primary IDE cable.
futtering with master/slave and cable select in most all iterations.
swapping out my dad's DVD writer for my own Liteon 811S.
Letting W2k format/partition the drive instead of the WD software.

Each time, I get the same problem.

Also, I used my own XP Pro installation CD instead. It would either [at around the same point in the installation process], restart the system right in the middle of file xfer, or come up with a 'xxxx file corrupt' message screen.

Also, on the off chance the CDs actually both crapped out at the same time, I successfully installed both OSes on a clean HD I have in my own ASUS P4-2.4G system.

I'm usually pretty good at applying the scientific method to diagnosing computer problems, but I'm out of ideas. Anyone have a direction I should go?

As I write, I came up with another avenue. Perhaps I shouldn't designate that the OS will be W2K SP3-4 when the WD software partitions. Since I'm installing W2K pre-SP4, then adding on with SP4 afterwards. I'll reassemble the other PC and let you know if that works. Otherwise, I welcome all input.

Thanks in advance.

[Phobia]

Have you tried putting the "clean HD" from your 2.4G system into the 'puter in question? There might be a write problem on the WD HD.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Have you tried putting the "clean HD" from your 2.4G system into the 'puter in question? There might be a write problem on the WD HD.

No I haven't. Had thought about it, but haven't done it yet.

[Baby Lee]

Tried partitioning without the SP3-4 box ticked, and got shut down even faster. After the 'ENTER' to setup W2K, it immediately goes to

** STOP" 0x00000050 (0xE105E1A0,0x00000001, 0x80469E1B,0x00000001) PAGE_DEFAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

** Address 80469E1B base at 80400000, DateStamp 3975dfdf - ntoskrnl.exe

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

No I haven't. Had thought about it, but haven't done it yet.

Also;
This HD is holding the OS I'm posting from right now.
I'm asceer't that putting my good HD into that devil system will kill it too.

[Saulbadguy]

Try swapping out your memory.

[Phobia]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

Try swapping out your memory.

Yup. Something is really goofy. Memory could be the culprit.

Have you been through the bios with a fine toothed comb? Restored bios defaults for grins?

[nmt1]

Don't know if you're still having problems but it sounds like a hard drive problem to me. As Phobia suggested, try another hard drive in the PC. If it works, make sure you get a warranty replacement from WD.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by nmt1

Don't know if you're still having problems but it sounds like a hard drive problem to me. As Phobia suggested, try another hard drive in the PC. If it works, make sure you get a warranty replacement from WD.

Switched HDs last night. My working HD didn't take an OS in Dad'd system and his HD did take one in my system.
So it's down to the the MOBO, IDE interface or the memory.
I've changed everything but the MOBO and memory. I've changed the power supply, HD, IDE cables, video card, CD/DVD drive.
I've gone through the Bios with a fine toothed comb and everything appears kosher. I haven't done a Bios clear and reset yet, but will when I get a little more energy.
One thing that was strange. First off, there is no place in the Bios to disable onboard video, but I assume that happens automatically when the AGP slot is filled. Second, when I went to the onboard video [Radeon 9200], when the errors started showing up, the video when wonky too. Just a plain blue screen with random blacked out squares.
The MOBO is brand new. The memory is a brand new pair of 512MB PC-3200 DIMMs.

[Phobia]

I've seen bios incompatibility with OS's. You may wish to check with the mobo manufacturer to see if they've had any other issues reported.

[Saulbadguy]

Make sure the timings for your memory are set correctly. Also, try flashing the BIOS with the latest firmware. I'd alsy try switching out the memory with some known good memory. Just being brand new doesn't necessarily mean its good.

[morphius]

Also, if you have more then one DIMM, try one and then the other.

HW issues are such a pain.

Personally I would unplug everything not needed, take out the new video card and everything else, make sure the settings are right in the BIOS for your RAM and the HD and try again. It sounds like you tried switching cables, so that doesn't appear to be the issue.

yuck!

[nmt1]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Switched HDs last night. My working HD didn't take an OS in Dad'd system and his HD did take one in my system.
So it's down to the the MOBO, IDE interface or the memory.
I've changed everything but the MOBO and memory. I've changed the power supply, HD, IDE cables, video card, CD/DVD drive.
I've gone through the Bios with a fine toothed comb and everything appears kosher. I haven't done a Bios clear and reset yet, but will when I get a little more energy.
One thing that was strange. First off, there is no place in the Bios to disable onboard video, but I assume that happens automatically when the AGP slot is filled. Second, when I went to the onboard video [Radeon 9200], when the errors started showing up, the video when wonky too. Just a plain blue screen with random blacked out squares.
The MOBO is brand new. The memory is a brand new pair of 512MB PC-3200 DIMMs.

Sounds like MOBO to me. If it's brand new, you should be able to get the manufacturer to replace it under warranty. You could try taking it back to the store, unless of course you bought it online.
Try what Morphius said regarding the memory but I'd be surprised if the memory is the problem.

[HC_Chief]

Ensure your CPU and memory clock multipliers are properly set. If set too high (overclocked), you'll get funky results like the ones you've listed.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

Try swapping out your memory.

Saul wins. The second DIMM slot on the MOBO was FUBAR in it's alignment. The retainers snapped into place and the DIMM felt seated, but it wasn't seated completely. Interestingly enough, the BIOS registered 1024MB OK, but the OS recognized that the memory wasn't properly seated.
In course of discovering this, I took out the second DIMM, to run with just 512MB. OS installed fine. Then I put the second DIMM back in. The system kept restarting. Took both out, and put the DIMM from the second seat into the primary seat alone. OS started fine. Went to put the DIMM [originally from the primary seat] back into the secondary seat and the retaining clip popped off the MOBO into my hand. Gingerly, I replaced the retaining clip and shoved the DIMM into the seat [with authority!!!]. Now things look kosher.