Help! Unbootable new computer!

Ease · 23 Dec 2008 at 18:05

Ok, thanks for the confirmation! Well I've asked my supplier for a replacement/refund on the RAM. If they refund it I'll try a slightly more expensive RAM, perhaps one even from the Motherboard compatibility list... if it still doesn't work I'll just beat my head in with my new P.C and live morosely ever after.

ukfive · 23 Dec 2008 at 18:15

hello mate you might want to remove the competitor name

reflux · 23 Dec 2008 at 18:16

Ease said:
Although 1 times out of 20 it'll give a TRAP 00000006 Error, which is meant to be related to Windows NT, even though I'm using a Windows XP disc.

This'll be because XP is based on the NT kernel; in fact, so is Vista

Big.Wayne · 23 Dec 2008 at 18:32

Ease said:
I have just built my first ever custom P.C

Hey Ease,

have you tried disconnecting the used optical drive and rebooting the PC, entering BIOS, powering down, powering up the PC a few times, like does it all act normally when the optical isn't attached!

Ease · 23 Dec 2008 at 18:49

Yer, does everything normally. If I don't send it to BIOS it comes up with "DISK [something] ERROR" but that's normal if there's no disk for it to boot from right? Man, I wish I knew someone with a spare DVD Drive... shame my FDD doesn't work either!

Big.Wayne · 23 Dec 2008 at 18:54

Does sound like the optical is bOrked? or perhaps the data cable connecting the optical?

Ease · 23 Dec 2008 at 18:56

Brand new cable; came with my brand new motherboard. The whole system is virtually one day old besides my cursed DVD Drive, which I am becoming more and more certain is the problem... although it is odd that it gets far enough to tell the difference between all the discs?

vertica · 23 Dec 2008 at 18:57

Sounds more like your RAM is being undervolted / timings are wrong.
Esp. if its failing memtest,

as you can run memtest the dvd drive sounds to be fine!

enter the bios and check the RAM is set to the correct voltage and timings, as 'auto' may not get this quite right and be resulting in all your problems

Ease · 23 Dec 2008 at 19:02

But its not really running MemTest. It realises there's a disk, then says "Loading........" for a split second, then reboots...

decto · 23 Dec 2008 at 19:04

vertica said:
Sounds more like your RAM is being undervolted / timings are wrong.
Esp. if its failing memtest,

as you can run memtest the dvd drive sounds to be fine!

enter the bios and check the RAM is set to the correct voltage and timings, as 'auto' may not get this quite right and be resulting in all your problems

Try this as suggested.
The OCZ ram need a fair bit of voltage 1.8 - 1.9 to run at stated timings + speed which is quite a bump for DDR3.

AD

Ease · 23 Dec 2008 at 19:16

I upped the voltage a fair bit (it was only at 1.5V) to the 1.7V it says on the OCZ web-site. No real difference; still won't run any installation disks. I'm scared of throwing a much higher voltage at it in case I void my warranty or something. I don't really have £60 to spare after buying all this stuff! Do I need to change V Threshold for the RAM as well? It's at 0.75V.

Just tried MemTest after upping the voltages, and got something new!

Unexpected Interrupt - Halting

Type : Gen_Prot
PC : 000068dc
CD : 00000010
Eflag : 00010002
Code : 000024a4

decto · 23 Dec 2008 at 20:20

Is this the memory you have?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showp...tinum (2x1GB) Dual Channel DDR3 (OCZ3P13332GK)

You should be able to set the timings of the memory slower than specified manually. You'll need to drop the effective frequency and increase the values for the timing parameters eg. 7-7-7-20 becomes 8-8-8-24 or similar.

If the system still won't boot and load an OS then either the mainboard or the Ram is faulty.

I do have an old s939 board that point blank won't boot into vista but works fine with win XP and Win2k though I doubt that is an issue with a new board.

If you potter around in the BIOS and look at the harware monitoring, temperatures voltages etc. Do they all report ok? What CPU voltage are you showing?

Also does just being in the BIOS for a while cause a lock up?

AD

Ease · 23 Dec 2008 at 20:25

CPU voltages all seem fine, temperatures are super cool (all about 30C or less), I can sit in BIOS forever and it seems fine.

decto · 23 Dec 2008 at 20:32

Usually when I see faulty boards they crash while sitting in the BIOS sooner or later.

Have you tried the basics, clearing the CMOS ....

HDD in a different SATA port

Booting with a single Dimm

Checked for known BIOS version issues on website

Installing an OS on the drive in another machine then putting it in to see if it boots

CPU voltage manually at 1.35V to be sure (Q6600 are rated to 1.35V)

AD

Edit:

Also can you state the make and model of the PSU and also the Ampage on the +12V output. Should be on the label visible on the photo.

w3bbo · 23 Dec 2008 at 20:33

I might not be seeing things right but it looks like your SATA plug on the HD is upside down?

TheCenturion · 23 Dec 2008 at 20:39

then, Dvd drives are like £15, why not buy a new one and try it out?

Ease · 23 Dec 2008 at 20:40

decto said:
Usually when I see faulty boards they crash while sitting in the BIOS sooner or later.

Have you tried the basics, clearing the CMOS ....

HDD in a different SATA port

Booting with a single Dimm

Checked for known BIOS version issues on website

Installing an OS on the drive in another machine then putting it in to see if it boots

CPU voltage manually at 1.35V to be sure (Q6600 are rated to 1.35V)

AD

Edit:

Also can you state the make and model of the PSU and also the Ampage on the +12V output. Should be on the label visible on the photo.

Yup, tried all of that besides "Installing an OS on the drive in another machine then putting it in to see if it boots" because I don't have another machine besides my laptop.

w3bbo said:
I might not be seeing things right but it looks like your SATA plug on the HD is upside down?

The plug is keyed, so it would be impossible to put it in upside down. I think my HD just has upside down ports.

decto · 23 Dec 2008 at 20:46

Do you have a usb key? you could slip a linux distro onto that then boot the PC from the key.... that would at least allow you to rule out the DVD option

Any news on the PSU specs ... there are some awful 650w units out there 'Jeantech' for a start!

AD

Ease · 23 Dec 2008 at 21:09

+12V1 = 23A
+12V2 = 20A
-12V = 0.5A

Just put SLAX on a USB disc, and that's all up and running! (WOOT!) So I guess that means its definitely the DVD Drive? But now in SLAX I can go into my DVD Drive and explore my Windows Disk and see everything, though naturally setup.exe doesn't work!

fuzecx · 23 Dec 2008 at 21:19

USB Device. Try a different keyboard/ mouse.
Might also be drive setup. Make sure the controller in the bios is set correct. We had about 700 new dell 755's at work 6 month's ago and they all came set with RAID in the bios. Took nearly two weeks to figure it out that it was set to RAID and not SATA.