Just built - Having a problem..

IwantanewPC

IwantanewPC

IwantanewPC

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Joined
15 Jan 2006
Posts
388
Hey guys. Just build my sister a new PC.. here are the specs..

- Antec NSK 4480 Mini Tower Case (Silver) - 380W Earth Watts PSU
- Intel Core 2 Duo E2200 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.20GHz
- Samsung SH-S203D 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter
- Gigabyte GA-73PVM-S2H GeForce 7100 Micro-ATX (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
- Samsung SpinPoint T 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache
- OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 Dual Channel Platinum Revision 2 XTC Series DDR2

I'm no PC expert by any means, but I have built a PC (mine before), and other than incompatible RAM to begin with, I had no problems.

So the build went well and I booted the PC up and everything seemed to be fine. I put Windows XP in to install and setup began, but during the part where it checks your configuration at the start I got a blue screen (the 'Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer one) and so I reset the PC but now it just hangs on the 'Verifying DMI Pool Data' screen.

Anyone know what could be the problem here? I've tried a few things,

- Checked everything is connected properly and securely
- Tried each stick of RAM on it's own... everytime I changed the RAM around the 'Verifying DMI Pool Data' screen updates to 'Verifying DMI Pool Data ........... update success!' and then it just continues to hang (I've noticed also that in BIOS there is no option for me to change the RAM settings/timings. Very strange.. could this whole thing be a RAM related problem?)
- Resetting to optimized defaults in the BIOS

Alas no luck. :(

I don't think this is anything to do with the problem but I thought I'd include this info just incase. My hard drive and DVDRW are on IDE channel 2 and the HD is master and the DVDRW is slave (according to the BIOS, but how come if I am connected up via sata? :confused: ). Is that okay?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

UPDATE

I put the hard drive from my computer in to the new build and, sure enough, it booted up in to Windows XP first time. So I now know that, for some reason, I can't get past the DMI Pool Data screen because of the hard drive.

However, another problem seems to have arisen. With the hard drive from my PC plugged in to this new one I can get to the desktop, sure, but after about 3 seconds the computer just resets. No error messages or blue screens, it just resets. Every time. I'm hoping that's just because of the hard drive's settings and drivers all confliction with the new computer's components though.

UPDATE 2

Just put the new hard drive in to my PC and, as I was hoping, I got the ''Verifying DMI Pool Data' error! So, it's the new hard drive then I guess? Not sure why it got past the DMI Pool Data stage the first time I turned it on, but whatever.

Unfortunately I don't have an empty hard drive (or one I can empty) to test in the new computer.
 
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Its somthing to do with the Bios Settings, i had exactly the same problem a while ago, but i only remember vagley what i done. Ill have a look in Bios gimme a sec and ill get back to you
 
ok mate, go into bios and run Fail Safe Bios setting and try it, Should work let me know if any luck,

just checking what i changed over to make it work all the time.
 
What happened to me was it kept wanted to change the SATA-II RAID Config over to ACHID for some reason, no idea what it is, but i changed mine back to IDE

Onchip SATA mode : IDE for the time being to boot up then changed it once i had loaded the OS on, once you got the OS on any problems you just Load Fail safe defaults and you can get back into the OS.
 
Just tried loading fail safe but it's still hanging. :( And yeah, when I turn the PC on the first screen asks me if I want to change over to AHCI. I've tried it both on IDE and AHCI and neither solves the problem.

Just opened up my PC to check all the connections once more and I noticed the heatsink wasn't on the CPU properly. It's the standard heatsink you get with the Intel Core 2 Duo E2200, and by not on properly I mean two of the four push pin things were wiggling slightly where as the other 2 were firm. The heatsink itself though was on secure and wouldn't wiggle though. I've obviously pushed the other two in firmly now but that hasn't solved the problem, although I didn't suspect it would. I haven't damaged the CPU have I? I did check the temps in bios before noticing the loose heatsink and it read 43c.

Anyone else have any ideas? Really strange that the first time I booted it got past the screen and actually started the XP installation procedure but now it just won't budge off that 'Verifying DMI Pool Data' screen. :(
 
try setting it to 2.0v. This might show as +0.2v, 1.8v being default.

Infact, as you have 2 PC's there, I would swap the RAM from the other PC to see if that works. If it's also DDR2 that is
 
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Erm.. that's strange..

In the bios there is nowhere for me to change the RAM settings....that's not right, is it? Could this be the problem? Faulty RAM?

EDIT: Incase anyone is confused by the switch of username, this is the same person, just on my bro's account which is set to automatic sign-in on this comp. :D
 
UPDATE

I put the hard drive from my computer in to the new build and, sure enough, it booted up in to Windows XP first time. So I now know that, for some reason, I can't get past the DMI Pool Data screen because of the hard drive.

However, another problem seems to have arisen. With the hard drive from my PC plugged in to this new one I can get to the desktop, sure, but after about 3 seconds the computer just resets. No error messages or blue screens, it just resets. Every time. :(

I'm worried I may have damaged the motherboard or RAM during the build. :(

Help!
 
Might just be restarting as its a different XP setup, it will have all your motherboard drivers etc... on it, not your sisters, so could just be the new drive is faulty if yours boots up fine, could you not try your drive in hers, but doing a fresh install on it, so you put her mobo drivers etc... on it, as its bound to be throwing a wobbler having all the drivers for a different motherboard etc... on it. :)
 
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Ah you raise a good (and fairly obvious now I think about it, d'oh) point. :D

I could try putting her hard drive in my computer now, just to finally rule out whether or not it's a faulty hard drive problem or not.
 
IwantanewPC said:
Ah you raise a good (and fairly obvious now I think about it, d'oh) point. :D

I could try putting her hard drive in my computer now, just to finally rule out whether or not it's a faulty hard drive problem or not.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah you could try that as well, see if you can get windows installed on yours, would rule out the drive. :)
 
UPDATE

Just put the new hard drive in to my PC and, as I was hoping, I got the ''Verifying DMI Pool Data' error! So, it's the new hard drive then I guess? Not sure why it got past the DMI Pool Data stage the first time I turned it on, but whatever.

Unfortunately I don't have an empty hard drive (or one I can empty) to test in the new computer.
 
You might want to find the hard drive options in the BIOS and cycle through the different access modes for the drive (Large, LBA, CHS etc.) to see if one of them will let you install Windows. Failing that I'd look at the jumpers on the drive and compare them to the label to make sure that all is OK. If still no joy then try and find a diagnostic program for your HD that you can boot from a CD or USB drive.

BTW the reason you can't find many memory options in the BIOS is because they're hidden by default on Gigabyte boards. Press CTRL-F1 when you're at the BIOS menu to unlock them, then go into the overclocking options and they should be there.

(edit) Also have you tried a different SATA cable? The one you're using might be duff.
 
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I'm sure the PSU has nothing to do with my current problem, but I thought I'd ask just incase. Obviously I've posted my problem around a few other forums and on one or two of them it's been suggested my PSU isn't powerful enough for the system spec. Is that true? The spec was suggested by an established member from here so I wouldn't have thought so, especially since there is no big and power gaming graphics card in there and never will be.
 
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