OT - PC help? (re-set loop)

[SkiFletch]

So its 1:40am and I figured I'd stop monkeying with the old desktop PC before it ends up in pieces on my driveway. Long story short, decided it was time to re-install windows as despite many efforts against it, the spyware had built up, and as all Microsoft OS's do, it was getting bogged down after 2 years. So I plugged my XP disk in, formatted it and installed (after much swearing at floppy drives). Get through the writing files to the disk portion and the first installation of the OS. Then upon re-starting, instead of bringing up the "register" screen, it re-sets ad infinitum. I can't for the life of me remember the common causes for an infinite re-set loop so I was hoping some of you might be able to help. Gotta be a hardware issue, but this may take some figuring out I think... So system details:

AMD x64 3000+ (Venic core)
DFI Lanparty UT (NF4 chipset w/NVRAID)
1gb (2x512) of Mushkin Enhanced memory
2x40gig Maxtor hdds
ATi Radeon X850 (PCI-e)
TTGI 450watt power supply
Other odds-n-ends peripherals
Custom Watercooling

Methinks the problem has to be hardware or perhaps bios related, but I'm honestly not that sure where to start looking... I'm pretty well-versed in hardware/bios but not that great with software/windows intricacies. And lastly, one test I did have the patience for was a memtest... Checked out fine.

Anyways, TIA for any help

 

[puter]

If your hardware was working ok before it is very likely just a driver issue. At what point does it restart?

1) I assume you can get into the BIOS successfully?
2) Have you tried booting in safe mode? (Hit F8 on the way up)

The default option in XP is to reboot if a system error is encountered.

Mark

 

[SkiFletch]

It restarts at the screen where the windows logo comes up with the little scrolling bar underneath it. I've tried safemode, no go

 

[puter]

You're into a harder fix then...

If it were me, I'd load the drive as a second drive in another system and pull off/make a known good backup of all the data on it I was concerned about losing.

Then, you have the option of doing a parallel O/S install or running the repair option off of the original installation CD.

Good luck!!

Mark

 

[parkavenuereef]

Its not a dell or a gateway is it? Its a driver issue. What did you install last?

 

[rjweng]

Mike try taking out the one hard drive that does not have the OS installed on it, it could be a drive letter conflict between the 2 harddrives. Or it could be a master slave issue with the 2 HHD's.

 

[parkavenuereef]

Wait, take out a stick of memory, just install with 512 not the 1 gig...

 

[SkiFletch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10238993#post10238993 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by parkavenuereef
Its not a dell or a gateway is it? Its a driver issue. What did you install last?

It's a "Mike" (built it myself) and the last thing I installed was Windows...

Mark, problem is the 2x40gig maxtors are in RAID 0 off of the motherboard's native nvidia controller... So cloning it on another system is kinda impossible. The RAID array thinks its healthy. I might try taking the drives out individually to run surface scans just in case.

And FWIW I could care less about any of the data on the drives. I don't keep anything essential on a RAID 0 array

 

[parkavenuereef]

ok, they are IDE raid, install windows using the standard ATA ports, then once windows is installed, put them on the raid ports. I have the same issue with my ( parkavenuereef ) built amd 3200 x 64 system...

 

[SkiFletch]

Its SATA actually

And how will I install windows to a RAID 0 array without it being hooked up to the RAID controller?

Edit: I suppose its possible that I need a newer or older RAID driver...

 

[parkavenuereef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10241007#post10241007 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SkiFletch
Its SATA actually

And how will I install windows to a RAID 0 array without it being hooked up to the RAID controller?

Edit: I suppose its possible that I need a newer or older RAID driver...

I didnt see the array part... sorry man! well all i can think of is are you installing the raid driver before you install windows? IDK i hate RAID " ARRAY "

 

[puter]

The only reason to pull a drive and put it in another system is to backup data you want to save..... fif that's not an issue then you're ready to proceed with one of the two options I gave you before.

Did you do F6 during the O/S install and provide the RAID driver?

Mark

 

[Dave VG]

Reinstalling windows will bring up any failing hardware issues. Try different memory first. If it still reboots try a different power supply. it wii be one or the other.