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Urgent! Win2000 Stop Errors - PC reboots

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Config: Biostar M7VIT MB (latest bios), AMD 2000 XP, 256 Corsair 2700 DDR RAM, New Maxtor HD 20GB,
Win2000 loaded fine until the first reboot, after telling the install that I wanted to be prompted for password, it briefly displayed a blue screen (Stop error) and restarted.
Ran diag on memory (latest memtest - 6 passes - no errors)
On the reboot windows loaded fine. Logged in. Installed few programs and works. Then all of sudden it will reboot.
So I ran a virus scan, then I scanned the MBR too - no viruses.
Reinstalled WIN2000 - re-partitioned (NTFS), and got the same STOP error at the same point. Tried installing off another WIN2000 CD - same thing. All Hardware is compliant.
I did notice that when running install programs theCPU usage is quite high (90% - 100%)
I have taken everything out of system except display adapter (even tried a different display adapter), checked CPU temp, via CMOS, is 38 C (not to say this is what it is running at when the system restarts). CPU freq is set correctly (not overclocking) at 133Mhz. RAM is set correctly (tried by spd and 133Mhz).
Swapped memory sticks - same thing. Looking at PC health - power supply voltage is correct (not to say it isn't spiking/dipping at certain times).
At this point I would think that it is either the Power Supply or Mother Board - other possiblities are CPU or HD.
I had added up all the power requirements - 280W, PS is 350W
One other thing (possibly not related) is that I unzipped a folder containing pictures back to the My pictures folder - directly from my brand new Lite On DVD - winzip responded with Bad CRC ecdce089 (should be ade09a93). type errors. If I perform the unzip from my TDK VelodCD, they unzip without error.

Just in case I'm going to try swapping IDE ribbons out tonight with new ones and running a HD diag. Any other thoughts would be very appreciated.

9 replies

by cg it

interesting problem. if you can boot to windows again [without a blue screen] and open up administrative tools, check your event viewer. Let us know if there are any critical events listed anywhere. Also, the actual critical error code would help.
another is to disable reboot on critical error. that would stop windoze from rebooting. To do this, open up the control panel, click on System properties icon, click the Advanced Tab, uncheck the box automatically reboot on system error.

by cg it

I've run across some similar problems when I upgrade hardware such as the processor, memory in a good stable working system. After the upgrade, I'll get critical errors, memory dumps and everything points to memory read write errors and page faults. I've reinstalled W2K and the problem goes away and I have a stable system again. Pain to do but it's solved the problem every time.

by donmars

It's been awhile since I had a BSOD on a 2000 machine and I frankly forgot if it resembles NT 4 blue screen, because there are clues to what is causing it. It actually tells you at what point or what it was doing when it's circuit breaker tripped, and that what it is, a fuse to prevent data corruption and an irrecoverable situation. The first thing to do is prevent the reboot so you can read the data presented on the screen. You should also be aware that BSOD is usually caused by a hardware driver that is poorly written, incompatible or otherwise defective.
Will safe mode work consistently everytime without a blue screen? Oh, forget about the power supply, I cannot imagine a scenario where that could cause a blue sreen, lock-up maybe butno blue screen. There are drivers associated the mother board you may want to check those out. you need to get the unit to boot once so you can go in and switch off the reboot. Right click my computer, go to properties, click advanced tab and uncheck automatically reboot.
The blue screen contains collection of data,however Bug-Check Information, after the word "stop," may be enough to interpret the cause of a Stop error. Somewhere in that line it will give an error code that will define the problem, such as, IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL is a common one. In a situation like yours where you have tried everything, now its time to look at the information the BSOD provides. Do a search and learn to read the info.

by mdelyea

Play close attention to cooling, particularly if you have a high end video card. I've seen computers fail because of inadequate cooling on the video card.

by dmiles

The problem could be caused by incorrect of CPU setting,boot computer and enter Setup by pressing designated key

AMD will run at slower speed than what cpu is designated,check to make sure that speed is set to default per the manufacturers motherboard spec or AMD cpu spec for

by nccorthu

If it goes to the first reboot it sounds more like incompatible drivers issue.

Try to load or run Win98 startup disk and see how it performs.

If it works i suspect Hardware Ok.

When you reload Win 2k make it minimal i.e. have everythingdisconnected but the Hard drive and Video and CD Player. i.e. no NIc Modem etc. Especially watch the USB stuff.

If it will then restart you've narrowed it down. The try to add each item until it blows up . Then find better drivers for it.
Also watch those Proprietary Motherboard drivers. Try not to have them load.

KISS is the way to go.\ to narrow the issue down.

by memyslfni1969

Without knowing the error code it will look somwthing like this

IRQL_IS_LESS_THAN_EQUAL
0x000000A8 0x00000000 0x00000000 0xac000097

I would say,
try going back to the basics by removing all devices but extra devices sound card modem ect. particularly your "Brand new Lite On DVD" (which I suspect is your problem)leave only video card and cdrom and your HD, see if you boot ok. if not its your card if you do try adding back each device until you experience an error.

I had a very simular problem when upgrading to WinXP my Pacific Digital (aka Liteon firmware) CDRW drive.

As it turned out my drive shipped with the the incorrect product number on it and therefore the drivers inculded were in correct and no appropriate for Win XP, to top it all off the drive's firmware was or became corrupt when I tried to update it with the wrong flash utility (because I had the wrong model number) so I ended up returning the drive and getting a new one and when I did it came with new software and the firmware manufacture had changed to Tatung It turns out Pacific Digital had so many problems with the Liteon Drives they had dumped Liteon all together.

Oh yes and the Dr. Watson utility log file will list in detail the STOP ERROR(BSOD) details for you.

Hope this helps

Good Luck

by jimjennings

If your hard drive is one of the new serial ATA drives then your problem is probably related to drivers with the controller card. The IRQ handling is done differently and though I have not used one of these drives in a 2000 box I have used them in XP and have found that Ghost has issues locating the hard drive. Try using the drivers from your motherboard for the ATA controller during the install when it asks for 3rd party SCSI drivers and see if this solves the problem. You will probably need to put them on a floppy to do this, and you should make sure you have the latest ones downloaded from the manufacurer's web site.

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