Re: Windows XP SP2 installation hangs on restart

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Anthony Travis wrote:

"Andrew Leith" wrote:

Anthony Travis wrote:
Have also tried to run Recovery Console (as per KB article "Problems when Windows XP tries to load the Agp440.sys service" to disable possible incompatible motherboard chipset video driver during setup) from the CD, but I don't get a "welcome to setup" screen when I boot from the CD.

"Andrew Leith" wrote:

Anthony Travis wrote:
I've built a PC from scratch and am installing a new copy of XP SP2.

It goes through the setup okay until the first automatic reboot. At this point, I get the XP spalsh screen and then the machine hangs with a black screen.

I have deleted the partition and reinstalled, but keep getting the same problem. have also tried swapping video card with one I know that works, and swapping out memory too.

I can boot into safe mode, but this si no use as it appears to me that the problem lies with an incomplete installation.

I tried to access the KB Article entitled "Computer Stops Responding After It Restarts During Windows XP Setup" but it's not available.

I suspected the problem might be with the VGA drivers (have tried swapping video card with one I know works), and have read the article here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324764/en-us .

However, I can't get Recovery Console to start up when I boot from the CD.

Am now at tearing hair out stage. Any ideas/help would be greatly appreciated!
Can you give us more info. re your system?

Motherboard, memory, cpu, power supply, hd, graphics card and anything else you can think of. Is it a stock Microsoft CD-ROM or a custom job?

Regards,

Andrew Leith.

OK,

first I'd like to ask you if you've done a BIOS flash on the motherboard, if you've never done this then try to do a hard reset on the BIOS. Unplug all power and follow MSI's instructions on resetting the BIOS. I wouldn't recommend flashing to a new BIOS until this problem is resolved. While you're in the there it wouldn't hurt to double check the seating of any and all cards. Your Spinpoint hard drives could be SATA-2 drives (SATA-300), if so, make sure the compatibility jumper is installed to make the drives 150 compatible.

Last but not least, this motherboard only supports AGP 3.0, which means only 1.5 volt, 4x and 8x cards will work. If your card supports AGP 2x then I'm afraid your out of luck. A new video card is in order.

Regards,

Andrew Leith.

Hi Andrew

Thanks for your reply.

I haven't flashed the BIOS on this motherboard.

Not quite sure what you mean by a hard reset, do you mean clearing the CMOS using the jumper? If this is what you mean, yes I have done that - got an error message when I first started it all up to say CMOS settings were wrong. I then cleared the CMOS (with all power disconnected) and made the settings in the BIOS according to the manual.

However, if you mean something else (flashing the BIOS from a floppy?) I haven't done this.

I've had all the cards and memory out of their slots to check they're seating, and swapped the video card for one I know works (it's in my other machine, which also has an MSI 875 mobo, but version 1 not two).

You're right about the SATA drives - they're SATA-300. I went and bought some pin jumpers, and set them to SATA-150, but unfortunately this didn't make any difference. The installation still hangs at the system restart.

Mightit be an issue with only having SATA disks? Or might it be the type of video card?

i'd be very interested to hear your further thoughts.

Best wishes

Tony Travis

Hi Anthony,

well I did check on the Matrox site and hence the info. in my last post, re. your video card. Did you read the end of my post?

Here's the web page for your motherboard: http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=875P_NEO-FIS2R&class=mb

Here's the download site for your motherboard: http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=544&maincat_no=1&cat2_no=170&cat3_no=4

Here's the download site for your video card: http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/corpo/support/drivers/home.php

I would recommend that you first try stripping your system to a bare minimum. In other words remove every card you can from the system except for you video card. If you've gotten creative with your BIOS settings return them to default. Disable any onboard peripherals that you're not using. If you want to try a BIOS flash, I'd recommend that you remove the Matrox and install some video card that will boot up normally. Can you borrow some old PCI card? You can flash with an AGP as well, the real issue is a having card that will boot properly. BTW, what do you have connected to your video card.? DVI or VGA with adapter(s)? One monitor would be the way to go until it's working.

Even though you haven't seen an improvement, you should leave the jumpers on your hard drives.

Let me know.

Andrew Leith.
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