BadAxe2 - WinXP hangs on second install reboot???

[SLi_dog]

Hi All,
I got a BadAxe2 last Friday and have spent the weekend trying to install windows with no success.

Basically it installs ok but on loading into windows on the second install reboot the system just hangs. I can get to windows using safe mode but just not normally.

System:
QX6700 / E6600ES / Celeron 347
BadAxe2 BIOS 2663
OCZ Ti Alpha VX2 PC8000 Cas 4 / GeIL Ultra PC6400 Cas4 / GeIL Ultra PC5300 Cas3
BFG 8800GTX / Leadtek 7800GTXs
WD Raptors 74GB SATAII / Seagate 80GB SATAII
750W Thermaltake Toughpower / 680W Thermaltake Truepower
Windows XP SP2 full version / Windows XP SP2 nLite version / Windows Server 2003
Wireless Microsoft Keyboard & mouse / PS/2 wired keyboard & PS/2 wired mouse


I've tried:

Flashed to 2663 BIOS

Different RAM, VGA, HDD

Windows Server 2003 and an nLite version of Win XP Pro SP2. Both hang in the same spot

Setting up 1HDD on Marvell SATA port, no HDD detected in WinXP Pro SP2 install - Tried using RAID and IDE modes

Setting up 1HDD on Intel Matrix SATA port, finishes windows install then hangs on windows loading screen - Tried using IDE, RAID, ACHI modes and F6 floppy disk drivers

Setting up RAID0 on Marvell SATA ports, no recognition of Marvell RAID/SCSI driver floppy disk. "Disk is in unrecognisable format" or something - Tried using RAID and IDE modes

Setting up RAID0 on Intel Matrix SATA port, finishes windows install then hangs on windows loading screen - Tried using IDE, RAID and ACHI modes

Using kill disk to fully format the drive by writting 0 values to it.

All variations of second SATA controller disabled and enabled.

Booting in safe mode and installing the VGA driver and SM Bus driver.

Increasing voltages to CPU/Chipset/RAM

Decreasing FSB speed.

Disabling all onboard audio/usb/thermal management options



Any ideas? Help on resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated.

[gtj]

Can you run memtest?

[SLi_dog]

Can you run memtest?

I haven't yet but I can't see why it wouldn't, I can boot from CD into programs such as Kill Disk and have had no problems with BSOD or any other errors during install. I'll check tonight.

I've tried OCZ and GeIL RAM, also tried increasing voltages and loosening timings.

Thanks for the quick response

[gtj]

Well, stick with 1 hard drive on the intel controller with it set to IDE mode. It's not what you'll want for the final installation but keep it simple now. Also disable the onboard sound, lan, secondary ide controller (marvell), etc.

Definitely run memtest. The problem could be stress related. The Windows text mode setup is pretty simple and doesn't exercise much.

[SLi_dog]

K ran around 1 hour memtest wall time with two complete passes of entire test suite without error.

Disabled all peripheral devices in BIOS.

Unfortunately I still can't boot to windows.

I'm currently hard wiping the HDD by writting 0s to it. I'll try re-install with the peripheral devices (lan, sound, etc) disabled.



In the mean time I've enabled boot logging and have attach the resulting bootlog file.

The files I have that seem to be created by the latest login are:

setuplog.txt
setupapi.log
ntbtlog.txt
WindowsUpdate.log
bootstat.dat

The files other than ntbtlog.txt are either too big or in the wrong format to attach.

[gtj]

Hmmm. The last line in the boot log relates to USB Storage. Anything plugged into the USB ports besides a mouse or keyboard?

[LazyBum]

I have had similar problems before and they were always hard drive related. I would first try swapping HD cables, and then check the drive with the WD tools. Make sure the drives can pass all the SMART tests. I had a couple Raptors fail so they aren't immune to problems. Also try formatting/partitioning the drive with the WD drive utilities rather than with Windows, that has fixed weird install problems in the past.

[SLi_dog]

Hmmm. The last line in the boot log relates to USB Storage. Anything plugged into the USB ports besides a mouse or keyboard?

No, just a wireless mouse.

I have had similar problems before and they were always hard drive related. I would first try swapping HD cables, and then check the drive with the WD tools. Make sure the drives can pass all the SMART tests. I had a couple Raptors fail so they aren't immune to problems. Also try formatting/partitioning the drive with the WD drive utilities rather than with Windows, that has fixed weird install problems in the past.

I've tried using each Raptor separately with different SATA cables and I've also tried a separate 80Gb Seagate HDD. All were working perfectly up untill I got this board. I've also tried using Kill Disk to write 0s to the Raptors to fully format them but it still fails in the same place?

Does WD tools run in safe mode? I'll try that tonight.

Thanks for the help guys

[gtj]

Is it possible you have a bad CD? Maybe all the files aren't getting copied properly.

[SLi_dog]

Is it possible you have a bad CD? Maybe all the files aren't getting copied properly.

Maybe the CD drive.
It hangs at the same place for Win XP Pro SP2 full install, Win XP Pro SP2 nLite install and Win Server 2003 full install so must be a problem with the drive if anything.

I'll try a new CD drive tonight as well as a USB/PS2 mouse converter.

[eXceeded]

i had the same problem on an old P4 system which resulted in teh disc being bad. Burnt a new copy and all is well

[SLi_dog]

i had the same problem on an old P4 system which resulted in teh disc being bad. Burnt a new copy and all is well

I've tried three seperate versions of windows and all have exactly the same problem.


Tried an E6600 too but that didn't do it.


Got a reply from intel support saying that only one set of the memory I used meets the requirements and so I should try a different set of DDR800 to see it that's the problem . So....................I just got back from the post office after returning it for a new one

Thanks for all the help guys, hopefully it was just a faulty board because I can't explain it otherwise.

Once again, thanks. Particularly gtj

[SLi_dog]

K, the replacement BadAxe2 arrived yesterday as well as another set of ram to test with.

Same problem. Can't get to windows XP in anything other than safe mode


WTF is going on???????

[dinos22]

n00b


that is a very strange problem man

i wonder if we are going to run into the same problems next month maybe intel should send us the mobos direct (or to my place so that i can do some testing) hmmmmmmmmm

[SLi_dog]

n00b


that is a very strange problem man

i wonder if we are going to run into the same problems next month maybe intel should send us the mobos direct (or to my place so that i can do some testing) hmmmmmmmmm

ha ha ha dinos

So far I've tried:

2 BadAxe2 boards

3 CPUs
3 VGAs
3 HDDs
3 RAM sets
3 OS versions
2 PSUs
2 Keyboard & mouse combos
2 Optical drives


Same problem with each one. The only factor that is the same in each different set up is the motherboard?

[dinos22]

what the hell man

[mezcal]

Maybe disconnect all extra case items (front audio, usb, hd lites, etc)
That's pretty much grasping at straws but it sounds like you're already there.

[gtj]

Download a Linux distro and see if you can install that. Fedora Core 6 would be my choice. It's big but that's what I run so I can help.

[dinos22]

Download a Linux distro and see if you can install that.

ACTUALLY THIS GUY IS RIGHT

EXCEPT for the choice of distro

go with Sidux excellent support on IRC and idiotproof not to mention in installs on latest and greatest hardware let alone 975x chipset

[rommel]

Is it possible you have a bad CD? Maybe all the files aren't getting copied properly.

.......been working on an install all day. I ordered XP MCE and it didn't arrive today so I downloaded a torrent of MCE and had my vendor email me the cd key. The mce cd is actually coming in tomorrow but I wanted to get a head start because I was going to build two raid arrays on the marvell controller with the dvd drive on the matrix controller in ide mode. I tried both xp mce and vista ultimate, both burned discs and both would hang during install. I know the vista works because I've installed it on my laptop. I tried to install the downloaded XP MCE on an extra pc for testing and it worked. I also tried on the matrix in ide mode and with the marvell disabled and failed with 2 different dvd drives, one ata and one sata. I can install an original copy of xp pro fine though on both raid controllers. At least I know that on original cd will work for tomorrow when it arrives, fingers crossed.

Maybe it has something to do with the TPM feature of the motherboard?

Anyways, I'll let you guys know tomorrow if an original cd installs ok. I'll be building a raid 0 and a raid 1 on the marvell controller with 4 wd 250gb 16mb cache 7200prm hdd's.

[Raja@ASUS]

I do know that 2333 won't work with Vista, though it's supposed to be the best performance bios for benchmarking.

The only time I get hang ups on loading XP is when I have raised the modded vcore too high for the circuit to handle. I'm guessing you guys have tried everything at stock voltages too? The quad cores are unchartered territory for me on this board, so it's a hard one to call...


Are you using the INTEL sata or the Marvell (SLI_DOG), ain't seen you around for a while man..

I don't use raid only single hd's, on the INTEL sata only, marvell is disabled in bios. ALso this kind of hang also sometimes occurs if AHCI or IDE mode is configured incorrectly, or you are running a SATA CD/dvd drive on the same controller as a raid array..

regards
Raja

[SLi_dog]

Maybe disconnect all extra case items (front audio, usb, hd lites, etc)
That's pretty much grasping at straws but it sounds like you're already there.

I'm not using a case so it's pretty much as bare-bones as I can get it. I've also tried disabling all of the non-essential stuff like that you've listed in BIOS. Still get the exact same issue.

I'm using a USB mouse and PS/2 keyboard so just incase I'm using a USB-PS/2 converter so there's nothing plugged in on the USB ports at all now.

Download a Linux distro and see if you can install that. Fedora Core 6 would be my choice. It's big but that's what I run so I can help.

go with Sidux

k, I'll try that but I need this to run XP in the long term.

I do know that 2333 won't work with Vista, though it's supposed to be the best performance bios for benchmarking.

The only time I get hang ups on loading XP is when I have raised the modded vcore too high for the circuit to handle. I'm guessing you guys have tried everything at stock voltages too? The quad cores are unchartered territory for me on this board, so it's a hard one to call...


Are you using the INTEL sata or the Marvell (SLI_DOG), ain't seen you around for a while man..

I don't use raid only single hd's, on the INTEL sata only, marvell is disabled in bios. ALso this kind of hand also sometimes occurs if AHCI or IDE mode is configured incorrectly, or you are running a SATA CD/dvd drive on the same controller as a raid array..

regards
Raja

Hey Raja
I don't drop in here that often and haven't been to your site in a while. I'll have to fix that.


I've tried voltages at default, tried manually setting them as well as bumping them up. I also tried decreasing FSB to 200Mhz incase it was a chipset issue but none worked.

I've got 2 WD 74Gb Raptors and a Seagate 80gb sata HDDS. I've tried various configurations of single and RAID 0 arrays on the Intel Matrix and Mavell sata ports. I've also tried each HDD and sata controller with the different BIOS HDD configs (ide, achi, raid). I don't have a sata DVD/CD-ROM to try. Also tried hard erasing the HDDs by writing 0 values to them with Kill Disk.


With the first board I flashed to the latest 2663 BIOS and still had the same issue.


I've heard of one guy having the exact same problem with XP so he gave up and installed Vista which worked fine. Nearly bought a copy of vista today but I really need to use XP on this machine.

[dinos22]

k, I'll try that but I need this to run XP in the long term.
.

of course James

this is just to test that you have a software problem and not hardware

you will have Sidux loaded in 5-10 minutes dude just download the 32-bit version

[SLi_dog]

of course James

this is just to test that you have a software problem and not hardware

you will have Sidux loaded in 5-10 minutes dude just download the 32-bit version

Sweet, cheers dinos

I'm sure it will turn up on google but just in case have you got any links to where I can find it? I've got NFI about anything linux related.

[dinos22]

here you lazy dog

http://debian.tu-bs.de/project/sidux...0759-CHAOS.ISO