AMD all scewed up (revisited)

[Nox1]

I don't know what magic powder you all are using on your AMD computers but I'm spending another day FIGHTING with this damn thing.

I wasn't angry yesterday when I encountered countles problems with this machine, but now I am getting quite upset!

I have done EVERYTHING you all had suggested and NOTHING is working.

1.)Reinstalling Windows did nothing to help, DMA (which was enabled) does nothing to help.

2.)Set up as a BARE BONE system with just the HD, CD-ROM and videocard did nothing to help.

3.)4 in 1 drivers might as well be sitting on a disk on my desk...they did nothing to help.

4.)Tried my 15gig Western Digital hard drive to see if it was the Maxtor did nothing to help.

5.)Searched all morning locally for a new PSU (AMD certified) slapped down a $100 for it did nothing to help.

I have NEVER in all my years of computing had problems like these when building my own machines. Any problems I had encountered were easily fixed.

Again, here's my system and the list of wonderful problems:

My system:
1.4 AMD
EPOX 8k7a
Maxtor 30gig HD
256 Micron DDRram
Asus GeForce3 Deluxe
Creative Live!
Netgear 10/100 ethernet
Ataptec 2906 SCSI

After a setup of Windows, I finally got it to run properly in WinME...and it was great at first BUT...

1.)One moment, everything seemed to be going super fast, then super SLOW the next!

2.)The mouse kept hanging then it would come back...then it would hang again etc etc...

3.)ZIP drive was only partly accessable and NO file could be opened, file names were turning into garbled mess (looked like machine code). Trying to explore it hangs the machine.

4.)Strange chunky pauses in quake/mechwarrior4 (only games I tried)

5.)USB mouse and keyboard usage GONE sometimes on Windows entry (could only hit reset button to do anything).

6.)Rebooting the CPU clock set puts itself to 1gig (constantly changing it back to 1.4...checked the chip it IS a 1.4 AYHJA)

7.)Award bios check tells me I've DANGEROUSLY OVERCLOCKED my chip...I never overclock...the chip was/is not overclocked....AND the "overclocking" message said the chip was at 1gig..hmm my 1.4 overclocked "dangerously" at 1gig (?????). FYI, A bios flashed fixed this problem.

8.) Kept finding "new hardware" on every 3 Windows restarts...not sure what it was..the name of it was an all garbled mess!


***

Don't get me wrong, I appreciated all the helping comments from everyone.

But if this thing isn't running flawlessly very soon, it's going BACK to the store!

 

[Zyphria]

I know this sounds like a very "broad" reply but without going through each and every component and having another system to test it, I'd make the assumption on what you have said that the motherboard is badly in need of being exchanged.

 

[wyvrn]

Yep one or more of the components are bad. It might be best to step away from the computer for a few hours and go see a movie or hang out. Come back tomorrow, and replace each component with a new one until you locate the problem(S). I know this sounds like a pain, but that may be the only way to find out the right answer. All of us have had to go through this before, do don't think that Mr. Murphy is picking on you

 

[Bellweather]

I can't vouch for this, but I did hear that the 8k7a doesn't jive with the Netgear NIC at all.

 

[dkozloski]

Why do I get the feeling that after the big revelation of what was really wrong we're going to hear "I didn't think THAT would make any difference"?

 

[wyvrn]

I that case his barebone attempt should have worked. So there is a problem with one of the more basic components, though that does not mean what you said about the NIC is not true...

 

[splice]

It's only the FA311 Netgears which do not work with the 8K7A. The 310TX works fine. Anyways, sorry to hear about your troubles, but it does sound like you have a faulty part. BTW, is the JCLK1 jumper set correctly on the Mobo?

 

[Jittles]

Check the jumper on the mobo that sets the 133 or 100 FSB Default is on 100 so make sure you changed it to 133.

 

[eviltoon]

No answers, but I returned my Athlon 1.3 with an Asus GeForce 3 last week. The system was 2 weeks old. I wasn't getting all your problems but the random / periodic slowness sounds familiar. I also experienced screen freezing (hard locks) all the time. I upped my power supply. This helped the screen freezing problem, but I was generally displeased with its overall performance. I'll go to my grave thinking it was the Asus GeForce 3 but I can't prove it. The store wasn't too thrilled with my insistance of a full refund, but it happened. Good luck.

 

[Nox1]

Nice update here...

It seems the only problem I am now having is with my SCSI card. I cannot read my ZIP drive nor will my scanner function properly thru it.

Is there any compatibility problems with an Adaptec 2906 SCSI and the 8k7a? Or anything of the like?

I've checked the Adaptec site and EPOX. Neither says anything about it. I've loaded WinME, Win2000 (current), and WinXp and all of these OS cannot read the ZIP drive or operate the scanner. When I switch back to my PIII, everything works perfect again.

Besides that, everything seems to be working flawlessly now.

 

[dkozloski]

Try the Adaptec card in different PCI slots. You might have an IRQ conflict. The correct driver should load automatically. Look at the resources in Device Manager for conflicts. You might also remove it in the Device Manager and let the system redetect it.

 

[etech]

I ran across this the other day, I'm not sure how well it applies to your situation though.


Via FAQ
Q:I am having trouble with my Zip drive. What should I do?
Download and install the latest 4in1 drivers if you have not already done so. Then, on our drivers page, use the drivers search facility (top right hand corner), to search for Driver Category: VIA Chip Set, Driver Item: Advance. Download the IDE Bustmaster version 580_3011.exe file. Double click on the file to install it.

 

[billyjak]

I thought that Epox 8k7a was such a great board.
Glad I'm sticking with Abit now.

It goes to show anyone can build a faulty board.

 

[majewski9]

Check your Jumpers! I would return the board if checking the jumpers didn't work. It cannot be an IRQ conflict since that would cause an immediate lockup also you tried it barebone and it messed up! Its a mobo problem! Epox cannot make them all perfect!

 

[Nox1]

I tried the drivers that etech suggested and it didn't help.

I need my ZIP Drive and scanner for my work so this is unacceptable.

It looks grim for me keeping the AMD.

***

I switched the SCSI card around from PCI slot to PCI slot. It was actually one of the first things. It didn't help.

***

I set the onboard jumpers to default at 1.4 gig. No problem there.

***

It seems that all the bad symptoms are gone. The only thing left to figure out is getting one of the most important components of my business to work correctly....my zip drive and scanner.

Sigh... a 3 day install. Intel systems only ever took me 1 hour max...and that includes the Windows setup.

 

[dkozloski]

Does the SCSI card appear in the device manager? Have you installed ASPI drivers for it?

 

[Nox1]

No the actual AVA-2906 does NOT appear in the device manager (of Win2000). I have been looking for these drivers for quite sometime.

Adaptec's page takes me to a driver download for the 2906, but when I go to install it there is not a mention of the card # at all!

In WinME I correctly installed 2906 but the problem was never fixed. So, I can only assume that it wouldn't help here either.

I never thought twice about my SCSI card because it was always working perfectly with what Windows (any version) found it as before this AMD fiasco.

A new problem has arisen...I can't copy any file from my second CD-Rom drive (as in setup programs, extracting .zip files, etc etc...) without CRC errors. This AMD endeavor was a "great" waste of time!


Sigh... AMD going bye bye...hello reliable INTEL.

 

[AmdEmAll]

<< Intel systems only ever took me 1 hour max...and that includes the Windows setup. >>

If you ment building an Intel machine and installing everything, I must say that is BS, windows setup alone takes more then half of that hour. Mabey you build stuff a little to fast and are forgetting things. I've built at least 5 AMD machines, from when the first athlon came out with some problems to current and all the systems have been Stable and with no problems but little things that were easily fixxed. Good luck with Intel and the super fast PIV with no problems!

 

[chuckieland]

ya man, blame it on AMD for everything
nice job

 

[Nox1]

Do you have any advice for what I'm going through? This is the first I've seen you post in this thread and all you have to say is that?

I'm not blaming AMD for anything. I don't see how you even extracted that from my posts. I am frustrated, yes. Everyone else realizes that too and has tried to help.

But nothing that I need for my business works with this AMD setup and there are NO fixes. As I have said many times in this thread and my previous &quot;AMD all screwed up!&quot;, I have been swapping my motherboard and chip back to my ABIT BE6-II and p3-650. What ever Windows OS I am in finds it all and everything works perfect. There are no patches, strange drivers, PCI slot switching, or anythng that I have to hunt down across the internet and find a fix with.

I feel that I have been more than patient and level headed about this entire thing, but it's time let AMD go.

Just because I have had a bad expirence with AMD does not make it a bad chip. Good God, mention you don't like something and people take it so personal! I'm glad others out there are in perfect computer heaven with AMD...I just happen not to be.

***

Amdemall,

I've clocked my installs. I never do upgrades and what I have in my systems are so minimal that Windows usually finds them for me. Except for updated video and sound drivers, everything's usually ready to go in about an hour.

I'm not talking about installing seperate programs I need to use.

***

Anyway, thanks everyone for you help. It's too bad it wasn't a happy ending.

 

[dkozloski]

Some people just don't get along with machinery.

 

[Sharkmeat]

Don't you mean Junk!! I love AMD people,they make the world a much warmer place to live .#1 Post send the crap back and get a good system with Intel parts

 

[gplracer]

I wonder if it is the motherboard. It could be bad or have some compatability problem. I have built 9 AMD systems this year and not one has given me any problems. Good Luck!

 

[MadRat]

Sharkmeat = troll

 

[Remnant2]

With all that you've gone through, it sounds like you might have gotten a bad MB. I've never had any of the problems you describe in my AMD systems, and you've done almost all of the troubleshooting steps.

Just RMA that puppy back, and most likely a new MB will work like a breeze.