New motherboard problem!!

[kamel]

I just got my new Gigabyte GA-7N400PRO2 mobo today(link: http://tw.giga-byte.com/MotherBoard/Products/Products_GA-7N400 Pro2.htm ), and I'm having problems getting in to Windows. The system POST's fine, and everything is detected correctly...it has the F5 BIOS. Here's the problem:
When I try to enter Windows, the system hangs and there is no activity after the BIOS information status screens. I am able to boot from the floppy into Norton Ghost, and I can access my drives from there...I have even loaded images from different partitions with no problem. I can boot from a CD, but when i try to install Windows (happened with XP and 2000), after the initial copying of the set-up files, the system hangs before the first reboot where it says "Windows is starting". When I try to enter Safe Mode, the system hangs when it's trying to load Mup.sys, and there is no further activity.

I have tried running with only 1 stick of RAM(tried both of them), the CPU, vid card, and 1 HDD...still the same problem.

Here are my system specs:

AMD XP 3000+ Barton (400fsb) w/an SLK900A
1 Gb Crucial PC3200 (2x 512)
Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro (w/VGA Silencer)
3 HDD's on regular IDE
Lite-On DVDRW
Numerous case fans...cooling is not a problem

Except for 2 of my HDD's (neither is the boot drive), all parts are less than 3 months old, and have never given me a problem before.

Any help on this one would be appreciated. I don't know much about the features on this board...If I'm missing something, please let me know. Also, I have the SATA and RAID channels disabled, as I'm not using either of them yet. Thanks

 

[mechBgon]

What brand, model and wattage of power supply is towing the boat here? Also, what voltage are you using on the memory modules?

Also, confirm that your keyboard is not plugged into the mouse port by accident.

 

[kamel]

The PSU is an Antec True Power 430 watt...only about 2 weeks old. I'm using the default voltage on the memory, and the hardware is all hooked up correctly (I've triple checked)...I can do anything except use Windows! LOL. It's a strange problem...one I've never run across before. If it's my mobo's chipset, then why can i access the drives through Norton Ghost, and access files. It shouldn't be the drive, as I have been using that drive for about 2 months with no problems at all.

I've had problematic Windows installs before, but this is weird in that i get no errors...the system simply does nothing when it tries to load windows, including safe mode and installs.

 

[mechBgon]

Try 2.6V on the RAM, then 2.7V if it persists in giving you trouble.

 

[Fern]

Got all the chipset drivers loaded?

 

[kamel]

No...I don't have any chipset drivers loaded...I can't get far enough to install anything. The Windows install (even after a full format) locks after it copies the initial set-up files (where it says "Windows is starting"). I've tried just about everything on this board...I think it's RMA time.

 

[mechBgon]

One other thing: what exact hard drives are you using? Any of them solo on their own IDE cable? If any of them are on their own cable with no other devices, and if they have a Single-Drive jumper setting, confirm that they're using Single Drive and not set for master or slave.