Please Help!!! Is my problem my Athlon XP's fault or my Asus A7V266's fault?

[Metalloid]

I have been having some problems ever since I built this computer about a month ago. Every time I boot up, it takes about 5-8 seconds for my video BIOS info. to be displayed. This is not a big problem, but it slows boot time down a lot. My biggest problem is that my computer frequently goes into BIOS setup by itself on boot up. It takes me into BIOS and the choose CPU speed box comes up like when you first install a CPU. It says that my system hung on boot up while detecting CPU speed and it has me choose between 1050mhz, 1400mhz, and manual. I have tried 1400mhz and manually setting it to 10.5x multiplier and 133fsb but I still get the error sometimes. I dont know what part is the one causing the error. Can someone please help me? It is driving me nuts and I am planning on selling my computer and want to fix it before I sell it. Thanks

Computer Specs:
Athlon XP 1600
Asus A7V266
256mb Crucial PC2100 RAM
Hercules Prophet II PRO
Maxtor 40gb 7200rpm
Sound Blaster Live 5.1
Netgear NIC

 

[Operandi]

Unless you?re having heat related problems it?s highly unlikely that the CPU is causing your problems. The BIOS problem could be related to the MB, it almost sounds like your CMOS is losing its data, the CMOS battery might be dead. Next time you have this problem check the date and time in your BIOS if it?s off then it's the CMOS battery.

 

[Freejack2]

I have the same EXACT problem. It doesn't lose time, just goes into bios by itself. This is driving me crazy too.

System in Question

 

[Metalloid]

If you figure it out then please let me know.

 

[Durron]

Only times I've seen this problem happen was on Asus boards...never found a fix for it except changing the motherboard (to a non asus of course)

 

[Freejack2]

Going to try messing around with jumper mode in the next few days and see what happens.

 

[Freejack2]

Just found this at a7vtroubleshooting.com:
Important Note to all A7V 266 / A7V266-E owners:

There is an error in the manual regarding the CMOS memory reset jumper (CLR_RTC):
It should read To clear, place a jumper on it, in normal operation DON'T place a jumper on it.

The manual tells it the other way round (To clear take off jumper, normal is with jumper)

I repeat: DO NOT place a jumper there during normal operation, this might damage your mainboard! In the forum there were quite a few posts about boards loosing date and settings after having been run with that jumper in place.

Edit: And apparently that's not my problem, stupid manual only lists multiplier settings up to 10x, going to have to guess for 12x

 

[Freejack2]

I've only tried booting up a few times in jumper mode but so far it hasn't been going into bios.
This may be the fix, though it sucks if we can't user jumperfree mode.
I'm running an unlocked 1700+ at 1900+ so I set left my sysclk at 133 (same as jumperfree mode apparently)
and changed my cpu ratio to 12x.
The stupid A7V266-E manual doesn't post multipliers above 10.5x but apparently the engineers at asus use a similar config on the A7A266-E.
Basically switch 5 has to be on and then you use what's listed as switches 6-9 on the A7A266-e as switches 1-4 on the A7V266-E.
So basically:
11x is On On On On
11.5x is Off On On On
12x is On Off On On
12.5x is Off Off On On

Set mine for 12x and so far so good. Let you know if it holds true or not.

 

[Freejack2]

Booted up several times and still no problems. I'm about 99% sure this is the fix to our problems.
*crosses fingers*

 

[maker]

did you guys switched the motherboard to palomino mode as on the picture and in the manual
the picture
if not then i have nothing more to say

 

[Metalloid]

Yeah I did switched to Palomino mode. Now, after putting a different processor and video card in (since I will be selling it with this processor and video card), I know that it is a motherboard problem. Unfortunatly I still dont know a fix. I have run in jumper and jumperfree mode and it's all the same to me.

 

[Freejack2]

<< did you guys switched the motherboard to palomino mode as on the picture and in the manual
the picture
if not then i have nothing more to say >>


If you put it in Palamino mode you can't run an unlocked XP at different frequencies.
My computer runs great in jumpered mode so I'm happy. Wish it solved Metalloid15's problem though.