Will pay you $10 you can help me resolve my issue

[Magoomba]

I bought an AMD X2 4200+ OEM and swapped out my Athlon 64 3200+ on my MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum.
Everything worked fine, but I had to upgrade the BIOS to 1.B in order to get the dual CPU going.
Now here's the weird part.
I also bought a new Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300GB SATA drive.
So I swapped out my old HD and attempted to re-install Windows XP SP2.

When installing Windows, says the Battery software did not pass Windows Logo testing.
After first boot into windows, File Protection error. Also appears every time I try to install a program.
DIKO encoding program wouldn't run properly because it was missing a .dll file. Downloaded the .dll off the web fixed it.
Audacity audio editing program - closes everytime I change any settings.
Ran Windows File Checker (sfc /scannow) and it ran but every two minutes it would ask for the Windows XP disc as if the CD-ROM was malfunctioning. Had to hit Retry 5-6 times every couple of minutes until it finished.

To me, it seems like something is messed up with the I/O operations. I have rolled the BIOS version back to 1.8 and also to 1.A. I have also swapped in different memory and an older IDE HD with the same results. The only thing I haven't swapped out is a different motherboard and CPU.

I have spent over 2 days trying to figure this out and have lost most of my hair.
If anyone can help me get to the bottom of this, I will send you $10 via PayPal.

Thanks.

PS: I have screen shots of the error messages, but don't know how to upload them to the forum.

 

[Matthias99]

First: given your symptoms, I would suspect that your new CPU is not good, or you are having issues with your RAM.

Start with the absolute basics and work your way up. Trying to debug potential hardware issues the way you're going about it *will* drive you nuts.

Strip out everything but the RAM, CPU, video card, and CD/floppy drive (no hard drive, no expansion cards, no USB/FW devices -- NOTHING else), and run memtest86+ off of CD or floppy. You might also take the MB out of the case and put it on a nonconductive surface to eliminate any grounding issues. If you can make it through that overnight, your CPU/RAM/motherboard are at least functioning at a base level. Any errors indicate instability.

If you can pass that, add in a hard drive (and CD/DVD drive if you didn't have one in already) and try to install Windows. If you can't, probably either the hard drive (or onboard controller/cable) is bad, or the CD/DVD-ROM is bad, or your Windows CD is bad (seen it happen). Try another Windows CD if you have one (or borrow someone else's; they're all the same), then try another CD/DVD-ROM. Then another hard drive and IDE/SATA cable. If it's not any of those, it has to be the motherboard or CPU or RAM.

If you can install Windows, run Prime95's torture tests for 12-24 hours. If you can make it through those, your CPU/RAM/MB should be OK. Then you can start adding things in one at a time.

 

[jonnybruno]

did you disconnect the maxtor when u switched to an old ide hd? there is an issue with the diamondmax 10's and nforce 4

 

[zephyrprime]

Sounds like your HD is bad. Go run the maxtor power max diagnostics on your drive. Your drive should have come with a CD for it but if not, download it here:
power max

Also, try running active smart for a while to monitor your drive problems.

 

[n7]

First guess is RAM.

Second is HDD.

Try swapping those out.

 

[MTDEW]

Do all the above suggestions.

And if i remember right, on nthat mobo if youre using sata use the ones closest to the cpu to avoid data curruption.
I think they are sata 3 & 4, not sure.

 

[Arkane13131]

your problem is, you have not sent me the 10$ yet!

infact...everyone send 10$ to my paypal account!
jordant@sweatshoprecordings.com

maybe then ill have enough money to blow on booze strippers and steak! hmm and maybe in that order!

 

[SparkyJJO]

1. Look at these reviews on your hard drive on a nForce4 chipset
Apparently your Maxtor 300GB SATA drive somehow has incompatibility issues with nForce4 chipsets. Your board if I looked it up correctly has the nForce3 Ultra chipset, but it may be some similar issue.
2. This one I think might be more helpful. That Maxtor drive is a SATA2 3Gb/s drive, your mobo does not support that. You need to jumper the drive to slow it down to SATA 1.5Gb/s. It should say on the drive which pins to put the jumper on. Strange things can happen when a mobo doesn't read a drive properly.

Hope that helps

 

[imperfectcircle25]

The neo2 isnt an Nforce 4 borad its Nforce 3ultra, the Maxtor problems are with Nforc e4 only. I have one of those Maxtor drives and it wouldnt work on my DFI Lanparty Ultra D but works fine on my MSI k8n Neo 2. Make sure your hard drive is connected to the Sata ports closest to the cpu.

 

[bamacre]

Try a different optical drive, seems it may have read problems.

Also, is the hard drive a SATA II by chance?

 

[Magoomba]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'm going go to through them one by one.
Some more info for ya.
I did swap out the CD-ROM drive with a different one already.
The HD is SATA2, so I switched the jumper to regular SATA 1.5.
I have also tried using another regular IDE (not SATA) HD.
The CPU arrived with some pins that were crooked. I had to bend them back. Do you think this could be my issue? I intend to put the old CPU in and try again.

Any other suggestions are appreciated!

 

[thescreensavers]

try the the other cpu and se wat happens

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
try the the other cpu and se wat happens

yeah that

 

[LumbergTech]

my immediate guess would be ram or a bad mobo

 

[Mogadon]

Considering everything worked before i'd imagine the problem would be either the new CPU or the new HDD.

I'd try installing windows on your old HDD with the maxtor disconnected, as far as I understand it you've already done this.

I know the Neo2 is picky with BIOSs with the X2's, have you tried any of sideeffect's revised BIOSs? You'll especially want to try them out if you're using crucial ballistix or TCCD RAM sticks, you'll find BIOSs specifically for those memory modules on the page I linked you to.

Of course it could be your memory is dieing but like I said, you haven't had any previous problems so to me it's more likely to be either of the newer things you've added.

 

[Jojo1971]

yes the k8n neo2 is really picky... but as solid as other mobos when properly configured..


you got to use SATA PORT 1 or 2 ONLY when installing windows..make sure the processor is running at stock speed..overclocking will result to HD corruption when sata ports 1 & 2 are used..
when you have successfully installed windows, move the cable to sata port 3 or 4 then begin overclocking...

 

[Bozo Galora]

http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?t=93205

(Quote)
Since I have seen this problem in numerous places indicating blame on XXX manufacturer because of the Maxtor SATA issue, I thought this information could help those in trouble. Keep in mind I have owned a Maxtor Diamond 10 250 and 300 for several months. During this time of ownership I could not get them to work reliably outside of DFI nforce2 mbs with the Silicon 3114 controllers.

The problems ranged from a disconnect in a blue moon, cannot be detected, to a disconnect every reset on different motherboards. Everything was golden after the firmware update .

You will need to contact Maxtor for the firmware so that if anything goes wrong you can still be under warranty. Ask for 2nd level support for Maxtor and inquire about the BANC1E00 firmware.
You can also verify your current firmware by using the maxtor diagnostic tool. The problematic firmware with BANC1980 or BANC19J0.

Also please keep in mind a RMA on the HD may be necessary because both my friend and I could not get the firmware to recognize the drive on the onboard SATA controller.
Depending on the SATA Contoller it may not be recognized by the firmware flash. I experienced this problem via a onboad Si3114 controller and a Abit 865PE chipset. I had access to a Maxtor SATA controller from work that detected successfully so please keep this in mind if you receive a ?drive not detected? by the firmware utility.

Below you will find the email that I received from Maxtor.

From: @maxtor.com> Mailed-By: maxtor.com
To: xxxx
Date: Sep 6, 2005 9:29 AM
Subject: E00 firmware
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Add sender to Contacts list | Trash this message | Report phishing | Show original
Unzip then please rename this file extension to
*.exe and then double click. This will create a bootable floppy that
you can use to update the firmware on your drives. (Note: This update
has only been tested on standard SATA controllers. This may not work
on SATA Raid controllers!)

1. Boot to the floppy it will load a program called "dload".
2. Once you are in this program after a few minutes you will see a menu.
3. At this point all you have to do is hit enter on the default selection in
that menu which is "Download all code (Disk & Boot)".
4. It then goes out and searches for the drive and updates the firmware on
it. It may say tht is is MISMATCHED---please continue.
5. Once this process is finished it will prompt you to hit any other key to
exit.
6. Do so. This will leave you at an A:\ prompt.
7. Type in "dload" at the prompt. Once it scans the drives look in the
upper left hand corner of the screen and you will see the new firmware code
of "BANC1E00".If this is what it reads the update was successful and you
can power down the machine and install the next drive.
8. Repeat this process until all of the drives have been updated.

Thank you,
Maxtor Technical Assistance
1-800 2MAXTOR (voice)
353 1 204 1111 (International)
http://www.maxtor.com

 

[Bozo Galora]

how "crooked" were the pins?

 

[imperfectcircle25]

I see alot of people say the Neo2 is a picky board, I never really had that expereince except for the Sata ports, only the two closest to the cou work when OC'ing Other than that its rock solid. I built a system for my parents around that board, i paid like $60 on clearance when the newer NF4 boards came out. It was first used with a single core 3500+ and now its running a 4200x2 both ran trouble free.

Have you run memtest yet?? Could be bad memory. In my expereince the cpu is usually the least likely to be bad, its usually the HD first than the ram or mobo and finally a bad cpu.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Magoomba
The CPU arrived with some pins that were crooked. I had to bend them back. Do you think this could be my issue?

Um, yes. If you get a new piece of hardware that shows signs of damage, and then you install it and things start malfunctioning, there's a good chance that hardware is to blame.

Why didn't you send it back?

 

[bendixG15]

Who is getting the ten bucks ???

 

[Magoomba]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: Magoomba
The CPU arrived with some pins that were crooked. I had to bend them back. Do you think this could be my issue?

Um, yes. If you get a new piece of hardware that shows signs of damage, and then you install it and things start malfunctioning, there's a good chance that hardware is to blame.

Why didn't you send it back?

bought it off the forums here. i didn't figure it was big deal at the time.
anyway, gonna spend this weekend going through everyone's suggestions.
thx.

 

[Apocalypse X]

The first thingee I usually check is to see if the thingee that hooks to the USB port is attached correctly!
Then if it is I usually check to see if that electrical thingee that has all those wires coming out of it are all hooked up.
The I check out those 2 thingees that are approx 6 inches long and very thin...
Then what i do is I make a cup of Cappuccino using my italian coffee machine that is hooked to my firewire port..
then-

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Magoomba
I bought an AMD X2 4200+ OEM and swapped out my Athlon 64 3200+ o
PS: I have screen shots of the error messages, but don't know how to upload them to the forum.

OEM? There are some Counterfeit Maxtor Hard Drvies and Counterfeit AMD CPU's floating around out there. They are always sold as OEM parts to unsuspecting buyers. Where did you get these parts from?

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/storage/display/20050928224555.html

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20050102084049.html

http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3454481

 

[Jiggz]

Since you changed CPU and hdd and did not went thru a fresh install. It could be that XP wants a fresh install or at least a repair installation. I would go this route first before going on with the hardware side. In fact, if you have a spare hdd, remove all the existing hdd and just use this hdd and do a fresh install just to see if the system will stabilize. If it doesn't then you can start assuming hardware problems. But if it stabilized then it was a software problem. Then switch hdd with your old system hdd and do a repair installation of XP. Or worse comes to worst, then do fresh install. As for the $10.00, well that'll buy me a 6 pack of brew at least.