Windows XP Boot Error

hey guys, i have been trying to fix this computer and here are the specs

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (replaced once)
PC Chips A135G+ (replaced once)
1 gig DDR2 RAM
Onboard VGA Video Card
Onboard Realtek Audio
PATA IDE Maxtor HDD 120gig (swapped with WD PATA Caviar once)

basically, my girlfriend was on this cpu one night and restarted it. after restart it would not turn back on. I've purchased a video card for the this board (PCI-E) but that was not the problem. I erased all the data and formatted the disk, but XP will not install on this computer. I used the HDD as master on my own computer to install XP PRO SP2. The problem occurs when i turn the computer on. during post it seems to boot normally but says (CPU FREQUENCY PLEASE RESETTING CPU FREQUENCY) good grammar right? Option of F1 to continue or DEL to get forward. either way, i have reset the settings and set to optimized settings and cleared CMOS manually. the computer completes post and asks me how i want to boot. no booting options work because IMMEDIATELY after i select an option, i see a flicker of BSOD (blue screen of death) and the system restarts.

 

I think the reason it's currently not booting up is because windows xp was installed on a different computer, and then transfered to the current computer. Sometimes you can get it to bootup if the both computers are similar, but most likely the motherboards are too different to boot correctly.

I think the original problem was a simple data/registry corruption because of incorrect shutoff.

Also you might want to try the demo of "paragon justboot corrector", it's a boot cd, that will boot up the computer and look at your hard drive registry. Sometimes when windows xp boot's up and it doesn't recognize the computer it is installed in, it will change drive letters. Check your system partition drive letter "it needs to be c: drive" otherwise it won't boot up.

If the drive letters checked good, you might have to a repair install of windows xp, this might get the hard drive to work on the current computer.

demo here
http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/JustBoot_Boot_Corrector_38938_p/

xp repair install directions
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

thank you, i will try that. you don't suppose it could be a problem with the motherboard in which case i would have to flash the bios? i feel like i've expanded most other options, but i will definitely give your advice a shot- thank you

 

If xp can't load when you attempted to reinstall it with the cd disk then it leaves either a faulty cable or an issue or component of the mobo,i could find no reference to the frequency error when i googled,i would use a live cd like ubuntu etc to see if it can load, basicly if it does then mobo is fine as is cpu & ram,which would leave a cable or other part that connects to or controls the hdd,or a cricuit to the hdd,either way someone with computer repair experiance would be your best bet,if you want to attempt repair yourself & there's no more technical response do a search for
techrepublic or
pcmechanic


not sure if there is a live cd that specifically tests hardware,i know there is a pci card that does

 

i did switch out the ide cable for another and i'm going to try that cd booting tomorrow (im at my 2nd home and have no cds on hand). i'm still wrestling with this guy in the mean time.. but thank you for your advice, i will update this thread tomorrow-

 

that demo version does not allow me much power at all.. i can look at all the options they give me, but make no changes or get no reports on how the system is doing. the booting problem remains a mystery. as i said before, it gets through the POST ok, but dies in BSOD after selecting a startup method (safe mode, etc.)

 

ok, so i replaced the motherboard... in effect, i have replaced all parts in the computer.. i'm out of solutions. they all match up. what should i do? MSI K9MM-V

 

im not sure if this is noteworthy but the MSI board does not BSOD on me, it rather just give out after i select a startup option.. (safe mode, etc.)

 

sometimes i will press the power button, but there display does not come up.. so i have to shut it down and start again. symptom?

 

did you replace the CPU when you replaced the motherboard. It definetly isn't a windows issue when you get an error before it is even finished with the POST.

 

i have two of the same cpu's AMD 64 Athlon 3500+ from Tiger Direct. i have one cpu with me and the other is at home. for whatever reason, neither of these AM2 cpu's want to play nicely with me. either way, i cannot install XP on the affected computer. i copied all the install files to the hard drive using xp sp2 cd on another computer. when all files are loaded XP should boot normally. instead, the system restarts. i'm confused.

 

it could be a bad power supply. Does your computer recognize the CPU as a 3500+

 

yes, it does. it reads in POST

"AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Processor ,"

sometimes, after i turn the computer off completely and turn it back on, it mentions resetting the CPU Frequency becaues the overclocking failed. both boards do this..

 

if you go into the bios what are the settings for the processor set at? It may have an incorrect setting in there. You may also have a bad power supply, you would be surprised what kind of errors pop up with a bad PSU.

 

do you think the power supply would do that? my computer seems to have power to all the parts... even USB addins and such. i guess i can't replace too many parts before i build a new computer huh? lol. let me know your thoughts

 

ok. so i changed the power supply. my problem status has not changed. i set DRAM config for DDR2 400 instead of 667 since computer complained about frequency. though it says the processor frequency was weird, i have not seen the message come up again. i'm now using:

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (replaced once)
MSI K9MM-V
1 gig DDR2 RAM (running @ 400)
Onboard VGA Video Card
Onboard Audio
PATA IDE Maxtor HDD 120gig (interchangeable with WD PATA Caviar once)

i'm not sure what the source of my problem is, but my computer won't install windows XP through boot up. nor will the computer start up at all. immediately after POST i am asked to select a booting option. as soon as i select any booting option, the computer restarts itself. this is causing great problems as i cannot get into windows whatsoever.

i have switched out IDE Cables 3 times
i have switched out my hard drives
i have switched out mobo
i have switched out PSU
i have switched out processor
why does my computer keep crashing?

 

That pretty much just leaves the memory as the problem.

 

lmao.. i guess so.. well, here goes nothing!

 

bad news. my computer won't start with this ddr2 ocz ram. i wonder if the frequency is too high? i can't get into the bios even..

 

no luck. i don't even get a beep after post... what's the deal with that?