I swear, I don't know if I'm ever going to catch a break with this computer. Got the new motherboard, powers up, awesome. So right now we have the base, 2 gigs of ram, no video card, processor, heatsink, 1 dvd/cd drive, 1 hard drive, 1 keyboard, 1 mouse, and 1 monitor hooked up right now. We were able to boot up (wouldn't do anything with the bios update disc), got into the initial blue and red menu and checked everything. It detected the one dvd drive, the one hard drive, both sticks of ram, and the other stuff I had hooked up. We get to the windows install menu, start the process (don't know exactly which step due to my brother was doing it) and we get a BSOD. It says pci.sys for the error.

Now all we can do is the CMOS clear, and the initial blue and red boot menu. Aside from that, all I get is a flashing cursor in the upper left if I don't do the other things. Now, I can't boot off of any disc, as I do not have any type of option as far as I know. I cannot do anything with either the windows disc or the memtest disc as far as I know right now.

Oh yeah, upon a CMOS clear, we get CMOS Checksum Bad.

 

That sucks.

Try removing 1 stick of ram, and if that doesn't work, swap the sticks and use the other one.

Worth a shot...

 

just changed the boot sequence to CD/DVD as the first. Was able to boot the windows disc again. Upon setup i got the BSOD on pci.sys again. Tried booting with the bios update disc, did nothing still aside from moved the flashing cursor one line down. I'm doing a memtest run now.

 

Are you installing an old copy of XP? What MOBO do you have?

 

Hmm. Upon searching google I found someone fix their problem. I am trying to install with a XP disc from 2001 which is before SP2. People say you cannot install any windows before SP2 on a PC with a pci-express card. My card is not hooked up, but the onboard graphics is a "9300" series onboard. And during browsing through the boot/bios or w/e menu, I found one of the graphics objects saying "PCI-E". hmm... I found something called slipstreaming SP2 onto a windows disc. will have to look into this.

 

Bingo...I was going to tell you the same thing.

 

I'm going to try disabling the PCI-E in the bios menu. Let's see if that works..

 

Well, maybe not. Would that disable the screen?

 

I want to do the slipstreamed SP2 thing, but I am wondering if I will run into activation problems... It is the same install disc I used on my last PC, and I never did anything to release the license since a windows file corrupted and couldn't get back into that drive since...

Also considering vista premium for $240, but yikes at that price. I'm pissed no stores around here are selling XP anymore..

 

what motherboard did you get?

 

the XFX geforce 9300

 

Right now I think I will be picking up Vista home Premium tomorrow morning. Ugh.. more $$.

 

If you're able to make a slipstream cd it will work fine and not effect activation. Here's a good how to http://www.helpwithwindows.com/Windo...p2-bootcd.html

 

that slipstreaming looks pretty cool might be worth a shot. never heard of that before *bookmarked* thanks for the knowledge.

anyway you can buy a OEM version of xp pro with sp3 at newegg still. for like 130bucks

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116515

also will you be able to even reactivate after you even get xp installed. will it be locked on the other computer? anybody answer that for me?


i got that on my brand NEW build and have had ZERO problems but hey its just a OS . and its XP

if you get vista i guess you should get the 32bit version since 64bit is limited ATM from what ive been told and seen first hand for what i want to do. but its cool i love my xp

 

see if you can update your bios...

and why is your brother working on your computer if he forgot to put spacers in for the mobo...

you should be doing this and he should be over your shoulder

also i had vista 64bit ultimate it sucked you can downgrade to xp for free if you buy the oem version of vista so i did. the most expensive copy of xp i have ever bought