Please help, built new computer and can not Install Windows...

[samadams]

First, to be clear I have built maybe 50 or more comps from stratch...so I doubt I'm missing something too obvious. However, if someone can not help me, I may pull my hair out or go base jumping without the parachute to get away from this problem!!! (lol) . I've never seen this problem. I wanted the "best of the best" and I think I have it. This IS my first DFI motherboard, and I pray not my last. The problem I *THINK* is similar to the thread below, but I'm not sure, so here goes nothing: I can not install windows, NOR boot windows from one of many eide hard drives that work in ANY number of other computers. There is no reason for this, nor have I ever seen this. I often get the BSOD saying "if you've seen this message for the first time uninstall the new hardware" al etcetera. It will format the 250 eide hard drive (or any other of the hard drives that work in the other computers). It will complete the first stage of the install whether I use the older XP Pro version (original) or the new Win XP 64 bit version (just purchased). For testing purposes only (due to someone saying that when this problem occurs, that 94% of the time the problem is a bad install CD), I install both on TWO other lab computers....a clean install on both with no problems.

 

IT IS NOT THE INSTALL CDs.

 

When I replace the master hard drive with windows preinstalled into another computer, it works like always.

 

SO IT IS SPECIFIC TO THIS DFI CONFIG.

 

I have painstakingly tested via the Scientific Method (or in this case deduction)...all components work in other computers just fine (with the exception of the CPU...notes to follow).

 

IT HAS TO BE THE MOTHERBOARD, ITS BIOS, OR THE NEW CPU (AMD FX-57)

 

To describe the actions again: It won't load off any hard drive with win XP pro on it, although it works with other computers no prob. When trying a clean install, after the copying of setup files and the first reboot, it reloads the CD (from here on the CD refers to BOTH versions) to start the install again, as if it never run. Whether I do a full format or not has no change. Also, if I remove the Install CD, it will constantly reboot once it reads whatever the first "wave" of setup files writes to the hard drive (if I take the Install CD out). ONCE I somehow got the error message : NTDevice not detected (THIS IS THE BEST MY MEMORY CAN RECALL). I can't reproduce this error, or I would have written it down. Different than the BSOD, but still no go. Also, I have done total reformats several times so that isn't an issue btw.

 

I've never seen this. THINGS OF NOTE:

This was built by a reputable company with just the mobo, memory (in the orange slots BTW, which is successfull acknowledged as dual channel and has passed many Mem Tests from the Gene Bios Option). BUT it came with a AMD 4000+. which I put in my shuttle xpc. the retail AMD Fx-57 came from Newegg.

 

HOWEVER, THE MOTHERBOARD DOESN'T RECOGNIZE IT PROPERLY. IT SAYS IT IS AN AMD FX-25 !

 

This is why I believe it must be a bios issue. It took this company too long to ship the mobo combo to me, so I'm wondering if they ever were able to get it to work as well

 

My System Specs:

DFI LanParty UT SLI-DR

AMD FX-57 CPU, retail

2 Dual Channel Sticks of Mushkin Redline 512MB sticks (properly tested and recog.

by the motherboard

550 SLI Watt PC Cooling and Turbo Power (supposedly the best you can buy...or

whatever it is called)

Pioneer DVR-109

Maxtor 250 GB EIDE (although many MANY from all manufacturers were used, all

proven to be worling)

ASUS 7800 GTX NVidia. single (NOT SLI)

 

I have all three power plugs plugged into the mobo: the floppy power pin, the four pin power plug, the 24 pin)

I do get the boot-up speaker beep...just one beep.

I do see the 4 red LED light up after reboot and count down.

The memory LED and other standby led are constant yellow

All Fans run fine

Memory jumpers are in default position (for lower voltage)

 

I need to see what the Bio it came with. But I need help. Since the cpu is the only thing incorrectly recognized (as a AMD FX-25) and it is so new...maybe this is a BIOs/CPU problem.

 

Please help....I have never been this frustrated with any computer...and that is saying alot

 

BTW, now my shuttle won't allow me to use my Pionerr DVR-109 after I added the AMD 4000+. Says there is no available device driver. I've NEVER had that problem with a DVD-R. I deleted it and rebooted...no joy....any suggestion there? I checked the website, and there are no available dvd device drivers (of course).

 

Thanks you for reading this long post, but I wanted to make it as accurate as possible. I NEED HELP PLEASE! please....pretty please... the previous thread sound very similar in his/her problem.

 

Thank you very much,

Sam

 

I have all three power plugs plugged in (the 24 pin, or whatever,

[Guest Predator]

Try flashing with this BIOS 6/23-2 as you are using UTT RAM , and try also yellow slots and set vdimm up to 3.2v , the new beta bios also gives you the cahnce to set DDR500 memory divider on new rev E chips , this is the link for UTT RAM http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/114/images/N4D702-2.zip , hope it helps

 

saludos from Spain

[OceanSeasforMe]

Plug all Four power connectors in. *(did you miss the one just below the cpu ?)

 

Put Your Specs In Your Sig!!!

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showpost.p...701&postcount=2

 

Also you are installing xp sp2 32 bit right ? Win 64 has it own issues that I see here. slipstreaming xp and sp2 into one CD is coverd in sticky post up top and other threads here as well.

 

I would flash the bios to the correct one and memtest as a next step.

 

The correct way to flash your BIOS as per sticky post.

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showpost.p...702&postcount=4

[Grumpy]

Had the same problem when I installed. BOIS flash to current fixed the whole problem.

[samadams]

I have updated my sig now, thank you for the suggestion. I little to eager perhaps to get the help I need

 

I will use the bios linked. If anyone else disagrees with the choice, please speak up since I look forward to looking into the new world of "DFI BIOs", which looks like a learning processes in itself.

 

I assume it need to be on a floppy, or a bootable CD. SINCE my only working computer now can recognize my dvr (SEE THE END OF THE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHUTTLE), I can't even do that. Can anyone tell me what to do to help me with my shuttle dvd-r problem (a brand new problem which has sprung up at the most appriate time...the least convenient one). ROLF.

 

 

BTW, the memtext afforded by the motherboard Genie BIOs ran for a while but everything came up with flying colors

 

Thanks again.

 

Sam

[Frallan]

A Floppy drive is a good thing to have around. It costs nothing and 99.9% of the time U don't need it but when once U do need it U really need it. :dog:

 

[edit] report back as soon as U updatede to the new BIOS. Also make a copy of the 623-3 BIOS as well. As soon as Uve updated the BIOS load optimized defaults then disable the splash screen and up the CPU VID special to 104% and the Mem Voltage to 2.8 (TCCD) or 3.2 (High Voltage memory). [/EDIT]

[Guest Predator]

Yes , a floppy drive is usefull when you need it xD , also you could try to make a bootable cd , follow the instruccions on this link http://www.biosflash.com/e/bios-boot-cd.htm to build the CD , hope your problem fix soon

 

saludos

[ccone]

OceanSeas said it already... I thought I'd repeat, since I didn't see any response:

 

There are FOUR power connections to be made:

 

1) 24-pin main ATX plug.

2) 4-pin 12V power plug right next to the 24-pin plug.

3) Floppy power connector between the CPU and PCI slots

4) HD power connector near the IDE connectors.

 

Look at the green dots on the pitcure in this post:

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showpost.p...76&postcount=95

 

I would tend to agree that flashing to the appropriate BIOS will go a long way towards solving your issues.

 

 

CC

[samadams]

First and foremost...THANK YOU ALL! I really mean it. You all have been most kind and I can not thank you enough. I'm sure your know how I feel since most if not all of you have had nightmare builds before .

 

Yes, all four power plugs are in. Sorry, I was typing that from memory. I forgot about the laptop and am now creating a backup BIOs on a bootable floppy. Wish I could burn both 623-2 and 623-3 on the same cd for ease. I've continued by exhausting research here (a site which I'm becoming very fond of...guess this won't be my last DFI mobo afterall ).

 

Things I'm uncertain of:

1) Should I really use 612-2 instead of the latest.... 623-3? Because I have UTT memory (Mushkin Redline 4000)? I read that this choice is based on memory and power supply (which is a "top of the line" , I hope) 550 SLI PC Cooling and Turbo.

 

Is there a matrix for to help in choosing? I haven't found it and would love a link to it if it exists

 

For now I'll use the older 623-2 since I was given that advice.

 

2) What are the best memory settings for my dual channel? And should I REALLY use the yellow slots instead? So far, the mobo does boot properly into Dual Chanel mode at 1T at "auto" voltage. Although I read here that my memory "demands" more voltage to be stable (who'd of thunk it ). Thus, I have changed the jumpers now to be at the 2-3 setting for 4V on the 3.3v rail. I read an alternative way to do this by AndyOCZ, but I think for now I should stick to the tried and true. The timings at default are 2-3-6-X, I *THINK*, again doing this from memory. Why the yellow and not the orange? Will it work in Dual Channel this way and should I make this change even though it APPEARS that this part is working?

 

BTW, changing the jumpers didn't make a darn bit of difference in the DRAM voltage settings. Doesn't go up to 4V, still stops at 3.2 I think. Although 3.4-3.5 is as high as I think I'm supposed to go. Any ideas?

 

3) I changed the USB jumpers for USB 1-6 from 5V to 5VSB . Can someone explain to me what the difference is and why someone would choose one over the over? I thought this might give me the ability to boot (and flash the bios) from a USB device with the bios stuff on a MS Pro Duo using an Aerocool X-in-1 device. But I stopped this when I remembered about the old laptop to burn a good bootable bios cd.

 

BUT I LEFT THE 1-6 USB PORTS ON 5VSB . Is this good? Thanks...I should know this but I can't remember the answer...

 

4) Since I'm a bit over researched right now could someone give me a link or copy paste the exact starting place for my memory...since making it stable needs more voltage...I figure I need to do this now. Also, the steps, dividers, etc. would be nice since I haven't oc'd memory since a kid and can't remember how.

 

REMEMBER: I MOVED THE MEORY JUMPERS TO THE 4V OPTION AND THE DRAM V is currently 3.2, ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING ELSE IS "AUTO" OR DEfAULT.

 

5) If I use 4 sticks of this dual channel memory for 2 GB total (which I have), will all four be running? In two Dual Channels, or do you lose that bene with 3 plus sticks....THIS IS LOW PRIORITY AND I PROBABLY WON'T GET TO IT SOON IF EVER.

 

I placed a large 92mm Zalman fan over the cpu/fan, which is over the mem sticks for active cooling since they need it at the higher voltage. I chose to have it blowing OUTWARD toward the case wall (which I will use a duct through the case for efficiency. Anyone disagree? Seemed to me that blowing inward would just blow the out air around, and not help it it "out" of the case.

 

BTW, the mobo did ship with the 3/10/2005 BIOs. I hope DFI changes this. Will it read my FX-57 properly once flashed? Reads as a FX-25 now (I should feel special since I KNOW no one else has an AMD FX-25 ! LOL ).

 

Thanks for the help again, sorry for so many questions at once...but the more I learn, the more questions I seem to have. I'll check back in a couple hours....during which I'll have flashed to 623-2, and if I should need to, I can always use the latest 623-3. I've learned to only use one mem stick in slot 2, and set the BIOs to the optimized settings before flashing. If anyone sees any disaters...well I hope you can tell me quick cause I'll be flashing in about 30 mins...

 

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you my friends. I'm glad to be a part of the DFI family...and still with some hair to pull out for my next nightmare install.

 

Sam

 

P.S. remembered another question...since I have the latest AMD-57 version...does it have the "cold bug" found with phase change cooling? Not sure why I feel the need, but I want to buy a Koolance Lian Li case (for everything but the cpu) and a Mach 2 GT Promethia for the cpu...but that would be a waste if the FX-57 has the cold bug. However, I'm hopeful since it isn't a Venice (its a San Diego), BUT it DOES have 90nm manfacturing (like the FX-55 with the cold bug, vs. the 130 nm FX-55 that did NOT have the cold bug). Thanks if anyone knows.

 

Again, sorry for the long post....looking forward to those memory settings since I'm exhausted. Thanks again for all the links and help....thanks...thanks...THANKS!

 

Sam

[Grumpy]

Whoah there Sammy! Take a deep breath.

 

The best thing that I can tell you to do is to get aquainted with the search function on this board. I'm not saying that to blow you off. If you spend some time reading through the old posts you'll find that most of the questions you are asking have been asked before, and in addition along the way you will find answers to questions that you are likely to encounter after you get past the one you are currently dealing with.

 

I spent a few days here just reading through old posts when I was assembling my setup. I found all I needed with the exception of just a few questions. I only wish I had done that BEFORE I bought all my components.

 

I know it's hard because you are anxious to jump right in, but trust me the effort will gain you and awesome education.(even if you are the type that thinks you don't need one )

[ccone]

Things I'm uncertain of:

1) Should I really use 612-2 instead of the latest.... 623-3? Because I have UTT memory (Mushkin Redline 4000)? I read that this choice is based on memory and power supply (which is a "top of the line" , I hope) 550 SLI PC Cooling and Turbo.

 

I'm not sure about which exact BIOS will be best for you. One thing to remember is that using a Beta BIOS will void your warranty. I'm not sure whether 612-2 is a beta or not, but I'm sure that 623-2 is *official*. That being said, I am not too concerned about using a beta BIOS (as my siggy indicates I'm using one). I have had no problems with them. The BIOS choice is more dependant on your memory than PSU. Unfortunately, I don't know which BIOSes are best for UTT stuff. I'm sure that if you search the forums here, you'll find that info.

 

Is there a matrix for to help in choosing? I haven't found it and would love a link to it if it exists

For now I'll use the older 623-2 since I was given that advice.

 

Actually, 623-2 would be newer than 612-3 ... those first 3 numbers are the date that the BIOS was put out... 623 = June 23rd. 612 = June 12th.

 

As for a matrix, that would be very helpful, but I haven't seen one. Just search this forum (you could also check the BIOS Factory forum in the Overclocking area).

 

2) What are the best memory settings for my dual channel? And should I REALLY use the yellow slots instead? So far, the mobo does boot properly into Dual Chanel mode at 1T at "auto" voltage. Although I read here that my memory "demands" more voltage to be stable (who'd of thunk it ). Thus, I have changed the jumpers now to be at the 2-3 setting for 4V on the 3.3v rail. I read an alternative way to do this by AndyOCZ, but I think for now I should stick to the tried and true. The timings at default are 2-3-6-X, I *THINK*, again doing this from memory. Why the yellow and not the orange? Will it work in Dual Channel this way and should I make this change even though it APPEARS that this part is working?

 

Not sure about which slots will work better for you. That depends partly on the BIOS being used and on the memory. If it works, it works. Using 'AUTO' on voltage can be problematic. I've had better results setting it to what my information tells me is necessary.

 

When looking through the forums you will come across this IMPORTANT piece of info:

Using the 4V jumper can cause big problems down the road. I'm not well read on this, but my understanding is that this config causes some excessive heat to develop where that 4V is being brought down to the Voltage you are using. Without some active cooling on the top-right section of the board, this will cause board and/or memory failure over time. I'm not at all certain about this, but look for any/all problems that have been found relating to this setting.

 

DEFINITELY - if you do not plan to set your memory voltage above what is available by default without changing that jumper... don't change it. It only gets you something if enable it AND change the BIOS settings to something over the cutoff.

 

 

BTW, changing the jumpers didn't make a darn bit of difference in the DRAM voltage settings. Doesn't go up to 4V, still stops at 3.2 I think. Although 3.4-3.5 is as high as I think I'm supposed to go. Any ideas?

There is a set process to follow to get those additional voltages into the menu. They will not show up if you change over to that other jumper position while the voltage setting is 'AUTO'.

 

 

3) I changed the USB jumpers for USB 1-6 from 5V to 5VSB . Can someone explain to me what the difference is and why someone would choose one over the over? I thought this might give me the ability to boot (and flash the bios) from a USB device with the bios stuff on a MS Pro Duo using an Aerocool X-in-1 device. But I stopped this when I remembered about the old laptop to burn a good bootable bios cd.

 

BUT I LEFT THE 1-6 USB PORTS ON 5VSB . Is this good? Thanks...I should know this but I can't remember the answer...

Not sure about this... the manual will tell you what those settings are for.

 

4) Since I'm a bit over researched right now could someone give me a link or copy paste the exact starting place for my memory...since making it stable needs more voltage...I figure I need to do this now. Also, the steps, dividers, etc. would be nice since I haven't oc'd memory since a kid and can't remember how.

 

REMEMBER: I MOVED THE MEORY JUMPERS TO THE 4V OPTION AND THE DRAM V is currently 3.2, ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING ELSE IS "AUTO" OR DEfAULT.

Not sure about your memory timings and voltages. The Search function is your friend.. Look for others that use your memory and someone will have some timings up that work. Again... I *strongly* recommend that if you don't need over 3.2V that you don't set the 4V jumper up for the extra V's.

 

5) If I use 4 sticks of this dual channel memory for 2 GB total (which I have), will all four be running? In two Dual Channels, or do you lose that bene with 3 plus sticks....THIS IS LOW PRIORITY AND I PROBABLY WON'T GET TO IT SOON IF EVER.

4 sticks *should* run. It can be tricky to get them going this way. You will (at the very least) have to disable the CPC 1T function in the Genie menu in the BIOS.

 

I placed a large 92mm Zalman fan over the cpu/fan, which is over the mem sticks for active cooling since they need it at the higher voltage. I chose to have it blowing OUTWARD toward the case wall (which I will use a duct through the case for efficiency. Anyone disagree? Seemed to me that blowing inward would just blow the out air around, and not help it it "out" of the case.

I dunno... whatever works? If you have access to one, you could use a temp probe to see what the memory temps are at when under load.

 

BTW, the mobo did ship with the 3/10/2005 BIOs. I hope DFI changes this. Will it read my FX-57 properly once flashed? Reads as a FX-25 now (I should feel special since I KNOW no one else has an AMD FX-25 ! LOL ).

Interesting. It should properly recognize the processor... It'd be cooler if it called it a FX-69 :nod:

 

Thanks for the help again, sorry for so many questions at once...but the more I learn, the more questions I seem to have. I'll check back in a couple hours....during which I'll have flashed to 623-2, and if I should need to, I can always use the latest 623-3. I've learned to only use one mem stick in slot 2, and set the BIOs to the optimized settings before flashing. If anyone sees any disaters...well I hope you can tell me quick cause I'll be flashing in about 30 mins...

FYI the 623-2 and 623-3 BIOSes are almost the same... the only difference is the memory tweaks that are there. Any time you see a BIOS that is in the same series 623 in this example, that is the case. Usually there is a XXX-1, XXX-2, and XXX-3 .. each of them is tqwaked for a different kind of memory.

 

 

 

 

CC

[calcal]

lol so many people have the "cant install windows xp" problem including me