Ahh this is why I stayed away from Asus....

[FreakyOCR]

So I've been happily running my gigabyte 7VRXP for a good while when Win2k starts crapping out on me. So I decide to move to XP, and since I'm re-installing, upgrade some components.

So here i go.

Out comes the mobo & Proc and in comes an Asus A7N8X-DX and 2500+ proc.

First one has a dead bios. Not cool.

The replacement is a little hairy
(over the counter exchange)
Won't post after putting it in, but eventually does for some reson and off we go.
Winxp freezes installing once but repairs and re-installs fine.

But it freezes in windows and such and is really annoying. I figure its drivers, so off to windows update I go. I install all of the updates (criticals ones) driver updates etc. (I already did the nForce divers) w.u. has updated nForce. ok then. Done

Ahh finally. Rock stable.

But then... I had heard bad things about Windows Media Player 9 and privacy issues so i had been holding off installing it. But one website needed it so I said what the hey and installed it.

Now is this just an amazing coincidence? Because after installing it, re-booting and using windows a lil bit (not even media player yet) it locks solid. hard hard lock.

Power off and back on look in Event viewer, nothing. That means that EVERYTHING locked.

It locks again so i reboot only to find that it does nothing, drives spin, fans whir but no beep and no monitor signal. The HDD light is on and stays on . Off. On. Same. off. On. Same. This goes on for a few times until it boots. Into windows but it freezes shortly after. Then freezes at login. 3 times. Then won't boot at all again. Argh.

I eventually got back into windows and installed Asus probe. Voltage 11.774 and upwards on +12 and 4.97 on 5v no alarms. I download memtest86 and try to burn b4 freezing again but to no avail.. freezes just as it's closing the disc. Reboot, freezes at the cd boot check screen.... then... nothing. It's won't boot at all. Won't post won't do anything. Fans spin and drives rotate but nothign else. Oh that HDD light sticks on for a few seconds then off. No Asus post reporter. Argh

So after running win2k for a YEAR without hassle on my 7vrxp here I am back with xp and asus and problems.

Sigh

Any ideas?

[FreakyOCR]

Updates:

System Failed Memory Test

Crucial PC2100 256MB X2

hmm

My initial suspicion (dang that word's spelling escapes me) was ram or psu. PSU seems to be ok.

SPI 350 Watter

But why did the mem work for a bit then just die? Worked fine in my 7VRXP...

Oh and I have gotten two System Failed due to CPU overclocking. Um no. Never OC'd. Maybe the fsb is too high for the ram? But it's run independantly of the cpu fsb is it not?

[stroyal]

Are you running dual mem? all the articals I have seen, recomend
matched pairs. I run corsair in my Abit that are not a matched pair,
but I think because it is very good mem I can get away with it.
If this is the reason, I would think that mem would still work in your old board

[FreakyOCR]

Not running dual channel.. I don't think. Mem is in slots 1&2

[stroyal]

My Abit manual recomended stots 2&3 for dual channel.
Not sure if it runs dual channel in slot 1&2

[Telexen]

It doesnt ... for best dual channel results with two sticks in that board use slot 1 and 3 ... the two at the ends.

[FreakyOCR]

I'm in slots 1&2 which is NOT dual channel. Just for fun I'm going to try dual channel as mem test is freezing. Sigh

[FreakyOCR]

Hey whadda ya know. In dual mode Memtest has been running flawlessly for 3 hours. (almost) Now to try windows duh duh duh....

[peterwilkes]

I have a A7N8X Deluxe and a Barton XP2500+ and runs like a dream. Plase not that the because the Barton is a 333 Mhz FSB you will need PC2700 RAM minimum if you want to run it at this speed.

The A7N8X Deluxe is very picky on the type of RAM used. I used some TwinMOS RAM and has simalar problem to what you are having. I have since returned the RAM and used Samsung RAM which is approved by Asus to work in that mobo and all works perfectly.

RAM that has been qualified is at this page http://www.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=A7N8X%20Deluxe

This may help you find some decent stuff. I used the Samsund DDR 400 (1 x 512Mb) and works perfectly.

Also, check you are running the processor at 166 x 11 this will give you the right clock speed without changing aything else.

[omalleytrading]

Okay, you folks have made me nervous now...

I'm building my first new PC from scratch sometime this fall. I had been intending to use an ASUS A7N8X Deluxe as the mobo, but now you're making me question my decision.

Should I think about Abit instead?