Boot Problems

Recently upgrade MB (ASUS P4P800), CPU (P4 2.8 w/ HT), and RAM (512 MB of PC2700). All other components are from original computer. Original computer worked fine...no problem with XP. Re-formated HD and re-installed XP.

Primary IDE Master....WD 40 gig HD for OS and programs
Primary IDE Slave....WD 120 gig HD
Secondary IDE Master.....Sony DRU-530A DVD
Secondary IDE Slave......WD 60 gig HD

all jumpers set accordingly.

2 out of 3 times I boot, XP hangs up on the first boot screen (DOS looking screen). If I wait (like 10 minutes) it will eventually boot but disk access is slow. CPU times are fine. If I run a program, it takes 30 seconds to a minute to begin. BIOS reports all devices correctly.

Every couple of times....XP boots fine...all programs work normal....machine flies!!!

What am I missing? Seems to be nothing wrong...just doesn't work right...

Any ideas???

Thanks in advance.

 

Welcome to the forum!
First I'd look in the event viewer for any clues.
You might try disabling the slaved 120GB drive incase windows is trying to boot from the secondary drive.

Disable any network card (if you have one?)

Update ALL device drivers including M/B drivers, Graphics, Sound etc.

I had a recent W2K3 problem that is also for XP in that a connected WEB Cam was causing a slow down of windows. I had to from the Run menu run services.msc and disable Windows Image Acquisition (WIA).
Another similar fix, Windows XP Takes a Long Time to Start

 

Hi All: I followed the instructions in knowledge base article 823612 to see if my webcam loading might be slowing down the loading of XP.

Two results:

1. No improvement of boot time.

2. Windows Activation requested re-activation, said I had made significant hardware changes since last activation. Fact is I had made no hardware changes.

Further, the activation program refused to activate on line. I had to make that dreaded phone call to MSFT again, undergo the third degree, because MSFT thinks everybody is a crook.

I wonder if the ill will they create with this stupid scheme is worth the few illegal installs they are able to stop. Probably astute programmers/hackers can outwit this scheme, leaving us poor innocents with legitimate paid for software to suffer with it.

Martin

 

Thanks Paul...

Booted this morning and of course everything went fine. I went ahead and unchecked the afore mentioned services and re-booted. Everything came up fine again. Not sure what that means.....I must have booted and re-booted 50 times the other day with no problems...then all of a sudden...Bang.

All drivers "should" be up to date. I had all the same cards in the previous machine with XP and things were fine. Network card is built in to the board but is disabled. Another forum mentioned the power supply but it is a 350 watt supply. The case and power supply are new also. I wouldn't think power supply simply because it works sometimes. I would think with the power supply it wouldn't work at all. But then again...stranger things have happened.

Thanks agaain for all the suggestions.

 

Could be a problem with the drive cables. Not seated completely or a marginal cable (or pin on the drive).