Multiple BSOD errors

I found another post with the same name, but I can't reply to it (new here).

System Info:

CPU: Intel Celeron D 3.2G (2 years old)

RAM: Kingston 2 x 1G DDR2 533 (new)

Motherboard: Motherboard Chipset VIA P4M800 Pro
BIOS Type Award (05/23/06) (2 years old.)

Video Card: NVidia FX5200 (i know it's old, lol.)

HDD: 400gig WD 4000KD, Caviar SE16 (main)
40gig Sony (from the PS2, formatted to be a regular HDD)
80gig WD 800, Caviar (40 and 80gig are backups, sometimes slaves)

I'm currently using the 40gig, it's the only one I can get on.

If you need to know anymore information, just let me know, I have ran Everest on it. CPU temp is 48° F, seems low to me, but my house is a bit chilly due to cold weather. Also, it says it's overclocked, which I didn't do....

Now here's my BIG issue:

I had a dumb moment and decided to install Vista on my 400 gig harddrive, in doing so it started giving me the BSOD. I can't remember what the first one said but since then i have had multiple others....Here's some of the errors I have gotten.

CHKDSK - one or more bad sectors, all runs afterwards have said nothing is wrong - 01/03 6:40pm 9440-5c9c

C0000221: \systemroot\system32\ntdll.dll (get it a lot)

ntfs.sys - address F78961 bas at F7B52000, date stamp 41107eea

Stop 0x00000024 (0x001902FE, 0xF78VA98C, 0xF78BA688, 0xF7B78961

I can't remember exactly but I think that is the majority of them. What I have done:

Removed Vista
Formatted and installed XP
-did not work apparently
wrote 0's to the drive
ran hdd diagnostic test - passed
formatted AGAIN

Honestly, I can't tell you how many times I have formatted this harddrive, but, it still doesn't work.

I did manage to get a successful install of Vista to my 80gig, but, yesterday, it started telling me there was a problem with some hardware....what?...i have no idea, nothing was installed or removed.

I can boot the 400 gig as a slave, haven't been able to check the 80gig b/c the jumpers ran off....betting my 2 year old stole them off the desk.

So, anyone have any suggestions, ideas, comments? I'll be the first to say....I wasn't thinking when I added Vista to the 400, and now I'm slapping myself b/c I just bought it in October.

 

Hi,

It does not appear that formatting will solve the problem so I suggest removing the partitions.

I suggest when you are setting up a problem drive, disconnect any of the other drives (that includes during the installation of Windows). I avoid partitioning one HDD as a logical/extended partition of another HDD.

I don't use any third-party drive "managers" (eg. Partition Magic) to set up a drive, only Windows and if I still find problems, I use the HDD manufacturer's utilities.

Basically, if I find problems, I set up (partition, format and install Windows) with one drive at a time, then connect the additional drives after Windows is running. Maybe that will not suit you if you still want to dual-boot with Vista.

Edit: Problems dual-booting Vista:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529/en-us


Matt

 

I was just reminded of some additional information.

Check the BIOS listings in the motherboard manual. Many recent BIOS's include the ability to select which drive to boot to. Rather than setting up a Boot.ini type arrangement, you could install the OS's separately (as I described), then use the BIOS settings to select which drive/system to boot to.

Matt

 

I did delete partitions.....From what I have learned writing zeros to a drive removes EVERYTHING. The drive has been wiped clean numerous times. I have only written partitions with windows.

I wasn't trying to double boot anything, I only want one windows on one hard drive. Also, I didn't install any of it with a second hard drive attached.

A new update is that my 80gig won't boot up at all, and I know it has a working OS on it *Vista successfully installed on it* Just the other day it wouldn't boot at all, which ***** because it has all my school stuff on it.

 

You are trying to install Win XP on the 40GB drive and you have Vista on the 80GB drive and now neither will boot. Is that correct?

What happens when Vista tries to boot? Do you see error messages or does it stop at a blank screen or flashing cursor?

If there are problems using two different HDDs, then the source may be some other hardware. Disconnect any added hardware (take out any add-in PCI cards). Investigate the RAM, try running only one module and changing their locations in the slots.

You will need to describe what happens or the errors that you see.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/101096.
This suggests that the wrong drivers are installed. Are you installing all the major drivers after you install Windows?

Matt

 

The 40 gig is the only one that will boot....the 80 gig gives a disk read error, and the 400 gives the BSOD and other errors, the 80gig did too, out of no where and after the 400 started, then it just stopped.

The 40 gig gives no errors. I've tested everything, and on the 400gig I can't get into windows to even update drivers....Vista is no longer on the 400 and all hardware that I have used for the past year or 2....Some background on my poor computer is:

Worked perfect from 2004 to feb in 2006, we moved and when we removed it from the moving trailer (it was packed in tight), i plugged it in and it wouldn't work. It was an E-Machine, my ex had bought before we got together, and gave it to me when we spit. Took it to a tech and they said it was the motherboard/cpu. So I had them replaced, unfortunately, they put the same type of motherboard/cpu(cpu was just a lil faster), this was in March. Then April of 2006, that motherboard/cpu went out, w/ no warning. So, I took it back once again they said it was the motherboard/CPU. I decided to get it replaced by a different tech, mainly because they wanted to, once again, replace it w/ the same motherboard/cpu. The new tech replaced it w/ the current setup. Have had no problems with any of it until after i tried Vista on the 400 gig hard drive.....I keep telling my husband, that, my case is cursed. LOL

 

Check the data cable to the drive. Sometimes we try to help people and in the end they find that they have the data cable inserted the wrong way 'round. I expect the "techs" would have noticed though. Cables can become faulty.

You are not running the drives at the same time during setup and installation (and there does not seem the possibility of a boot sector virus killing the drives). This motherboard would seem to be playing up and you have gone through two others.

The common factor may not be case, but the power supply. The power supply might actually be damaging the hardware, so I would replace it even if it does not turn out to be the cause. If you wish to keep the same case, check that a standard size PSU can be fitted (a good guide is to measure the location of the bolts that hold it in).

Up to you...

Maybe go shopping for a new case & PSU combination. The changeover is just a matter of unbolting and swaping the parts (don't unclip the CPU). You can swap HDDs easily, you know about electrostatics and to avoid touching the electronics. Swapping the motherboard is not all that much harder. The motherboard manual should have details.

Your basic parts are quite good, CPU, RAM, drives and the motherboard (graphics aren't bad, but only for basic Vista display). As I said, be careful you are not damaging them with an iffy PSU.

Matt

 

the PSU was replaced in 2006, when the tech replaced that motherboard he tested it and checked to make sure the wattage would work, said all was fine.

What I don't understand is: if the cables or something like that was bad, how come the 40gig will boot?

BTW, I managed to get into my 80gig. got all my stuff off, gonna have to move stuff to a couple DVDs as the 40 gig doesn't have enough room for it all.....

 

It is good that you got your data

I am somewhat confused. It seems the 40GB drive was the one you were zero formatting and now it will boot OK.

Were the Bad Sectors on the 40GB or 80GB drive?

You seem to have both connected now to copy off the data.

Anyway, you will need to check over the basics. Are the jumpers being set correctly? Some drives have settings like "Master with slave attached ". If you are connecting it to the same cable as the DVD drive, are the settings on the DVD drive compatible. The settings on one drive can cause problems on another drive.

Is there any problem seating the connectors for the data or power connectors? Some drives have tight fittings and it requires quite a deal of force to seat them (removing them is even harder and I sometimes need to dislodge power connectors by levering them out with a screwdriver). Data connectors can connect "lop-sided ".

Since the tests and checks are saying the drive/s are OK, you will need to look at cables/connections and settings, etc. Consider using the HDD manufacturer's utilities to create the partitions, they can work best with the motherboard/BIOS.

Consider getting an external USB case for the extra drives so that you can connect or disconnect them as storage space whenever you want.

Matt

 

i have a 400, 40, and 80...the 400 is the one i wrote zeros to, and is the one that it said had bad sectors, during only one of the chkdsks.

I haven't tried using the dvd drive's cable, I only use the one that the other hdd is on. Jumpers have been set multiple ways.....master w/ slave, master, slave, CS.....

I plan on getting a external usb for the extra, so that i can run only one. I'm going to try and work on it again after I go get my daughter from school, hopefully i can at least get one as slave, preferably my 400 gig.

 

Oh, it is a little sad that your new HDD (the 400GB) has bad sectors. If you can get it recognised by Windows, run the surface scan on it regularly. Maybe (I suppose), during the moving house it had a "shock" and the heads may have smashed onto the disks. There are limits for the number of "G's" a HDD can stand. I have a drive that had a shock and has bad sectors, I run chkdsk on it regularly because that damaged section grows over time.

[When I transport computers I strap them onto a seat in the car.]

The bad sectors may be in the boot sector of the HDD. This may explain a lot of the strange behaviour (the boot sector holds all the information for the partitioning, formatting and file system of the drive). Corrupt boot sector information can upset other drives because they need to "see" each other.

Matt

 

Yes the 400gig is new. Was not involved in the move. When we moved the trailer was quite snug, so it would have been as protected as it would if it would have been w/ a seat belt. LOL Everything was gently put into the trailer afterwards.

If it is the boot sector, that still allows it to be a slave? I'd be happy with that, especially since I got the info off my 80gig. I'm going to try and get the 400gig back as the slave :crossing fingers: If it doesn't work, I suppose I will be contacting WD. I do know that where I bought it from, Newegg, it is no longer sold. I'm wondering why..... It is a WD4000KD Caviar SE16