Calling All PC Building Experts

[Jatta Pake]

I need help from anyone who is familiar with building PCs and Windows XP. I'm stuck with a problem.

Here is the situation:

After mutliple hardware failures with my old PC, I decided to build a new one from scratch. I've done everything short of replacing the motherboard and I cannot figure out the problem.

Upon booting the computer, 3 out of 4 times the computer will freeze at the taskbar as Windows XP is loading. If it freezes, I have to do a hard restart. Every fourth time the computer will load Windows normally and everything runs great. Here is the system I built:

CPU: Quad Core 2 2.33 Ghz

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R

Memory: Patriot DDR2 2x2gig (4 gig total)

HDD: 1Tb Seagate SATA

Video: BFG Nvdia GeoForce 9500 GT

CD/DVD: Sony (can't recall the model)

PSU: 680 Watt BFG

Case: ATX Sonata III (I took out the PSU and put in the one above)

OS: Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3

My original configuration had an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro video card and a 500 Watt PSU. The computer kept randomly restarting and giving BSOD with an error called "ati2dvag.dll". So I changed to nVidia and did a fresh OS install with the 500 Watt PSU.

Now I get the taskbar freeze. Here are the things checked:

Memory: ran memtest86+ - everything is ok

HDD: harddrive checks out fine

Drivers: eventually purchased Driver Agent - all drivers are up-to-date

Windows: Windows is fully updated

Upgraded PSU to 680 Watt: still get the taskbar freeze

The other maddening thing is I can't find an error log that tells me anything. The event log does not record the errors during the taskbar load freeze. I have no issues under Device Manager. Everything works fine after Windows is loaded.

[buttheadsmate]

I need help from anyone who is familiar with building PCs and Windows XP. I'm stuck with a problem.

Here is the situation:

After mutliple hardware failures with my old PC, I decided to build a new one from scratch. I've done everything short of replacing the motherboard and I cannot figure out the problem.

Upon booting the computer, 3 out of 4 times the computer will freeze at the taskbar as Windows XP is loading. If it freezes, I have to do a hard restart. Every fourth time the computer will load Windows normally and everything runs great. Here is the system I built:

CPU: Quad Core 2 2.33 Ghz

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R

Memory: Patriot DDR2 2x2gig (4 gig total)

HDD: 1Tb Seagate SATA

Video: BFG Nvdia GeoForce 9500 GT

CD/DVD: Sony (can't recall the model)

PSU: 680 Watt BFG

Case: ATX Sonata III (I took out the PSU and put in the one above)

OS: Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3

My original configuration had an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro video card and a 500 Watt PSU. The computer kept randomly restarting and giving BSOD with an error called "ati2dvag.dll". So I changed to nVidia and did a fresh OS install with the 500 Watt PSU.

Now I get the taskbar freeze. Here are the things checked:

Memory: ran memtest86+ - everything is ok

HDD: harddrive checks out fine

Drivers: eventually purchased Driver Agent - all drivers are up-to-date

Windows: Windows is fully updated

Upgraded PSU to 680 Watt: still get the taskbar freeze

The other maddening thing is I can't find an error log that tells me anything. The event log does not record the errors during the taskbar load freeze. I have no issues under Device Manager. Everything works fine after Windows is loaded.

I sympathise with whatever is happening but I only recognise 26 out of the 248 words in your post Perhaps if you 'hold' the 'Cherries' or 'Spin the Bell Fruits'?

I'm not helping am I ?

[Zombieboyfiend]

Is your version of xp 64 bit? If not it won't let you use all 4 gigs of that memory. Not that has anything to do with your current problem.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...91&CatId=13 is this your MB? Not to familiar with this MB but shouldn't it be using an ati card only?

Also found this one newegg about this mb.

"Cons: 1) Do not attempt to configure this board with the flawed F1 BIOS. 2) The F3h BIOS was buggy. I have not tried the 'final' F3 BIOS, but the F2 version confers excellent stability with XP Pro SP3 OS. 3) BIOS documentation is poor; I emphasize with the suffering souls who selected this board for their first custom build."

Edited November 4, 2008 by Zombieboyfiend