Cannot install WinXP or Win 7 on new EX58-UD4P based build

[mateo]

Greetings all, I would be very appreciative if you could help me figure out what is preventing my newly built system from allowing XP SP2 or SP3 to install, as well as the Win7 Beta I downloaded.
The curious thing is that after much struggling with Windows, I was able to get Ubuntu 9.04 64-bit to install on the first try and run no problem. However I need to use WinXP right now, as this is a DAW computer.

These are the components:

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P, Rev. 1.0, Bios F8
i7 920
3x2GB OCZ Gold, DDR3 triple channel memory (installed in the slots indicated by the mobo manual for triple channel performance)
Zalman ZM750-HP Power supply
Zalman CNPS9700 CPU heatsink fan (with adapter clip for LGA 1366 proc)
Gigabyte (ATI) Radeon HD4550 Video card (512MB DDR3, PCIe x16)
4 WD SATA HDDs
1 Sony IDE CD/DVD Burner taken from my older P4 comp.
A total of 5 case fans, not including CPU or PSU fan. All but one are connected to various SYS_FAN pins on mobo. The other takes power from a PSU feed, shared with the DVD drive. All fans work properly.
All housed in a Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 chassis.

When installing off of my WinP SP2 CD, the process goes smoothly through the first reboot, then gets through "Installing Devices", "Copying Files" "Installing Start Menu Items", and then somewhere between 24 and 19 minutes remaining, the box spontaneously shuts down and reboots itself. My brother brought over his XP SP3 CD, and that gave the same result. With Windows 7, the same problem happens when "Updating Registry" comes up.

I have tried disabling all unused Peripherals in the Bios. I have not touched any of the tweaking settings in the bios. I have disconnected all but one HDD from the power supply and the mobo, and have tried this with 3 of the 4 HDDs.

I tried with only one memory module installed, then with two. I ran memtest86 off of a bootable CD for hours on all the memory with no errors.

I successfully created another install CD using nLite and configured my drives as SATA, and tried installing that way, but the same problem.

I booted setup in Safe Mode and disabled restart upon error, but it would still restart. Only recently did I get it not to restart (after moving the video card into a x8 slot) and then it gave me the BSOD with a Stop error 0x0000000A, which I then read about in MS's knowledge base, which basically explains that there is some hardware conflict, and tells you to start subbing components, change bios settings, etc.

I am hoping you Giga pros can spot some hardware incompatibility in my setup, or that this prob sounds familiar. I have built several systems and am usually quite competent when it comes to figuring this stuff out, but this time I am baffled.

Do I have a bad motherboard? Power supply? I will return the components I need to, but I'm not sure which one it could be.

Could it be the IDE burner mixed with the SATA drives? Should I get a SATA burner? By the way, the HDDs are all plugged into the Intel SATA ports, while the burner goes into the IDE, which I understand is controlled by the Giga drivers. I slipstreamed both sets of drivers onto my install CD, but again, even with everything in IDE mode, I was getting this problem.

I even downloaded BIOS F9c from this site but it made no difference, so I went back to F8 b/c I wasn't sure if it might be more stable.

Then to make things more confusing, Ubuntu installs and runs perfectly? What can I try next?

Thanks for reading this message.

Mateo

[Nickel020]

I would try running as few devices as possible. You did not mention that you're running a RAID so I guess you should be able to unplug 3 of the 4 hard drives.
Considering that Ubuntu runs fine it seems unlikely that somethign is wrong with the hardware itself, and more likely that Windows doesn't like something about your hardware. If you can borrow another DVD drive (or buy a cheap one) I'd also try that.

Again, this does not look like a hardware failure but more like an incompatability.

[mateo]

Thanks for responding.

Yes, that's right, I am not running RAID. I was running the drives in AHCI (using Giga slipstreamed drivers) mode or IDE mode.

I am trying again right now with only one drive (ide mode), ps/2 mouse and keyboard (all usb disabled in bios) and the reset button unplugged from the mobo (I read a post from someone who said this fixed a similar rebooting problem for him).

Question regarding use of an IDE DVD drive: If I have no SATA devices attached to the Giga controller, should I set that to IDE only? If I set it to AHCI, and have only the IDE burner attached, would that potentially cause WinXP/7 a problem?

Thanks again.

[mateo]

Hi again,
Well I got my hands on an internal SATA CD drive and an external USB CD drive. WinXP still restarts during the Performing Configuration stage of the install. This with only one memory module installed.

Watching the motherboard through the open side of the chassis, I do notice that the CPU LEDs all flash at once as the power goes, then it restarts. Perhaps this is just normal for a restart, but I'm not sure if it indicates some kind of load spike.

Thanks for any help.

[genec57]

Do I understand correctly that XP or Vista install both fail at the same point every time?
If that be the case it is most unlikely that the problem is not motherboard, memory or PSU related.
For starters, I would reset the cmos to defaults. It is possible that the problem could be an AHCI or ide setup problem though that doesn't explain why ubantu loads and runs but, on the other hand, I know precisely nothing about ubantu :).
I think the LED action you describe is normal.
If your install fails at different points then there are several different approaches to take.
Let us know and then we will see where to go from there.

[mateo]

Thanks for the reply genec57. Yes, both Win 7 and XP SP2 or SP3 reboot at about the same place during the GUI portion of the install. In Win 7 it says "Updating Registry", with XP it is during "Completing Installation" or "Performing Configuration", right around 20-24 minutes left.

I am now going to reset the CMOS, which of course means going back to IDE. I have also disconnected all but one HD, from both the power supply and the SATA ports on the motherboard. I also have the internal SATA CD drive I just purchased today connected. I am leaving all 6 gigs in for now, and I have reattached the fans (which I disconnected earlier today just to see, with no difference).

I spoke with Gigabyte Tech support for about 40 minutes on the phone this afternoon, and the young man, very pleasant and well-intentioned, seemed as confused as I, telling me that this was not a problem he had heard of before. The only thing left to try, it seems, is some 1066 or 1333 memory to see if XP likes it better, and if not, send back the mobo to newegg for a replacement. Currently I have 1600 memory, but running at the auto-detected default speed of 1066.

Anyway, I'll give it one more go with the defaulted CMOS and report back.

Again, many thanks for those giving it some thought.

Mateo

[genec57]

If bios defaults don't work I don't know what else to recommend other than return.
The only thing close to your situation that I have experienced was in attempting to install a pre SP1 version of XP on a SATA board. Reverting to IDE in bios allowed it to go forth.

Your situation is not the same but it does tend to point towards a setup problem. I think the OS is attempting to install drivers when it craps out.

[mateo]

Update: Still no change with bios defaults, or subbing in 2 then 4 gigs of Kingston DDR3 memory. Also tried running the memory at 1333 and with timings suggested by ocz tech support. No difference.

So off goes the board for replacement. I hope the new board works as it should.

Thanks for your input folks.

[ell]

Hello, advice to the poster i used to have Sata Hard drive issues like you, and what fixed the problem was putting a delay on the hard drive go to bios and Add at least 2 seconds, if not try 3, then 4, w/e works for you. otherwise it will fail to read your Sata hard drives and it wont finish the windows installation... unfortunately gigabyte had this setting on 0 and caused me hell for days too. gigabyte needs to address this issue as that setting is normally found in very old motherboards. yes that should fix your sata hard drive problems, I'm also using F9C bios keep it, its a lot better than the older bios as the intel and gigabyte sata controllers boot near instant, the older bios would take their time to load.

let me know how it goes :)

[mateo]

Originally Posted by ell

Hello, advice to the poster i used to have Sata Hard drive issues like you, and what fixed the problem was putting a delay on the hard drive go to bios and Add at least 2 seconds, if not try 3, then 4, w/e works for you. otherwise it will fail to read your Sata hard drives and it wont finish the windows installation... unfortunately gigabyte had this setting on 0 and caused me hell for days too. gigabyte needs to address this issue as that setting is normally found in very old motherboards. yes that should fix your sata hard drive problems, I'm also using F9C bios keep it, its a lot better than the older bios as the intel and gigabyte sata controllers boot near instant, the older bios would take their time to load.

let me know how it goes :)

Hi, are you saying that after having recognized and subsequently read and written to/from the drives, the setup program fails to read the Sata drive in the final part of the install? Do you know what exactly is going on?