WinXP won't start up

[Acoshi]

Well, what happening now is that I am not able to log into WinXP. But
before
> that I was able to it seems that only after I added a sound card and ram
> that it seems to have gotten some errors.
>
> What showed up on the screen before was a blue screen and it told me that
it
> is shutting down the computer because it didn't want to cause any
problems.
> It said that the I either needed to check and update the drivers or I
would
> have to check to see if the hardware was connected properly and to reboot
> when checked.
>
> I was able to check the hardware and everything seems to be in order, what
> is left is to check if I need to update the drivers or anything else on
the
> computer. The only problem is, as I mentioned before, I can log into
Windows
> I get as far as the boot screen and it just freezes. So I don't know how
to
> check if the drivers are updated or anything unless I log into WinXP.
>
> And then once in awhile there is a screen that would come up and tell me
> that I need to insert a disk that has AWDFLASH.exe on it.

Motherboard: Asus a7n8x deluxe

Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS

Ram: PC3200 DDR400 512MB

 

[UsandThem]

Did you try flashing your BIOS when the problems began?

 

[mechBgon]

Also, because your new sound card duplicates a bunch of the functions that your motherboard has built in already, you should disable these features in the motherboard's BIOS (see page 58 of the motherboard manual):

Firewire (called "onboard 1394 device" in the BIOS)
Onboard AC97 audio controller
Onboard Game Port
Onboard MIDI

and put the new sound card into PCI slot #4, which is the second slot from the bottom. This slot doesn't share its IRQ with anything else.

If that isn't getting you anywhere, pull out the Audigy and see if you can boot up now. If so, update your motherboard drivers with the nVidia 3.13 drivers from here, then update to DirectX 9.0B from here if necessary, then reinstall the Audigy software, shut down the system and insert the card into PCI slot #4.

Good luck!

 

[Acoshi]

Well, I have tried to flash my BIOS but it would tell me to insert the AWDFLASH.exe disk, which is the flash program. And it would go to the AwardBIOS program but what do I do after that?

I tried to config the motherboard by disabling all of the programs you mentioned and then I tried to added the sound card last. But it still is stuck at the main boot screen. I even tried taking out all of the new hardware and it still doesn't go into WinXP.

 

[UsandThem]

Originally posted by: Acoshi
Well, I have tried to flash my BIOS but it would tell me to insert the AWDFLASH.exe disk, which is the flash program. And it would go to the AwardBIOS program but what do I do after that?

I tried to config the motherboard by disabling all of the programs you mentioned and then I tried to added the sound card last. But it still is stuck at the main boot screen. I even tried taking out all of the new hardware and it still doesn't go into WinXP.

I would remove all cards. Only leave in one stick of ram, your video card, and the CPU. I would also only leave in one CD drive and one hard drive (the one where Windows is installed). Make sure the jumpers are set correctly on them, and that they are on the IDE cables correctly.

Have you tried to boot off of the Windows XP disk or tried to reinstall XP? If you have tried that, you could try flashing your BIOS. From your response above it seems that you tried flashing them. I don't know if that could have somehow corrupted them or not (probably not).

 

[Acoshi]

When I try to reinstall WinXP would the computer automatically start the installation process without me entering the the actual OS?

 

[UsandThem]

Go into the BIOS and change your boot selection to CD. Put in your XP disk, and save changes.

It should then boot of off the CD.

Good luck!

 

[Acoshi]

Thanks for the suggestion =)

I tried to boot off the WinXP CD and it still gets stuck at the boot screen. =(

 

[GunDog]

Remove the sound card completely then install Windows.
Reinstall the sound card after OS installation

 

[Acoshi]

I have tried to do that as well

 

[GunDog]

Might have a bad stick of ram. Try using 1 stick or if using 1 stick, go back to the old ram.

 

[Acoshi]

I have tried that too =(

 

[GunDog]

Ok, did you RESET bios?

 

[Acoshi]

How do u reset the BIOS? Do you go into your BIOS screen and change everything to its default settings? Because if you do I have already tried that too.

 

[GunDog]

By Jumper on the motherboard or remove the battery for 10 minutes. with power disconnected for either one.

 

[Acoshi]

Where is the jumper?

 

[GunDog]

I do not know on your m/b. Check your m/b manual. If you dont have the manual download it from here Manual

 

[Acoshi]

I found out a bit of information. When I try to flash the BIOS it tells me: "Source File not Found". This stops me from updating my motherboard. . . I think.

I hope this helps

 

[tdowning]

Booting from the Windows XP will skip a few steps in the install process if-and only if-the hard disk has no patitions defined. Run Fdisk from a Windows 98 Emergency boot floppy. and choose option to view partition information.

I don't think It will go straight to partitioning and formatting, it but makes you choose Partition and Format NTFS; and Partition and format NTFS (Quick).

 

[Acoshi]

I tried to reinstall WinXP but it came back to tell me that I should " Remove newly installed hard drive or hard drive controllers" and "Check your hard drive and make sure proprely configured and terminated"

My hard drive is partitioned. Could it be that my hard drive is corrupted? And if it is can it be fixed without buying a new hard drive?

Should I try reformatting my hard drive with FDisk program?

 

[Bug]

When you tried to flash your BIOS before, did you have the BIOS update on the same disk as Aflash.exe? Are you using the latest version of the Aflash app?

 

[nork]

Bug, you are right on, he never did flash the bios, he doesnt know how.

You have to have the program adwflash.exe on a floppy disk and you have to have the actual new bios on the same floppy.
You have to boot your computer and enter the bios and set the bios to have the floppy drive or removable drive(floppy drive) as the first boot option.
Then you put the floppy with awdflash,exe and your new bios into your floppy drive and reboot. This should bring you to a:\.
When you get there type awdflash and press enter, then you type the whole name of the new bios, including the extension, like this xxxxxxxx.xxx, type the whole thing in and then your new bios will be installed.

Then you can:

make a win98 boot disk and format the c:\ drive
or
reboot and go to the bios and change the first boot option to hard disk0 or ide0, not hard disk1!!!
reboot and put your win xp cd rom in
reboot and let your win xp cdrom start working.
let win xp format the hard drive, you can either let it do fat32 or NTFS, it doesnt matter. People will tell you that you must do NTFS or that is the what win xp wants, but, in truth, win xp doesnt care if its fat32 or NTFS, either one is fine.

I dont mean it rudely at all, but it sounds from your answers that you are very new at this and you are missing steps here and there.
People here will help, but you need to go one step at a time and do things exactly right.

 

[Acoshi]

I found out the only way I can reformat my hard drive is to reinstall WinXP but everytime I get to the end of the setup it says that it cannot continue due to the fact that my hard drive needs to be either check for configuration or that I need to remove newly installed hard drive or hard drive controllers.

 

[Acoshi]

I recently found a option in my BIOS called "Low Level Format" If it is my hard drive that is corrupted will this fix it?

 

[nork]

I found out the only way I can reformat my hard drive is to reinstall WinXP

I wonder where you found that out? Its not true.
You can set your bios to boot from floppy, and have win98 boot disk in the floppy, boot your computer and then format or re-format the hard drive.
I dont mean it rudely but you seem to be jumping all over.