WinXP Pro keeps crashing!!!

[lekmedm]

I've been having the damnedest problem with WinXP on the new system I just built. Here it is:

Shuttle AK31 V3.1 VIA KT266A Socket A XP Ready 4DDR UDMA100 (latest Bios installed)
AMD Athlon XP 1600+ 1.4GHz Palomino 3D CPU
Crucial 128MB PC2100 DDR RAM
Abit Siluro GeForce2 MX200 32MB
Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 sound card
Creative Labs ModemBlaster Di5630 Flash 56k PCI
Plextor PlexWriter 12x10x32x INT IDE CD-RW
Western Digital 20GB WD200BB ATA-100 UDMA IDE HD 7200RPM
...all this in a FuturePower case with 400W PS

So here's the problem... Windows keeps crashing, and it seems to give me a different error message almost every time. I've checked for hardware conflicts, but everything seems to check out OK. I noticed that the sound card and modem were sharing the same IRQ (5), but windows wouldn't let me change them. I repositioned the cards, and the modem is now in PCI slot 2 and SB Live is in slot 5. Now the modem is using IRQ 9 (I think) and SB Live is still in IRQ 5. At first I was getting the message DRIVERS_IRQS_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, then just IRQS_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, and now just errors with memory addresses. All devices are running on the latest WinXP drivers except for the modem. WinXP doesn't even recognize the modem's brand and lists it as generic. Regardless, the modem seems to function just fine. No problems connecting.

What could be wrong? Is it the modem? Is 128MB of memory enough? Maybe I need more for Windows XP to be happy? I never expected to see the ol' blue screen so often with XP!

Thanks.

lekmedm

[diurnal]

Sounds like you could have got a bad stick of RAM. The is a toughy so im not sure if that will fix the problem. Of course you could reload Xp on there again. Did you load the up to date 4in1 drivers? And why did you update your Bios?

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Murph's Law: 1.Everything takes longer than you think
2.If anything can go wrong it will
3.Nothing is as easy as it looks

[lekmedm]

Thanks for the reply, diurnal.

I have reinstalled WinXP a few times with the same results.

I installed the latest Via 4in1 drivers first thing after completing the XP install.

I updated the BIOS because the one installed did not support the new Athlon XP series of processors.

Do you really think the RAM could be bad??? I was thinking that it might just not be enough. Microsoft recommends 128MB, but I've heard a lot of people saying that with WinXP you should double whatever Microsoft says to use.

Any other ideas? Anyone.......??????

lekmedm

[Rick]

I think I would remove the Modem then run the install.
Or remove the SB before the install.
Both Items has the same support and I think they also have at least one feature they both include
This may be causing the conflict

XP runs on 128 meg of ram But it runs far better on 256 and or 512 meg of ram
Running it on 128 will slow it down because of the MS GUI memory HOG

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To ERR is HUMAN
To REALLY screw things UP, YOU NEED a COMPUTER !

[Gallaeglagh]

From the sound of the error message and a quick search on Google for that error it appears you have an IRQ conflict that is out of range. I'd suspect the modem is causing your problems.

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Garbage in - Garbage out

[lekmedm]

During my last install I had removed both SB and the modem before installing XP. After XP was installed I installed the cards one at a time.

Now, if it turns out that the modem is the problem, what is the solution? Will a different modem work properly and not have any conflicts? DSL or cable are currently not available options.

I know this is a tricky one, but I have faith that one of the Grand Master Geeks will come up with the answer! Thanks for your help, guys.

lekmedm

[mjc]

Not familiar with your modem...is it an internal or external?

If internal try an external hardware modem....

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[Brant]

BUY MORE RAM!!! 128MB is not enough. Particularly if you start up much of anything like firewall, antivirus, etc.

[lekmedm]

OK, guys, here's what I've tried so far. I have uninstalled and removed both the modem and SB Live cards. I ran the machine for several days, all day long without any problems until today. I got the IRQ_NOT_LESS_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO message on the ol' blue screen of death. Is this a RAM problem? Could there be a problem with the video card conflicting? There's not much else in there!

lekmedm

[diurnal]

If the motherboard was just bought the xp athlon should have been compatible with the xp processer, no update was necessary, (bios).
I suspect you have a bad motherboard, i would try to get it replaced. Errors right after you install a os , more than likely points to bad hardware. See if you can get a replacement motherboard and go from there.

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Murph's Law: 1.Everything takes longer than you think
2.If anything can go wrong it will
3.Nothing is as easy as it looks

[lekmedm]

OK, guys, a quick update...

Since my last post this is what I've done. I bought another stick of RAM: 128MB PC2100 DDR from Crucial just like the other one. Then according to an article I saw on Viarena.com, I changed some memory setting in the BIOS from 1T to 2T because they say when you have 2 memory sticks it will work better. This was last week, and there haven't been any problems since! I reinstalled the modem when I installed the memory, and it's been working fine. Now I'm going to try reinstalling the sound, and hopefully I'll be all set!

Thanks for all your input. I hope my troubles can help out someone else, too.

Peace.

lekmedm

[mjc]

If you still have a problem with the modem after you reinstall the sound card then you may have to try the external modem route....but it is good hear that everything is working so far, and it was a memory problem.

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[lekmedm]

Well, with a bit of luck this will be my last installment to this thread...

It seems that all is well. With the extra stick of memory and the BIOS tweak, I have reinstalled both the Creative Labs ModemBlaster and the Creative SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 cards and haven't had a problem in well over a week. I can finally enjoy the stability and general "groovyness" of Windows XP!

Thanks again for all of your suggestions.

Peace.

lekmedm