All:

I have been having some major difficulties getting either 2000 or XP to install
on a machine I am building. In both cases, I do the following:

1. Boot up my machine from 2000 or XP Setup CD
2. Setup runs, loads all its files/drivers/etc (Setup is loading files (zzzz)...)
3. As soon as it is done loading files, I get a blue screen typically with the
same STOP code though I have gotten a few different ones. The STOP code
when I try 2000 is ALMOST always REGISTRY_ERROR (0x00000051). The STOP
code when I try XP is ALWAYS 0x0000007E.

Before anyone says it, I know, I know, these are most often due to memory
or hardware problems. I am pretty sure its not memory. I let memtst86
chew on my memory for a good 16 passes with no problems reported. I have
run every diagnostic tool I can think of and all the tests have passed
for memory, HD, CPU, etc. So I think it must be some sort of hardward
problem or BIOS setting I've got munged up. Here is my system setup:

MB/CPU:
-------
ASUS P5A-B rev 1.03
VIO at 3.5V
BUS Freq at 100MHz
Multiplier at 5.5
CPU VCore at 2.2V
AMD K6-2 533/MHz (overclocked to 550 since the P5A-B does not support a 97MHz FSB)

PS:
---
SH 250TW 250W AT power supply

MEM:
----
1 256MB LOW DENSITY SDRAM , 168-pin DIMM, non ECC, unbuffered, 3.3v, 8.0 ns in slot 1 (rows 0, 1)

DRIVES:
-------
Western Digital WD800BB (80GB) Ultra-ATA jumpered as PRIMARY master
Samsung 52x CD-ROM jumpered as SECONDARY slave
1.44MB Floppy

EXPANSION CARDS:
----------------
ASUS USB/MIR expansion plug (2USB, 1 PS/2, 1 IR) plugged into the onboard USB/MIR port
Serial port plug plugged into COM1
Radeon 7000 AGP card plugged into the on board AGP slot connected to a Mitsaki monitor

I am using the "Setup defaults" for the BIOS. The only changes I have made are as follows.

- Disabled Video Shadow ROM (due to some suggestions I found on the Web when TShooting)
- Enabled the onboard USB port and set the USB IRQ to "AUTO" (to support the onboard USB/MIR connector)
- Changed boot sequence to CDROM/A/C
- Disabled HDD Block Mode sectors (due to some suggestions I found on the Web when TShooting)

Does anyone have any ideas why I can't get either of these OS'es installed
on this setup? Any help would be GREATLY appeciated!

Thanks,
Scott

with only 256Mb ram i wouldent suget you run a memory hog like xp. try lowering the multiplier to 5x and see what she does, also what are the tempitures on the cpu in the bios after a crash

-------------------------
Desktop:
Phenom II x6 1055T @ 4GHz | 4x2GB Patriot DDR3 1600 @ 2000 | 3x AMD Radeon HD6970 Crossfire

Laptop:
Core i7 2960xm @ 4.2Ghz | 4x4GB Kingston DDR3 1866 | 2x GTX 580m SLI OC 725/1450/1500

Charlie:

Thanks for your response... A few things:

1) After the 2000 install crashes with REGISTRY_ERROR, if I immediately reboot, enter the BIOS and look at the temps reported by the onboard monitors, my CPU is at 45C and the MB is at 30C. I know the AMD temp is well within boundaries.. I don't see in the doc on the P5A-B any temp specs but I presume it is ok.

2) I don't have a chassis fan installed at all. Could it be that some other component is overheating? Do I really need a chassis fan?

3) I have also noticed intermmitent problems where during the win2k setup, the "Setup is loading files" just hangs. The CD spins down, the hard drive act led goes out and it just sits there. Could my HD be overheating? Could my CDROM be overheating? I felt both and both feel fairly cool to the touch (the CDROM definetely being warmer).

Thanks for any further assistance you can provide!

Scott

its normal for cdroms to heat up more so if its a 48x plus (high speed) and you are right about temps being ok.
next suspect is ram, how many sticks of ram is in there and whats it rated at?

-------------------------
Desktop:
Phenom II x6 1055T @ 4GHz | 4x2GB Patriot DDR3 1600 @ 2000 | 3x AMD Radeon HD6970 Crossfire

Laptop:
Core i7 2960xm @ 4.2Ghz | 4x4GB Kingston DDR3 1866 | 2x GTX 580m SLI OC 725/1450/1500