I need computer help

[B_Master_Flash 10+ year member]

So here's the deal-

I got a computer off e-bay, I bought it in parts and put it together. Once it was together, I tried to install win XP but it wouldn't work, it kept giving an error right when it would start to install. I tried a bunch of XP cds and they all gave the same error, and my friends who are more computer proficient than me tried the same thing with the same results. I gave in and brought it to a shop to have windows installed, after they messed around with it for a while they told me it was a B!tch to get it installed, they had to try different memory, video card, and all kindsa crap before it would install, and even then it didn't run correctly. They said it was either a bad processor or motherboard, wich was good b/c I had bought both of them from the same person on e-bay. So i talked to the guy online and ended up shipping them back to them for testing and replacement. Well, now the guy just e-mailed me and said they tested the motherboard/processor with a varity of different hardware and operating systems and they all worked fine. Which is good but terrible at the same time. He said he would replace my chip with the newer verson of the same thing (amd xp2600 to an amd sempron 2600) for no charge and send it back to me. My question is, WTF else could have been causing widows not to install or run properly on my computer? When I get the motherboard/processor back I'm going to install all the same equipment and, by my logic, get the same problem.

Also, when I said the guy at the computer place had to change my memory and video card to install windows, it wasn't b/c they were bad, they both worked fine but for some reason they said my video card is just hard to get configured w/ windows (ati radeon pro 9800 128mb).

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[tRiGgEr 5,000+ posts]

Could be a bad HD.

 

[cyberbob25 10+ year member]

I have the same video card and had absolutely no problem installing XP. I've also installed XP on several friend's machines that have that card as well.

Now of course, the quesiton begging to be asked (and that for some reason nobody ever ever volunteers without being asked) is: what is the error message?

 

[Stangdvr 10+ year member]

1)check all the mounts for your motherboard that is on you case, make sure there isn't one that is not getting screwed in, this would cause a short.

2)make sure in the bios that the temp for the CPU is not running too high.

3)try the HD, while unlikely, it's the only other thing that has changed between your pc and their's

 

[nosaj070 10+ year member]

He said he would replace my chip with the newer verson of the same thing (amd xp2600 to an amd sempron 2600) for no charge and send it back to me.

Um, the sempron is not the same thing as the xp2600...the xp is a much higher performance cpu while the sempron is a budget cpu....

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

That depends on the Athlon core. While I think a Sempron could take on a Thoroughbred core, it wouldn't hold a candle to my Barton.

 

[slack 10+ year member]

1)check all the mounts for your motherboard that is on you case, make sure there isn't one that is not getting screwed in, this would cause a short.

i find that unlikely, i have built many computers and a lot of the mounts for the motherboard were plastic, u dont even have to use every mount. I dont see how it could "cause a short"

 

[B_Master_Flash 10+ year member]

Um, the sempron is not the same thing as the xp2600...the xp is a much higher performance cpu while the sempron is a budget cpu....

ok, thats what I thought at first, that sempron was equivalent to pentium's celeron, but I checked e-bay and an amd xp2600 costs about $40 and an amd sempron 2600 costs about $75. Are the prices lying? or is the older xp and newer sempron about equal?

 

[Diplexers 10+ year member]

Most the time it has to do with the master/slave settings on the HD and Rom drives. Did your error read "NT loader"?

 

[Stangdvr 10+ year member]

i find that unlikely, i have built many computers and a lot of the mounts for the motherboard were plastic, u dont even have to use every mount. I dont see how it could "cause a short"

I do this for a living, good cases come with metal stand-offs. metal touches those points will cause a short. However, most of the times that would fry it. Do check the master / slave settings, i forgot about that.

 

[slack 10+ year member]

I do this for a living, good cases come with metal stand-offs. metal touches those points will cause a short. However, most of the times that would fry it. Do check the master / slave settings, i forgot about that.

ah i see where ur comming from now. I could see how it could cause a short, i wasnt thinking to clearly hehe. i stand corrected. my first 2 classes of the day is computer engineering technology and we build computers for the school. he always buys the cheap stuff with the plastic mounts for the mobos