Some issues with a new system...

[LiNK24]

I just finished up with building my new C2Q system (yey!) and was having a number of rather... odd issues in OS installation and booting. I built it from scratch based around parts I bought separately (as I always have done) but this is my first experience with anything like this. The system started up fine - BIOS is in perfect working order, all is well as far as SATA connections and detection and I did a fresh install of Windows Vista. Vista installed fine, but when trying to boot it it gets to the loading screen and loads for a moment before flashing a blue screen and resetting. After this occurred, I did another fresh install of Vista to attempt to solve the problem - to no avail. This raised a red flag with me, and I thought it was potentially just a bad Vista disc (as it was a burned copy O.o). As such, I tried a fresh install of Fedora 7, and, to put it bluntly: Kernel panic. It suggested running with ACPI disabled, which I did thereafter. Unfortunately, Vista requires ACPI to run. Since XP doesn't, and there are apparently firmware updates on my motherboard, I was going to install XP fresh and download the updates and then try for a Vista install. So I formatted my drive (NTFS) and began XP installation - it copied the system files and told me part 2 of installation would start after it restarted (this is x86 XP). It reset and then had a disc read error, which leads me to where I am now.

The main thing I think that may be a problem is the fact that I currently have only a 4-pin connector powering the C2Q in the 8-pin slot (this is probably problematic anyway, right?) so I ordered an adapter to fix this.

Other than that, I have no idea what the problem could be.

Here's the hardware I have running, as it may be relevant to the issue:
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield
- XFX nForce 680i Socket 775 motherboard model MB-N680-ISH9
- XFX GeForce 8600 GTS
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500 GB SATA HDD
- Lite-On DVD Multi burner
- Tuniq Tower CPU cooler
- Apevia/Aspire 500W PSU
- 4 x 1 GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) RAM

Thanks to anyone who can lend me a hand (and sorry for the very lengthy post, hehe )

[Andy3536]

4 pin connecter in an 8 pin hole? OMG
Supprised you tried it to bo honest.
Get a new PSU with a 8 pin connector for mobo and also double check the bios setting are correct.

[mrt9888]

You probably have faulty RAM or Vista doesnt like installing with 4Gb RAMTry intalling with 2gb RAM if it still doesnt work run memtest.

[Blitzen]

and I thought it was potentially just a bad Vista disc (as it was a burned copy O.o).

and with that statement in mind, i hope you gleaming new system remains nothing more than a paperweight for the forseeable future.

[arbitor]

Get over it blitzen people are using counterfit stuff all over the world ass we speak!

And everyone knows its the product key thats worth the money

[Andy3536]

with the price of oem copys it's worth getting one, if just for peace of mind.
My copy of vista home premium 64 bit form scan cost £68. Might be worth thinking about.

[Blitzen]

Get over it blitzen people are using counterfit stuff all over the world ass we speak!

And everyone knows its the product key thats worth the money

Its not right and we pay the price for it.

and its a bloody cheek asking advice, about whether its 'counterfeit OS' related.

(Prolly against Hexus rules aswell).

[arbitor]

Ha not really i could get hold of a copy of mos os one way or another for the past year working in the trade.. tbh i couldnt care less, i wont steal a copy, il buy one but i fi ichange my pc damn sure im not buying another

[LiNK24]

To address the Vista comments, I have a legitimate key, but burned a copy from MSDN I meant to say that my copy wasn't retail/OEM. Anyway, I was thinking that the 4-pin connector in the 8-pin slot would be the issue, but I'll also try booting with only 2 GB of RAM as well. I shouldn't need to get a new PSU, should I? I'm planning on it in the near future, but for now, 500W (with the 8-pin CPU power adapter) on a non-SLi , non-8800/Radeon 2K system should be at least "okay," shouldn't it?

And Blitzen - I didn't ask whether it was "counterfeit OS" related, I was describing my course of action up to this point. Also, note that I explained my terminology - it's not a "pirated" copy. No need to get so angry, see?

[Andy3536]

If a 4 pin connector was ok in a 8 pin socket, they wouldn't have bothered to change it, a new psu is a must with an 8 pin mobo connector, 500W would be enough for a 8800, i'm using the corsair hx520 to power a 8800gts and E6600. But wouldn't be a good psu for you as only 4 pin connector.