Computer not loading windows error!!!!! PLz help me :(

[greektony]

Hi everyone, I have a major problem here. Basically up until about a week ago my PC ran perfectly. It was built by moi last Xmas so all the components are not even 6 months old yet.

My problem is that all of a sudden the PC will no longer load into windows. I keep getting the following error message after POST when the windows image is on the screen just as windows is loading:

STOP: 0x0000007B

I looked up this error code on the MS website and it states this may be caused by a virus (possible maybe) or bad RAM (not so possible as I bought a new 1 gig stick the week before so ran both my RAM modules through mem test and they passed, what was odd though is that if I used them together they would fail, but I am not sure how relevant this is to my new problem as i cant even boot into windows anyway!!!)

As I have no way of backing up my HDD I went out and bought another one as I thought my HDD was knackered. I still have no joy with the new HDD as I get the same error message when I try and install windows at the point when it restarts in the installation process.

Does anyone know what the likely cause of this is? I have tried switching the RAM around in the available slots and only using 1 at a time but still cant get windows to load. With my limited knowledge I think there is a problem with either PSU or the motherboard. I only say that as i assume the CPU isnt at fault as it is not overheating, I have replaced the HDD and using the RAM i have always used in it doesnt fix it.

My specs are below:

Intel E6300 (not overclocked in anyway)
ABit AB9 (I cant remember if it is the pro version or not)
Samsung 500gb HDD (new HDD i bought)
Nvidia 7950gt 512Mb Graphics Card
1gb generic Novatech Ram 5300
1gb Kingston Value Ram 5300
Thermaltake TR2-420 PSU
OS: Windows XP SP2

If someone could help it would be greatly appreciated as I have already spent £80 on the new 500gb HDD and it hasnt helped so I dont want to end up spending hundreds of pounds on it only to find it is something cheap and simple to fix!!!

I hope I have mentioned everything necessary.................. I need you

[kungpo]

OK - if you are getting the error when you try to re-install Windows, certianly suggests there is a hardware problem.

Remove all but one of the RAM sticks and try again. Swap them around so you try all combinations, and in each of the slots (bit only 1 stick at a time).

If no joy, borrow another video card if you can and try with that.

If you still have no joy...reduce the PC to the simlpest configuration you can, and then see what happens.

[greektony]

Cheers kungpo, i will try that now. My problem is that I dont have a spare PCI Express graphics card to test with. Will windows load without one? I suppose I will have to go see!

[kungpo]

do you have integrated graphics on the board? or ANY other kind of graphics card - even just a PCI one?

[greektony]

I dont think i have one. I have tried your RAM suggestions and still the problem persists. Does this sound like a PSU or Motherboard problem to you?

[Supershanks]

it sounds more like your 2 different ram modules aren't playing togerther.

download memtest & test both modules seperately.get memtest from here Memtest86+

As your memory comes from 2 different manufacturers, chances are they have different timings & voltage requirements, check either the websites or the spd page on cpu-z to get the details.

the spd is a small chip on the memory module that tell the memory controller the default timings(those used when auto is selected in bios). If the timings are different you may need to go into bios & manually enter the timings of the slowest module, this should enable them both 2 run together

[kungpo]

If yo haven't got another video adapter, you might be struggling as you won't know if Windows has loaded or not!

I'm guessing you've tried all RAM combinations now - it's worth trying all the RAM timings as supershanks has suggested, and trying that with only one dimm in at a time), but I'm unconvinced that is going to make a difference.

It does *sound* like a motherboard problem assuming you have done all as suggested. Unless is it connected to the CPU overheating or something similar. I take it you are trying all this with the case open?

[aidanjt]

Did you change your SATA interface to AHCI mode in the BIOS?.. That looks like an error I got when I attempted to do so, even with the AHCI drivers installed Windows has some funky kernel init code that doesn't behave well with system controller changes.

[greektony]

aidanjt that sounds like you are onto something........ what should it be and how do i change it!

Thanks for everyone elses suggestions so far. Keep them coming! I am testing it with the case open

[aidanjt]

@greektony: if you go into your BIOS setup, look for your IDE/SATA controller configuration, and change it back to IDE/Legacy/Compatibility mode, save and retry booting.

See this wikipedia article about the problems involved with Windows and AHCI.

[greektony]

without meaning to look dumb, I cant find any option in the bios for this. Just to enable IDE or not, which doesnt make a difference. During POST it does come up with a message saying AHCI Bios not installed or something like that.

[aidanjt]

Dig out your manual, or download it from here:
http://www.abit-usa.com/downloads/do...ab9_series.zip

Open page 3-17, and you see the OnChip IDE Device menu?.. make sure SATA mode is set to 'IDE'.

[Supershanks]

so what hd have u ide or sata or 1 of each??

[wja96]

Any chance you could take and post a photograph of the whole blue screen?

[greektony]

Both HDD are SATA. Thanks for the manual, but on the screen at 3-17 there is no sata option on my bios, only IDE. The sata option doesnt appear beneath it!!

[aidanjt]

That's very odd. I can't think of anything else hardware wise, might try a windows reinstall.