Stop 0X00000078/Boot Failure/Other Bizarre Problems

[Ravenquille]

Current System Configuration:

Gigabyte GA-81955X Royal
Pentium D 820 Dual Core CPU ( 2.8 Ghz )
1 GB Dual Channel DDRII 667 RAM ( Samsung/matching )
Samsung SATA II 300 160 GB Hard Drive
Gigabyte GN-NX66256DP PCI Express 16 Video Card
Internal LiteOn Dual-Layer DVD/R/DVDRW ( +/- )
External TDK DED+440 Multi-format CDR/RW/DVDR/RW (+/- )
Seasonic S12430 ( 430 Watt ) Power Supply
New WinXP Pro 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 OEM
( Bought all this from the same vendor; all updates to Windows and BIOS done by vendor. )

Current problem:

Failure to boot from any Startup Mode selection: get WinXP Presentation screen and immediate, flash of Blue Screen Stop 0x00000078, shutsdown/reboots by itself ( will go on endlessly ).
( I had to video and freeze frames to see which error screen was being generated. )
*Odd stop error. WinXP Pro SP2 is loaded; and I am not on a Network.
*No beeps, seems to power up ok. PS tests out fine.
*Hard Disk not listed on Post, but is listed in BIOS.

This new system has never been able to be used at all. ( Built in October ). Was at Vendor again due to ongoing bizarre problems ( no one has been able to solve ). I did a brief testout while it was in the Server Room; seemed fine. Vendor did all packing and put it in my car. I connected monitor, keyboard and mouse, plugged in for initial test as soon as I got home with it. Immediate problems again ( as always ).
1) Intermittent light on monitor, none on keyboard.
( checked for loose connections/reboot )
2) Got 'OC Fail'. ( Weird: never overclocked! )
3) Changed BIOS set to 'Load Fail Safe Defaults'
4) OC Fail eliminated. No Hard Drive listed in Post or in BIOS. "Boot Failure. Boot from CD/DVD."
5) Reset BIOS to 'Load Optimized Defaults'
6) Hard Drive in BIOS, not listed on Post. Gets to WinXP Presentation Screen and Startup Mode Selection now; but immediately gets the Stop 0X00000078 screen, shuts off/reboots.

( I did initial build with Intel D945GNT mobo, and same config listed above. ( OS WinXP Pro SP2: had not done any updates at that point. ) Got immediate bizarre behavior (explain further down in post).
Build was checked by Vendor I purchased all components from/no problems discovered. To save time and hassle, Vendor replaced RAM with same kind of RAM, replaced PS with same kind of PS, replaced mobo with the current Gigabyte. Vendor did the second build, and BIOS flash, OS install/updates, removed and installed same CPU.
*When I got the second build home, it was immediate problems: some of the same problems, and some new ones. I checked logs: they were very weird ( alot of 'files not found', 'installation errors', 'installation fail' , 'initiation failures' type stuff. ) I found that the HD had not been FDISKED as I had asked: Drivers/Utilities from the Intel mobo were still on the HD. ( They had not done the FDISK, and had not done any checking, or attempted to load software. )
*( This is why it was back again; to have the HD wiped, reload OS, testout OS and hardware. FDISK was done this time, but OS was not loaded from my CD. ) It came back with the current problems I mentioned above.

None of us have been able to figure out if there was a hardware problem, hardware conflict, OS CD Corruption, and/or SP2 conflict.

****Bizarre ongoing problems with both the 1rst and 2nd Builds*****:

Build 1:

( tried to load MS Office 2003, Paint Shop Pro 9, Norton Internet Security 2004, HP All-in-one Printer/Scanner/Copier ( latest XP drivers on CD ). )

1) unable to shut down from menu, unable to log off; or could log off, but not shutdown ( holding power button a long time to be able to shut down; a few times, plug pulling required.

2) No sound no matter what I tried ( used a temporary sound card for testing ).

3) Could not load software or some drivers at all: or had a partial load, or unbelievably slow load ( like hours ), or total hang. Weird stuff like some software or drivers being greyed-out, getting installation failure errors from programs. Some would appear to load, but upon reboot, never showed up in Programs

4) Not possible to get Email Function.

5) Plug and Play not finding much of anything.

6) Autorun either not working at all in either drive, or working sometimes; always incredibly slow.

7) Floppy working/not working

8) internal DVD working/not working; alot of intermittent type behavior. Etc etc etc.....)

9) ScanDisk never running on a reboot.

I am a Computer Consultant, have built quite a few systems. I PAID to have it diagnosed, because of the warranty issues involved. Vendor re-loaded Windows in order to test. I encountered the same problems when I got it back home. Vendor did 3rd install of Windows: no change.
( Hardware Replacements done at this point. )

10) I PAID for Diagnostics and Windows installation a SECOND time; because of the warranty issue. They did BIOS flash, Windows updates. I wanted them to play around with peripherals and software installations, in order to see what was happening: they did not test any of this.

2nd Build:


11) could not install printer drivers/software
12) could not install most other software or drivers I tried
13) impossible to get email function
14) autorun very slow to begin in both drives
15) slow to open internet pages
16) partial pixels in Taskbar ( various places: but all other display seems ok ).
17) no ScanDisk function
18) Plug and Play not fully functional

All I have ever been able to do with this very expensive system is get Online!


**( I felt that the WinXP CD was corrupt; and that there were SP2 conflicts with software and printer drivers.
Very suspicious of some sort of hardware conflict or problem; could not clearly isolate however.
I bought a new SATA HD from Vendor, and ordered WinXP Pro SP1; deciding to use it to avoid the potential of SP2 issues ( neither tested as of yet ).

This has been going on since October, and I am at the end of my rope.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Ravenquille

 

[Engneer]

Microsoft doesn't know how to write drivers, and SATA and USB cannot handle the load.

I would be that the moment you plug in a PATA or IDE-64 drive it will come right up.

Microsoft has acknowledged that the serial busses are overloaded, and USB, SCSI, and SATA is failing because of conflicts on the one wire serial buss with one interrupt allocated to everything via 9/2.

Like trying to pump 200 million gallons per minute through a one inch pipe; it can't do it. Some things are simply physically impossible.

You have three problems:

01.) the use of Plug and Play
02.) the use of serial devices
03.) conflicts because you're serial on a parallel machine

Think not? Try some parallel drives and devices. PATA, PCI-64, IDE=64

 

[Ravenquille]

Engneer,

With Current problem, I have only a monitor, keyboard and mouse connected ( no USB Devices, and only the one SATA11 Hard Drive ).

I will see if I can chase down a non-SATA Hard Drive to test with.

I am not too familiar with the type of conflict situation you are describing:
Please give me as much information as you can.
I have a few questions:

1) Does this suggest that a SATA Hard Drive can never be used with this system configuration ( or this OS ? )
The motherboard/cpu are supposedly designed for using SATA and RAID configurations; and has quite a few USB connections.
( I was not especially interested in using a SATA11 Hard Drive; it just happened to be what the Vendor happened to have in stock at the moment. )

2) Or do you mean that a SATA Hard Drive AND a USB Printer/Scanner/Copier ( and/or USB external CD/DVD/RW ) can't be used at the same time in this system?

3) Tell me what you would do in this situation?
Use only non-SATA hard drive/hard drives?
What about the USB Printer, and external CD/DVD/RW?

( For one thing, it certainly sounds like the Vendor should have known about this kind of conflict. )


Thanks,
Ravenquille

 

[firewolfrl]

Did you replace your Ram???
sounds like bad ram to me. though a bad CPU can give the same fault.

 

[Ravenquille]

Hi firewolfrl,

CPU:.....been suspicious of the CPU. It is the SAME CPU used in both the Intel setup and the current Gigabyte setup.

RAM: It was new with the Intel mobo; replaced when we swapped the Intel mobo for the Gigabyte mobo ( along with replaced Power Supply. Same kind of problems, no change with different mobos, replaced RAM, replaced PS.
( It is doubtful that two sets of RAM would be bad; and both sets were matched, in the optimal slots, and ( were tested at the shop, so I was told.) )

Ravenquille
I have wondered if the DDRII 667 might be not be 'liked' for some reason, by the CPU ? ( since the CPU is on the slower end of the Dual Cores. ) Anybody ever heard of any DDRII 667 problems yet?

I tested with an if-y WD 80GB IDE Hard Drive ( has a problem, may be on its way out ( current content on it is a bit messed up ):

1) DVD/RW ( PCI ) does NOT show on Post; but does show in BIOS.

2) IDE HDD shows on both Post and in BIOS.
( Won't boot; but error is related to the messed up files on that drive. )

 

[ceh4702]

All Stop errors are hardware errors. I guess windows could go nuts and report an incorrect stop error.

It can be memory, or something like that.

It can be caused by a faulty motherboard or some other hardware.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[ceh4702]

All Stop errors are hardware errors. I guess windows could go nuts and report an incorrect stop error.

It can be memory, or something like that.

It can be caused by a faulty motherboard or some other hardware like a bad power supply, a CPU, a soundcard, a video card, etc.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[Ravenquille]

Yep. I agree stop codes are hardware-related; and Windows OS specific ( differing from one Windows OS version to another, to a certain degree. ) There is certainly, and was from the beginning, some sort of a hardware problem in this system.
These present symptoms are hardware-related; but previously ( when both builds were booting up ), there was also Windows whackout.

I have seen only one CPU dead ( dead from Vendor ).
I have seen various kinds of PS problems; total power loss, partial power loss, intermittent power loss, insufficient power.
I have seen various problems with faulty hard drives; including some weird stuff when a drive is on the way to becoming totally inoperative.
I have seen dead Memory, and Memory conflict situations.

I have never seen the things that both builds of this system were dishing out ( when they were booting normally ).

??Is there a simple way to isolate CPU problem?
( I have no other on hand to test with )

Ravenquille