GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

[catnip_X07]

I have the GA-MA78GM-S2H mobo with an AMD Athlon 5600+, 2x2GB of OCZ DDR2 800.
I am having trouble installing any OS. In WINXP, I get to the point where there is 39 minutes and in the middle of installing devices, it reboots. Tried with LINUX and the same... I can't get it past loading the kernel.
I have tried using only one stick but nothing. I thought maybe I had bad memory, but it passed memtest. So I thought it may be compability issues and I got a new memory stick by Kingston and used it (passed memtest) but again, no results. I've even been using an IDE HD and a SATA HD to load the OS.
After reading into this I think it may be something to do with voltage and timing? I'm a little new at shorting out computer hardware and didn't know what options I may have, settings that may need to be changed, or reference material on how to change things...
Any advice is appreciated.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

Please set your ram's voltage at the very least. I do not know about AMD BIOS's so can you please post some pics of your MIT section?

Or just try with one stick, and manually set the DDR voltage to what you see on your sticker of your ram

Are you sure this drive is OK and not DOA? Can you test it in another system? If so, use this >>>


And did you mean IDE CD and SATA HD? Just wondering as that looked odd how you wrote it.

You did load the F6 driver right? The correct one, and you have the disk settings in the BIOS correct for how you are trying to install?

Settings you should set for a NON RAID SATA system are, In Integrated Peripherals page of the BIOS >>>>

OnChip SATA Controller .............. Enabled
OnChip SATA Type .................... Native IDE
OnChip SATA Port 4/5 Mode ........ As SATA Type or IDE if you have a SATA CD/DVD drive connected to port 5 or 6

[catnip_X07]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

Yes, I'm installing with an IDE CD to a SATA HD. That didn't work so I did IDE CD to IDE HD, which still doesn't work. I've played with the voltages on the memory to no avail. F6...are you referring to pressing F6 during the XP install? Drives are both ok.
Not sure how to post pics...

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

To post a pic you upload the image to tinypic.com or photobucket.com or imageshack.us and post the direct url to th image here. Or post it here in img tags like this >>>

[img] Direct URL Of Image Here[/img]

Did you try the install with only one stick of ram and manually set the ram voltage? If not try that, but I do think because of how you asked about F6 that this is likely your issue. >>>

If you have your disk settings set as above then you are good. Yes, to install to a SATA Drive you will need to press F6 and load the SATA driver for XP. It will have to be loaded from a floppy or you can slipstream it to your install CD. Here is the driver you need for your board and XP install to SATA hard drive >>>
GIGABYTE - Support - Motherboard - Driver Download

Choose AHCI when you get to pick the actual Driver after you select it to load, you will see RAID and AHCI. The AHCI Driver will work for SATA in IDE mode

*EDIT*

Hey, you say both drives are ok... Are you trying to install RAID? If so you will need to use different settings then above, and you will have to create a RAID array first in the RAID BIOS.

When you say ok, are you sure? You tested them in another PC? DOA Drives happen often, so be sure

[catnip_X07]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

Tried both hard drives in separate systems. Both are healthy. Did full format on both. Gets to the 39 minutes starts the install....then reboot on both IDE and SATA hard drives. I've messed around with the voltage, manually setting it to what was on the stick 5-5-5 @ 1.9 volts (increased default by .1 volt). Hope to have a pic of the bios soon. Would increasing the northbridge voltage help any?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

Yes, for sure with 2x2. NB or Memory controller

[catnip_X07]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

OK! After many searches, found out that my errors may not be memory related. I looked at the install log for WINXP after the hangups and was told to delete the driver that was causing it to reboot (which would be the last component on the log). This driver was the CPU! I deleted this and was able to successfully install WINXP.
Now, my question is, why didn't BIOS find/establish my CPU?. My BIOS is F5 (latest version). CPU is Athlon X2 5600+.
In WINXP (which takes WAAAAY too long to load up), my CPU is an unkown device and every time I try to install the CPU driver, system reboots.

Anyone have any ideas on this? How do I set my BIOS up to accept the CPU?...or is BIOS the problem?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

Have you loaded and applied optimized defaults in the BIOS?

Is this windows service pack 2 or 3 install disk? If not it may need to be. This is a clean install you have tried again right? Not a disk from a previous CPU/board or install right?

DO you have the latest AMD chipset drivers installed?

[catnip_X07]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

Service Pack 2 install on WINXP on a clean install. HD was formatted and is not from a prior board/cpu. I tried installing the latest AMD chipset drivers via windows and the system would reboot before it finished.

Just tried loading default, then optimized in BIOS. Was able to load/install the driver for the CPU. Then the system finds new hardware and wants to install the CPU again (my guess is second core?). Same thing happens. Right before it finalizes the system reboots. Windows pauses during loading (takes 2 minutes to load) and repeat.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

I meant, was is a XP install disk with SP2 already on it? If not you may need to slipstream it. but again, not so sure about AMD

What happens if you go into Safe mode, uninstall the CPU in device manager and reboot back to Safe mode to let it install the correct driver? And when you do let it install, please connect to the internet first and tell it to search MS online for the driver.

Could be a faulty board, I am really not sure about AMD. If you want some links to Forums With AMD Specific sections I would be happy to link you (not trying to not help you at all by saying that, just trying to offer more areas of help for you)

[catnip_X07]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

For whatever reason, i was finally able to install the second CPU device. I should have used the safe mode entry first...could have saved me a lot of time. I had slipstreamed SP2 on my WINXP install. It showed SP2 when WINXP was loaded, so I think it worked correctly.
System appears to be stable, except WINXP seriously takes 2.5 minutes to load when the status bar is going back and forth. There are no programs to load either as I removed everything but the basic items.

Thank you for all your help and suggestions, Lsdmeasap. I greatly appreciate your thoughts and advice. I understand what you were saying with the links to AMD specific sections. Just in case, is it possible to get those links?

[catnip_X07]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

And, for whatever reason, I still can't install Linux.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-MA78GM-S2H + reboot during OS install

As for your startup, maybe you disabled something you should not have. How were you going about Disabling things?

Forums with AMD Specific Sections >>>

http://www.overclock.net/

EXTREME Overclocking Forums - Learn To Overclock Your PC Hardware

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