I need some serious help with a problem that I have been troubleshooting for 2 days without any progress.

I recently upgraded my PC from an [AMD Athlon XP 2800+ on an Abit NF7-S2G with an AGP Radeon 9800XT] to an [AMD 64 3200+ on an ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe with a PCIe Radeon X800 XL]. Now after booting, it gives me a stop error blue screen with the error code:

STOP: 0x0000007e (0xC0000005, 0x00000000, 0xF88BA0C0, 0xF88B9DBC)

strange thing is. Windows XP Home Edition (service pack 2) boots up to safe mode, safe mode with networking, and VGA mode Enabled just fine. It has no problems there. I just it stops with the error code when booting normally. The error occurs right after the POST, Mem Test, and IDE tests, prior to the Windows OS loading screen.

While in Safe Mode and VGA Mode, I updated EVERYTHING including the Realtek Audio drivers, nForce 4 chipset drivers, Catalyst Drivers for my Radeon, and the drivers for my Ethernet controllers. It is running on the latest non-beta BIOS. Any attempts to flash the BIOS (with the latest Beta BIOS version) using a Windows GUI BIOS Flash tool returns an error that states that it cannot verify the ROM after flashing, so it aborts and restores the previous BIOS.

I have run out of ideas and im not sure what else to do to fix this problem, so any help will be much appreciated.

-Exceter

That's the same thing as mine almost..

See
http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic38170.html
No solution to date. Running msconfig and setting boot.ini switch to /sos will get you a full working machine. Join the club
MS recommended first remove SP2. If that didn't work format/reinstall. If you didn't want to do that do a "parallel
install so you had 2 copies of XP to boot to. Boot to the bottom one on boot screen.Transfer settings and then eliminate bad one. I'm still in a email dialogue with them but didn't do any of these "recommended" things. Out of curiosity do you have any new "minidumps" in windows/minidump folder? I don't get any. At least it's not a MB or graphics problem I have an nVidia fx5200 on a chaintech vnf3-250. MS sort of implied a compatability problem w AMD64 and SP2. Longshot is a incompatability w/ the Newcastle core maybe????
Error 0X00000007e (0xc0000005, 0x00000000,0xf7a2f0c0,0xf7a2edbc)

I took it to a technician, of course against my wishes (me being a guy and a tech freak thinking I can fix everything! LOL), and the only thing he can figure out to do is to clean install Windows and reformat since the drastic change in hardware is causing complications with Windows's parameters, which are set to the previous hardware. If anyone can come up with an easier solution. Please say so. Otherwise, I'll be spending $160 for another HD and $170 for an OEM of Windows XP Pro 64, and I'm already going broke from the Radeon X800 LOL!

/sos

Just use the /sos switch
www.qualiteitems.com/images/msconfig.jpg
The only difference between this and a normal boot is 1)system shows echo of driver load 2)Reports OS, RAM and number of CPU's 3) Will check all partitions.
4) because of 1-3, slightly slower "normal" boot.
See for yourself.
When Win XP boots if you want you can check "don't show this screen again" to eliminate msconfig popping up each time.
My primary (boot) HD is a seagate IDE 150MB.
But it's your dime............ and time
See this as well
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=34&threadid=1742661&STARTPAGE=2&enterthread=y
I posted on 5 forums and wrote to Chaintech and MS.
Err.... Why not just re-install w/ a format then... Why new parts????
XP home will do a clean install. If your worried I assume deleting the Windows folder before reinstalling would eliminate any residue.......

well, my primary problem is that I have so much important data on that hard drive that spans over 80GBs. I have no other hard drive that can handle that much space, so I'll have to buy one to use as back up. After that, I'm going to partition my 160GB original drive into one 60GB partition and 100GB partition, then install the OS into the 60GB partition. In case Windows ever pulls this problem (or any problem for that matter), I can just wipe the partition and clean install Windows. But before that happens, or any purchases are taken. I'm gonna try that solution you just gave me. I'll let you know if it works. Thanx in advance.

Recommend smaller partition - this is why

Can I recommend you reduce the actual XP partition to 15Gb, and the rest for data. I never use my C: drive for anything but the operating system. Then I can use Partition Magic or Drive Images (there are free clones of these available), to take an image of the C: drive to another HDD.

All my data without exception goes to drive D:, with regular backups to another HDD. If disaster were to strike which could not be solved by a restore point, I can just unroll the working image on top instead.

I can rstrongly recommend Microsofts own PowerToy call ed Synctoy which does an excellent, fast job of automating my backups in seconds.

Please note this method (backup to another HDD) is essential for the (however unlikely) event your main HDD fails.

Any luck?

Any luck w/ this problem...

FIXED MINE, This may help.

Extracted the NTLDR file from my original CD (pre SP1) and substituted it for the "new" bad one. Boots fine now.................