Windows 2000 install problems

[UICE]

[UPDATE 1]Big Problem

Guys,

I am having a very difficult time with a Windows 2000 Profesional Installation.

It's basicly during setup, as I cannot get setup to finish. Setup always prompts out a "Cannot copy File: [Filename]" error. The filename depends on what Windows CD I put in to install.

For example, instaling windows 2000 Professional in English I get a msoecat.dll filename error. Installing windows 2000 professional in Spanish, I get another .dll filename error.

Now, I have even tried to install XP, but No luck either. The weird part is that, thinking the CD's are the problem, I got the CDROM drive, and windows 2000 Pro (all versions that won't install correctly) and took them all, and sucesfully installed them with no error on other computers.

So, I switched IDE cables, but still nothing. I tried installing on a different HD, but nothing ...

Low level formats, Re partioning, fdisk /mbr, leave computer unplugged and without battery for 1 hour, you name it. Nothing makes the installation finish succesfully.

Now, I can skip this dll file, and windows loads up correctly, becuase that dll file is aparently related to outlook express ... but we are talking about a Intel Pentium 4 2.6 ghz - on a Intel Db75PBZ mother board with 1 Gig DDR 400 MHZ (OCZ) memory sticks, and 200 GB Hard drive... The computer is only 5 months old. And it cost me a fortune to get it.

Now I cannot get windows to install correctly without getting a "cannot copy file: [filename]" error, and I payed a fortune to just always skip this file every time I want to install windows, becuase my hardware is failing?

I want to pinpoint the problem, and get it fixed.

I browsed the internet, and this could have something to do with the Memory. Could anyone please confirm this? or is it something else?

I have tried everything guys, and the only two things I can't think of are: either the Mother Board or Memory is failing, or my Power Unit is causing the problem...

Please guys, any feedback on this, any site that you guys can give me, and place I can ask someone about this problem, anything.

I am depending on your response guys...

Thanks in advance,

UICE

PS: I am almost a MCSE, so please don't be afraid to maybe need to talk in a more technical way. I'll figure out what you mean

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to TechSpot

For memory-test, go to www.memtest86.com and D/L memtest
This goes onto a floppy, start from that and let it run overnight, to be sure it is not your memory.

If you can format and partition your HD, make C about 10GB and make D the rest of your HD. Copy the whole contents of your W2K-CD 1:1 to your D-drive, then try installing from there (assuming you have a bootable W2K disk, try and start from a W98-floppy with CDrom support, then run setup from D.
If not, use the installation floppies and direct them to your D-drive when it comes that far.

 

[Greeno]

As the main man, RBS suggests, try memtest 86, its the business, you're mainboard, just for your info is D875PBZ not DB87...

I'd say memory, all the diff .dll's seem a little random... which suggests something like that, let us know how you get on with memtest though!

 

[UICE]

OK,

Well I got some results off the memtest program.

Aparently I got errors on 950.5 MB to 960 MB

The results I am getting are the following:

Test: 5
Pass:0
Failing Address: 0009bd90cc8 - 955 MB
(up to) 0003c0b8c88 - 960 MB
Good: ffbfffff
Bad: ffffffff
Error Bits: 00400000
Count: 1

------------------------------------------

Test: 5
Pass:6
Failing Address: 0009bd90cc8 - 955 MB
(up to) 0003c0b8c88 - 960 MB
Good: ffbfffff
Bad: ffffffff
Error Bits: 00400000
Count: 1

----------------------------------------------

Test: 5
Pass:6
Failing Address: 0009bd90cc8 - 955 MB
(up to) 0003c0b8c88 - 960 MB
Good: ffbfffff
Bad: ffffffff
Error Bits: 00400000
Count: 1

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

And this is what appears above depending on the pass:

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Cached: 1023MB
RsvdMem: 1388K
MemMap: e820-std
Cache: on
ECC: off
Test: std
Pass: 7
Errors: 3850
ECC Errors: 0

---------------------------------------------------------

Cached: 1023MB
RsvdMem: 1388K
MemMap: e820-std
Cache: on
ECC: off
Test: std
Pass: 8
Errors: 4450
ECC Errors: 0

-----------------------------------------------------------

Cached: 1023MB
RsvdMem: 1388K
MemMap: e820-std
Cache: on
ECC: off
Test: std
Pass: 10
Errors: 6175
ECC Errors: 0

Now, the lats results were taken from after 2 hours passed the test. So the testing is still being continued....

Now, what I don't understand, is that it aparently is a memory problem. However how do I know if its the memory or the mother board. And if its the memory, how do I know which one of the 2 512 sticks is the one failing?

Another thing to have in mind, is the following:

I installed my PC correctly about 3 months ago with my original Case power unit. 450 watts. About a week later, a power failure in my neighboorhood poped my powerunit, and I had to buy another one. But this time the Power Unit is only 350 WATTS, and it seems like a pretty cheap one too. It doesn't look like a serious company made this Power unit. But since I hooked it up and everything seemed to be cool, I never noticed anything.

However, now that I got this problem I am starting to begin to think its the Power Unit thats giving me a Hard Time with my computer. If you guys take a look at the digram of any D875PBZ Intel Motherboard, the Mobo switch is between the Memory modules and the Ide Plugs.

Now I know this is a LONGGGG shot, but could the Power Unit Posibly be creating a type of magnetic feild that could be creating these errors in memory/Hard Drive, etc ... etc ...

I notice this, becuase when I place my Hard drive below the Power unit cables, making the power unit cables miss the IDE cable, my BIOS detects all my device properly.

But if I place my Hard Drive/IDE Cable next to the Power Unit, either My HD or CDROM Drive are getting a Hard time to be detected.

I will try to ilustrate it:

--------------------------------------------------------------

(Power Cable)-----(HD)
-----------------------(CDROM)
(IDE PLug)----------

--------------------------------------------------------------

The power Power Plug is right by the IDE cable that connects the HD and CDROM to IDE1

But If I place the HD below the CDROM, I get a prefect BIOS detection

 

[SNGX1275]

Well to answer about your questions on Memory vs Mobo and which module it is:
In a large large percentage of the time if memtest86 says your memory is bad, then it is. Not too often (I've never heard of it - but it probably possible) the motherboard would cause that.
Afaik there is no way to tell which one is bad, you just need to run it with 1 module in and then the other. Perhaps just 1 is bad, perhaps both are, I think you have to test individually to determine that.

For your BIOS having detection problems that are fixed by moving the drives:
I would tend to think that it is much more likely you've got a bad IDE cable involved and when its positioned correctly it works, and otherwise doesn't. Now thats just a guess, but it seems more likely than your PSU creating some field that messes with your RAM and disks.

 

[StormBringer]

I agree with SNGX. I also agree with him on the "EM field" thing, that just isn't very likely, and if your PSU was creating an excess field big enough to cause this, you'd likely hear it, and it wouldn't do that very long before going "poof" This would also likely cause degenerative damage that would eventually kill the devices, it wouldn't just affect them when they are in the range of the field.

 

[UICE]

Memtest did through errors at me. I took the memory back to the OCZ reseller, so lets see what happens.

I'll let you guys know. Im doing some major fixes also, including installing a 450watt Power Supply, and changing the IDE cables for some nice protected Ata133 cables

So basicly thats it.

Thanks for all your help guys :grinthumb

UICE