Windows XP freezes but Win 7 (or Vista) never freezes

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thebanished

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Windows xp freezes and crashes for no reason it started when i installed my new Pentium 4 2.8 GHz HT cpu i tryed fresh installs on a new harddrive but that didn't fix it. but when i installed windows 7 (same for vista) my pc doesn't freeze or crash anymore.

But i want to use xp because i have programs i want to use that only works on xp and for example my sound card (rocketfish rf-71SDCD (its a co branded creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio) i want to use the what u hear (stereo mix) but i can't on win7 or vista.


i don't want to put my p4 2.4 GHz cpu back in

please help
 
Probably Win7 being more recent, has drivers suitable for your motherboard which were not available in XP. Your XP install should run in Safe Mode, enabling you to update all the motherboard drivers for XP, which can be found and downloaded from your motherboard site.
 
well it started when i installed my new cpu and did have all the motherboard drivers installed well i think xp hates hyper threading or just my cpu
 
I'm not sure that it generally hates your CPU... I know that XP runs just fine on a Pentium 4 with Hyper Threading that I have... so I don't think that's it.

Things that come to mind are:
1) Have you tried a repair operation from your XP install disk? Sometimes if you change your motherboard or processor, and the devices are different enough, it can cause unexpected errors in the way the OS tries to use them.
2) Have you installed the latest (and the correct versions) motherboard/chipset drivers? Check your manufacturer website for updates. They can solve problems that are seemingly impossible.
3) As a last resort... have you tried loading a fresh install of XP on another partition or another hard disk drive? If that doesn't crash, then you have a possibly viable solution, or at least know that it CAN work, and XP doesn't just "hate your processor".
 
1. right now i removed xp for a fresh install again

2 yes i had all the latest drivers

3. yes i tryed a fresh install on a new hard drive that didn't fix it
 
This is a most peculiar problem... I'm not sure why you're having such a difficult time... I'm fresh out of ideas but this interests me because the 2 CPUs that you have there are nearly identical, in that they are both pentium 4's and both the same socket obviously... the difference may be that your MOTHERBOARD hates hyperthreading. Not the OS. (Although I know "buy a new motherboard" is probably not a solution for you...)

In any case... look up some stuff about your motherboard and hyper threading CPUs... see if anyone's found anything... I'll look also and let you know if I find anything.
 
True, so what I should have said was that possibly XP's chipset driver for that board doesn't work well with the hyperthreading processor. I know it's not supposed to affect anything, but it's a thought... as we seem to be rather stuck here.
 
It is a driver problem, or more likely a set of drivers. When you find the correct Windows XP drivers it will likely work fine... But it isn't going to work until you do.
There are no known problems with the hyperthreading processor. Have you verified that the chipset is correct, or have you looked for the previous chipset in the event there is damage or a coding error in the set you have attempted to load?
 
thebanished, what chipset do you have actually? What motherboard, specific processor, etc. do you have?
I might be able to find something with that info.

As raybay suggested, have you tried older versions of your chipset drivers?

EDIT:
This HAS to be a driver error, but it's odd because the computer was working before the CPU change. That shouldn't even require an OS reload theoretically, so I don't understand why we're having such a problem with the drivers. (Or that or the CPU is magical and evil.... which I doubt.)
 
well i reinstalled xp with sp3 (i had xp with sp2 )

it seems stable and i installed the latest drivers for my motherboard

my motherboard is asrock p4mv890
Chipset Via P4M890 rev :00
southbridge Via VT8237

my cpu is a p4 2.8 ghz ht Prescott 1MB family: F Model: 3 Stepping: 4
Ext. Family: F ext.Model: 3 Revision D0

well i'm still doing stress tests (just using it like normal would make it freeze ) and watching justin tv streams would all ways make xp freeze but it hasn't for a while i just hope this is a good sigh that xp is useable again.

so i will reply again if it starts freezing again.
 
First off, when you install a new OS(WinXP) always use install CD with the latest service pack, next thing before you install a new/reinstall the old OS. Try to update the BIOS, this can be a typical issue of an old BIOS.

My advice is update the bios, install W7 and look for drivers.

And one more thing test your RAM, try this hcidesign.com/memtest
 
rams fine (new ram) , the risk of it freezing while updating my bios maby I'll try the dos version but well during bios updates i freak out. i have a copy of w7 just need to fix my dual boot setup
but i will loose the ability to use "what you hear" (stereo mix)
 
new ram? but did you do the test? sometimes old BIOS don't support all RAM modules, and the support is added later, with a new BIOS...Had like that in 3 PCs I upgraded. RAM errors can produce all types of obscure errors, and they can be different every time..=P
 
i did test my ram there fine ( xp would freeze with Kingston ram too and they where fine too)

my new ram is g.skill ddr 2GB (2 1GB sticks ) so i know its not the ram
 
ok i'm will be doing a test i'm going to put my old cpu back in if it doen't freeze i will just keep it in till i find a better cpu :( but if it freezes even with the old cpu i will put my current one back in
 
Sorry that it appears that we can't figure out a solution...
Something fishy is going on... tell us if the old CPU works still...
 
Wow... that's weird... I have absolutely no clue what's going on with the whole thing... sorry that I couldn't be of much help.
 
maby but i can't risk haveing a bad bios flash

1. its my only good pc

2. 478 socket motherboards are hard to find now newegg and tigerdirect have only one 478 board and there the same and the reviews say its crap
 
just upgrade to windows 7, sure you probably won't get to use some programs that's isnt capable with windows 7 but is with xp, but it sure does save a headache.
 
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