system will not boot, Please Help

[HK-viper1]

Let me start by thanking all of you who can help and has helped me in the past. In this link here (upgrading) is were you will find the system specs that I built.

The problem that I started having is while playing Joint Operations. I would kinda freeze in one spot and when you try to move you start jumping back and forth in the same spot. Then after a few seconds or so it would go away and then come back (some days better than others), But when exit'ing out completely from the game a window will pop up saying this (check .def allocations). I have checked in the systems event viewer in all sections and found no errors so I then used Check it Diagnostics and found the check allocations error. It showed a few things that it could be and one of them was to check and or reinstall the CPU. When I checked my CPU heatsink it was kinda loose so I pulled out the MB took off the heatsink cleaned the CPU and heat sink with my wife's aceton put rice grain size of thermal compound and reinstalled everything back and tightened up the heatsink so that it doesn't wiggle as it did before. Reconnected all connectors and now the system will not boot up. It will go through the normal process when it starts but then ask's if you want to boot up in safety mode and ect.. I press enter to boot normal and it keeps rebooting.

I don't know what I did wrong or if I tightened too hard the heatsink.

sorry for going on and on butI just frustrated with what it can be.

Please help.

[SRTDodge05]

try to set your cpu to default to see if that helps, if not then i guess you just need to reload windows.

[HK-viper1]

I never made any changes in BIOS, but will check it and set all to default. Also it goes as far as the Windows XP logo right before it boots to the operating system and then reboots over and over.

[Protoplasm72]

Did you damage any components on the motherboard? Look it over carefully. Also make sure you didn't get thermal compound on anything except the cpu core. It can be conductive and could cause a short.

[HK-viper1]

Thanks SRTDodge05 & Protoplasm72, Idiconnected everything again and checked for any damages,wrong connections and found none. Reinstalled cpu heatsink and all connections and when booting it says new cpu installed press f1 to enter setup or f2 to load defaults, so I pressed f2 for dfaults and the same thing continues to happen. It reboots all the way to windows logo then you here a single beep and reboots and asks if you want to enter in safe mode etc or start normally. It does'nt matter in what mode you press because it just continues to reboot over and over.

question: Do you have to reload windows all over again if you pull out the cpu? Or do I have bigger problems?

[Protoplasm72]

You just took the cpu out and put the same one back in, right? There is no need to re-install windows in this case. I've actually switched cpu's without re-installing the OS. I think you have bigger problems

How about booting off a live linux cd. If that works it would tell you for sure that your windows install is just borked. If it keeps rebooting even in linux then it's definately a hardware prob.

Can you boot from a bootdisk and run memtest? Try pulling all non-essential hardware and booting like that. Just the mobo, cpu, 1 stick of mem, the hard drive, and the psu of course.

[HK-viper1]

I pulled out the mb completely from the case. I pulled out both vc's, unplugged the hd's, dvd's, floppy and all power connectors from the mb and even pulled out the mem. I do not have linux and how do i boot from a bootdisk.

[HK-viper1]

ok, I pulled out one of my vc,s and nothing, Then switched it with the other and nothing. I installed them both together again and now I get a black screen with a flashing hyphin on the left top hand corner.

[HK-viper1]

I did a memtest86 late last night for a few hours with no errors and passes 100%. So now what should I do.
I also did a Linux Livecd install and it booted up with no problem.

[HK-viper1]

I want to reinstall windows but I want to do it the correct way. Reformatting both hard drives even if I lose eveything. Can someone help me with a step by step way of doing this. When I first installed windows I never made a boot disk but would like to do it this time around. I will be using Powerquest PartitionMagic 8.0 and also my Windows xp pro sp2 is an OEM which can be a problem but will see after I call Microsoft and tell them want went wrong here. Please help.

Many Thanks.

[Briton]

I would try testing your hard drive with your manufacturer's diagnostic tool if you have not already done so already.

[HK-viper1]

Dont have a rescue floppy, But anyway I reformated anyway and lost everything. It doesn't matter, It was'nt much any how. After reinstalling OS and all drivers and so forth. I did a memtest86 for 24 hours with no problems found and I also did a Data Lifegaurd Diagnostics test that I downloaded from Western Digital to test my Hard drives as you said and everything is ok. When I start playing the game JO's samething continues when I get out and exit everything ( Warning Check .def allocations). So I do a Checkit Diagnostics from Symantec and in the MEM test it finds errors and does not give you the errors, but gives you troubleshooting tips. They are the following

1.- if memory allocation error occurs, quit all other running programs if possible, or check hard disk's free space and increase the virtual memory size if possible and then redo the test. In my virtual mem settings is as follows;

Paging file size for selected drive

My Total page file size for all drives; 2046mb

Drive C:
space available: 184472 MB
set at Custom Size
Initial size (MB): 2046
Maximum size (MB): 4000 --- This I raised

Total paging file size for all drives

Minimum allowed: 2 MB
Recommended: 3070 MB
Currently allocated: 2046 MB

If raising it is correct or wrong I do not know because the test still fails

2.-- If memory data occurs, try disabling external cache or changing wait state timing in BIOS setup utility if possible.

This I do not know how to do and I do not get a memory data error..

3.-- Reinstall CPU, cooling fan and memory modules or use the least amount of memory module(s), maybe 1 or 2, and then redo test.

This is what got me here in the first place when my system would continue to reboot over and over after I did the reinstal and checked the modules 1 by 1.

4.-- If the problem still exists, you need to replace the memory modules or the external cache if possible.

Anything is possible but i do not want to purchase new mem if it is not neccessary. I do not know how to mess around with the external cache.

Can anyone help?

Thank you in advance.

[Protoplasm72]

If it's a stick of bad ram I doubt both sticks went bad. Try testing them 1 at a time.

[SlowJoeBlow]

So ya reformatted and reinstalled windows..it boots up but your main problem is with the game?..Ya do any video card driver updates?..mabey roll them back. Also try raising the Vdimm up a tick. Good Luck and let us know what ya did if ya get it running