HowToFixComputers.com

Big Sky · Guest

I just installed my NFORCE3-A w/Sempron 3100+ in an ANTEC LanBoy case with
an ANTEC TrueBlue 480W PS. I have 1 GB of PC4000 RAM, 2 optical drives and
3 hard drives. I have a Thermaltake Silence HSF to keep things cool.
Windows XP Pro loaded without incident as did the drivers for my Radeon
9800Pro. I messed around with it for a hour and then left it on (with the
side off the case) as I tried to put another computer back together.

After a few hours I went back to the NFORCE to restart it so I could check
the CPU temps (all good 43 C) but then after a few seconds it hung on the
Windows load screen. I tried resetting it twice with the same problem.

Any ideas? I'm not overclocking it (yet) so I didn't think I had a heat
problem. Very disappointing after such a smooth load with XP.

Thanks.

BM

tcsenter · Guest

The basics:

- Check for newer BIOS update

- Boot into to Safe Mode by pressing F8 immediately after POST screen
(for troubleshooting)

- You can use a boot log analyzer to see if there is one particular
system file or driver causing the lock, such as BootLog XP:
http://greatis.com/utilities/bootlogxp/

- Strip the system down and use the process of elimination to find the
source; one hard drive, one optical drive, and no non-essential
peripherals

- Use a multimeter to verify the PSU voltage rails are within spec

steve · Guest

I had the same thing happen when a raid configuration failed. I
disabled the raid settings in the bios and the system rebooted.
normally. If I try removing the failed raid drive the system won't
boot either, so I live with it for the time being.

Big Sky · Guest

I have no problem installing and running XP Pro SP2 on this
motherboard...until I install the NForce Drivers on the CD or from the
NVidia website. Doing so causes the system to lock up on the Windows load
screen. Trying Safe Mode indicates the system halts on the mup.sys file.
Searching Google for this file you'll find hundreds of people having the
same problem. The mup.sys file is not the problem...it has something to do
with the system drivers that Windows is loading after mup.sys appears on the
list on the screen. Apparantly this problem is related in most cases to
hardware issues. The range of possible solutions is long with few working
for more than a few people (reloading windows, bios settings, removing
cards, repairing windows from the recovery console, etc.). It appears this
problem is related to a host of issues from bad ide cables, resetting the
bios, USB, reset ECSD, SATA, ACPIC, etc. In other words, just about
anything. In my case, I have to believe it has something to do with the
NVidia drivers for USB, Gart, IDE, etc. Based on what I seen in many
forums, I can't believe you haven't heard of this problem before. So, I'm
really hoping you have some insight on what I need to do. I've tried
"every" solution listed on the web without success. I can only get my
system to boot properly if I do a complete reinstall including a reformat of
the hard drive and DO NOT install the NVidia drivers.

Again, this problem is rampant on the forums and many software engineers are
stumped as to why it happens and why some many solutions work for only a
few. Some smart folks at ECS, Microsoft and/or NVidia must know how to fix
this problem. Again, I've tried just about everything from tearing my
system down to the basics and rebuilding a piece at a time to do a complete
OS rebuild. Failure to load always happens after loading the NVidia
drivers.

Please help!!!!

"steve" <None@here> wrote in message
news:pq2ls1ph1nnun6657oqcj9adaudjk6sth7@4ax.com...

Stev · Guest

Mines an NForce4 chipset. I didn't have any problems that were
apparent with the NVidia drivers, just the Raid setup, it failed in 2
installs but it was the first time I've ever messed with a Raid setup.
My ECS board is a NForce4 A939 using an AMD Athlon X2 3800. I used an
ATI ALLinWonder X600 video card. I thought I might have trouble with
the ATI chipset in an NVidia Motherboard, it did offer some problems
but a little messing around with different drivers fixed the problem.
I haven't heard of the problem you're having. This is the first
NVidia chipset board I've used. Now I'm glad it was the Nforce4
chipset I got ahold of.
Have you tried a bios upgrade? I had to upgrade my bios to get the
dual processors to work. Could be a solution has been made in a new
bios version if it is a rampant problem.
Good luck,
Steve

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Stev · Guest

I don't know what all you've tried but this can't hurt too much.
Check your XP driver versions agianst these.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce3_winxp_5.11

For the bios: Compare the dates:
http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWeb/Downloads/Category_Download.aspx?Categoryid=1&MenuID=35&LanID=9

Steve

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Big Sky · Guest

I did update my bios from the ECS website and tried the NForce3 drivers from
the NVidia website. I'm sure its one of theNVidia device drivers that is
causing the problem (SM Bus, Gart, AGP, USB, IDE). At this point I'm afraid
to try each one individually because I'd have to rebuild this system from
scratch perhabs many times. Don't know what I'm missing if I leave it with
the MS drivers. What ever happened to plug and play? What ever happened to
an OS that was supposed to let know, in some detail, what it was hanging up
on? Aghhhh.

If you look up mup.sys in google you'll find loads of people who have this
problem but it seems to be related to a myriad of hardward/bios issues.

BM

<Steve> wrote in message news:cfsos190s2cl553efooacjgqflafjvtuv3@4ax.com...

Steve · Guest

mup.sys is the usb driver
What kind of mouse are you using? USB?
I've had my system hang when I left something plugged into the USB
when I rebooted before.
Is anything plugged into the USB?, maybe a miswired jumper from a USB
jumper to the case?
Doubt it wil work but it was a shot.

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Big Sky · Guest

Steve,

I have a USB mouse but I'm using a round 6 pin adapter to connect it to the
back panel. Its a Kensington optical mouse.

I did install the front panel cable between the motherboard and the front of
the case. The connector could only fit one way because one of the holes in
the plug is filled in. Come to think of it, the front USB ports currently
don't work...they did at one time. I had assumed this was because I didn't
install the NFORCE USB device driver.

No other USB devices except for when I use a USB memory stick with the back
panel USB ports...but that hasn't caused a subsequent problem. Without the
NFORCE drivers, I was able to reboot with the USB stick installed.

A poster in another forum suggested that the most likely problem is the
NFORCE IDE device driver. Said I should install all the other drivers
except that one....I feel another system rebuild coming...

<Steve> wrote in message news:2tgrs1l5kmsfmenb93q3q1jr8h7lmm65b6@4ax.com...

Big Sky · Guest

Well, I successfully installed the GART, SMBus, and ethernet drivers from
the latest Nvidia NFORCE package and the system still boots fine. I did
notice I now have a yellow flagged device in Device Manager called Unknown
PCI Bridge Device. Windows can't find a driver for it. Also, the Nvidia
ethernet port still doesn't work even though it is turned on in the BIOS.

I didn't install the IDE or Audio drivers. I'm not sure why I would need to
install the NVIDIA driver since I already have a Realtek AC97 driver
installed. Any ideas?

Thanks.

BM
<Steve> wrote in message news:2tgrs1l5kmsfmenb93q3q1jr8h7lmm65b6@4ax.com...

tcsenter · Guest

tcsenter · Guest

Also, try disabling the NV Firewall (Active Armour or whatever it is
called) if it is featured on your board. People have been reporting
problems with this enabled as well.

thetxstang · Contributor Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 5

Big Sky, I also have an ECS NFORCE3-A motherboard I just recently puchased. Furthermore, I'm having the EXACT same problems you are. I did a Google search for the exact same problems you described and came across your post.

Have you found the exact driver combination solution to use as of yet? I've searched long and hard across the Internet and can only come to two conclusions thus far: 1) Do not install the IDE drivers and 2) Do not install the firewall component.

Can you please provide us with an update?

Many thanks in advance!

BigSky · Guest

You hit it on the head. I installed all the NForce driver components except
for the IDE drivers (didn't see anything about firewall) and all is good
now. I loaded one at a time leaving the IDE driver until last from the
postings I read. Since it was still working, I never tried loading the IDE
driver again.

"thetxstang" <no@spam.invalid> wrote in message
news:OTyHf.8252$BV4.3414@fe03.news.easynews.com...

thetxstang · Contributor Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 5

Big Sky, thank you for the reply. Much appreciated!

I have a few questions for you since you seem to have finally gotten everything ironed out with this motherboard (I have yet to do so).

1) Did you install any drivers at all from the included CD?
2) When you say you "installed all the NForce driver components except for the IDE drivers," did you install the NForce drivers available from ECS's website (v5.10) or NVIDIA's web site (v5.11)?
3) If you installed the combo drivers from NVIDIA's website, did you install the LAN and audio drivers also? The reason I ask is that it appears the LAN and audio chips are not NVIDIA's, but Realtek's.
4) Is your onboard LAN and audio working as of now?
5) Any other step-by-step instructions you could provide for an idiot who's having real problems?

Thanks again for your help!!