GA-880GM usb3: constant restart/bsod

[savawa]

I just put together my new computer from parts about two weeks ago.  I've been having constant problems where it will restart either when the windows logo comes up or at the login screen or, sometimes, after I log in.

After going through the Startup Repair and two or three system restores it'll boot up and run fine.  After shutting down for a few hours the restarts will happen again.  It seems to need at least 30 minutes. 

I've gone through several reinstalls of Windows and installed all the up to date drivers that I can find.  I've read about problems caused by the Realtek Audio driver so I let Windows install it's own generic driver and left it there.  There is another sound driver for the ATI DV output.

What I've read about the Realtek audio driver makes me think that maybe the Realtek Lan driver may be the problem.

I've replaced the CMOS battery.  I've set the ram to 1066 from the 1333 it defaulted to.  The ram specs say it should run at 1.5V but the BIOS shows it running at 1.6V. CPU-Z shows it running at 1.5V and 7-7-7-20 timings.  One thing I'd like to do is set the voltage but I don't know where to do that. 

This is actually an improvement.  On the second day after I assembled everything it only booted up and ran fine when there was only one stick of ram in it.  This problem seems to have stopped.

Here's a link to the most recent bsod minidumps.  I don't have any others because I never heard of this program before.

http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/fated_circle/bsod%20minidumps/



My specs are:

motherboard: GA 880GM USB3
Bios: F4
hard drive: 650 gb Western digital (SATA running in IDE mode)
CPU: AMD Athlon 2  X4 635
ram: g skill 2x2GB
graphics: asus radeon 5770 CuCore
OS: Windows 7


 I also wanted to ask about the BIOS and CPU compatibility.  According to the gigabyte site my CPU is supported on F6 and later but my computer still runs.  Should I upgrade to F7 or not?  I've never done a BIOS upgrade so I'd rather solve these issues without doing that.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm rambling.  I'm at my wits end with this and it's late at night here.

[absic]

Hi there,

From the symptoms you are describing I think the first thing to do is run Memtest on your RAM to make sure you haven't got a faulty module. I would suggest testing each stick individually and for at least 2 passes. You can download Memtest here: http://www.memtest86.com/download.html

A memory fault is the most likely cause of your problems but, unfortunately, it could also be caused by other things, for example, if the PSU is not working properly or has insufficient constant power.

At the moment I would hold off of updating BIOS.

[savawa]

I've run memtest on each stick individually with 7 passes on each and no errors.

Just this morning the Intellitype software stopped working and it rebooted. 

During the startup repair it attempted to do a system restore and it crashed with a PFN List CORRUPTED error and 0x0000004E code.

Here's the screenshot for today's bsod

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/fated_circle/bsod%20minidumps/5.png

I'm going to get the Intellitype software and hope that solves at least one problem.

[absic]

OK, so we can assume that your RAM is fine. The error that you have posted normally points to either memory or Hard drive problem so.....

You say that your Hard drive is: 650 gb Western digital (SATA running in IDE mode) Can you give a few more details of the model number is it Green, Blue or Black? Also what SATA port do you have it attached to?
Do you have S.M.A.R.T. enabled in BIOS?

[savawa]

It is a Caviar Black 7200RPM 32MB Dual Proc 3.5IN SATA.  I have it plugged into the SATA0  port.  S.M.A.R.T. is not enabled.


Edit:  I forgot to add my power supply earlier.  It's a Coolermaster Extreme Power Plus 700W ATX 12V V2.3 Silent Power Supply 20/24PIN

[absic]

OK
your HDD should also be OK so the problem is probably due to the BIOS version you are running.

As you say, according to the Gigabyte Website, your CPU is not officially supported until BIOS version F6.

I know from your earlier post, that you are not too sure of how to flash BIOS so I would suggest you check out the FAQ here: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2441.0.html before you do it.
If I were going to flash your BIOS I would go straight to F7. You can download that from here: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3412&dl=1#bios

[savawa]

Ok.  I've updated the BIOS.  It restarted fine but from past experience I know that's not a sign of anything.  I'll shut down fora few hours and post back later.


Thanks for your help absic115.

[absic]

OK, Good luck & I'll keep my fingers crossed foryou. 

[savawa]

Ok, I shut it down for about 7 hours.  It started up alright with none of the usual bsod's so I think the BIOS update worked.  The only thing is just after login Windows Explorer crashed and forced a restart.  On the second start up Kaspersky failed to start properly. 

I read somewhere that it had something to do with how programs stored on the hard drive are processed on startup.  Like, the instructions were too slow getting there and were not there when the startup procedure expects them to be.  Could this have something to do with an SAT drive running in IDE mode instead of ahci?

[absic]

Could this have something to do with an SATA drive running in IDE mode instead of ahci?

In a word no. I have never had an issue when running SATA drives in IDE Mode in fact, I have had more problems with certain makes of HDD when trying to run in AHCI.

The problem is more than likely due to the issues you have been facing previously. Updating the BIOS has obviously resolved the problem with the CPU but, it could also have changed the configuration of your PC enough for windows 7 to have a few hiccups. These problems normally resolve themselves after a few startup/shutdown cycles so I wouldn't worry too much. If it is a real cause of concern for you, then the best option would be to do a clean re-install of Windows 7.

[savawa]

I hope it'll resolve itself.  This morning the restarts happened again, even when trying to start in safe mode.  I ended up doing a repair from disc.

[absic]

I would recommend that you do a clean install of the OS. It seems as if something has become corrupted in the windows registry and it is what I would do in your situation.

If the problems persist after you have reinstalled the OS then we would have to look deeper at your PC configuration but, from the specs you have posted there really shouldn't be a problem.

[savawa]

Ok, I did a clean install yesterday.  Today Windows Explorer crashed after I logged in and restarted itself.  A bit after that the computer rebooted and restarted at the login screen. It did a system restore but the start up procedure never made it past the login screen.

 I tried a repair from disc but it hung while loading the files.  I forced a restart and told it to start windows normally and here I am now.

All drivers I let windows detect and install itself with the exception of the USB3 driver, which I got from the gigabyte site.

[savawa]

I think I may have solved it.  I had attached a 3.5 floppy drive because my parents still use them.  I forgot to put it in my specs list, sorry.  I took it out and it booted fine after 30 min of powering down.  A little faster than usual too.  I'll power down for longer.  Hopefully this was the cause.

[absic]

Ah yes, the dreaded Floppy Drive, this could well be the cause of the problem. When you removed it from the system did you remember to disable it in BIOS too? If not, I would suggest that you do so.