New build problem, help! :(

edited February 2009 in Hardware
Hey guys. Just build my sister a new PC.. here are the specs..

- Antec NSK 4480 Mini Tower Case (Silver) - 380W Earth Watts PSU
- Intel Core 2 Duo E2200 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.20GHz
- Samsung SH-S203D 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter
- Gigabyte GA-73PVM-S2H GeForce 7100 Micro-ATX (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
- Samsung SpinPoint T 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache
- OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 Dual Channel Platinum Revision 2 XTC Series DDR2

I'm no PC expert by any means, but I have built a PC (mine before), and other than incompatible RAM to begin with, I had no problems.

So the build went well and I booted the PC up and everything seemed to be fine. I put Windows XP in to install and setup began, but during the part where it checks your configuration at the start I got a blue screen (the 'Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer one) and so I reset the PC but now it just hangs on the 'Verifying DMI Pool Data' screen.

I've tried a few things,

- Checked everything is connected properly and securely
- Tried each stick of RAM on it's own... everytime I changed the RAM around the 'Verifying DMI Pool Data' screen updates to 'Verifying DMI Pool Data ........... update success!' and then it just continues to hang
- Resetting to optimized defaults/fail safe in the BIOS, and also resetting the CMOS
None of this fixed the problem though.
Next I put the hard drive from my computer in to the new build and, sure enough, it booted up in to Windows XP first time. So I now know that, for some reason, I can't get past the DMI Pool Data screen because of the new hard drive.

However, another problem seems to have arisen. With the hard drive from my PC plugged in to this new one I can get to the desktop, sure, but after about 3 seconds the computer just resets. No error messages or blue screens, it just resets. Every time. I'm hoping that's just because of the hard drive's settings and drivers all confliction with the new computer's components though?
Finally I tried putting the new hard drive in to my existing PC and, as I was hoping, I got the ''Verifying DMI Pool Data' error! So, it's the new hard drive then I guess? Not sure why it got past the DMI Pool Data stage the first time I turned it on, but whatever.

Unfortunately I don't have an empty hard drive (or one I can empty) to test in the new computer.
So any other suggestions, or is my new hard drive just faulty and in need of a replacement?
Thanks.

Comments

  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    when you moved the new hdd what cable did you use?
    it does sound like a bad hdd, but you should double check the cable and the jumpers. You might even try a reinstall before you give it up.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Have you gone into the BIOS and checked the hdd settings? Maybe some there is messed up. Make sure that the BIOS is set right.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited April 2008
    Easiest thing first. Run a memtest check.
  • edited February 2009
    Hey guys. Just build my sister a new PC.. here are the specs..

    - Antec NSK 4480 Mini Tower Case (Silver) - 380W Earth Watts PSU
    - Intel Core 2 Duo E2200 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.20GHz
    - Samsung SH-S203D 20x DVD?RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter
    - Gigabyte GA-73PVM-S2H GeForce 7100 Micro-ATX (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
    - Samsung SpinPoint T 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache
    - OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 Dual Channel Platinum Revision 2 XTC Series DDR2

    I'm no PC expert by any means, but I have built a PC (mine before), and other than incompatible RAM to begin with, I had no problems.

    So the build went well and I booted the PC up and everything seemed to be fine. I put Windows XP in to install and setup began, but during the part where it checks your configuration at the start I got a blue screen (the 'Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer one) and so I reset the PC but now it just hangs on the 'Verifying DMI Pool Data' screen.

    I've tried a few things,

    - Checked everything is connected properly and securely
    - Tried each stick of RAM on it's own... everytime I changed the RAM around the 'Verifying DMI Pool Data' screen updates to 'Verifying DMI Pool Data ........... update success!' and then it just continues to hang
    - Resetting to optimized defaults/fail safe in the BIOS, and also resetting the CMOS
    None of this fixed the problem though.
    Next I put the hard drive from my computer in to the new build and, sure enough, it booted up in to Windows XP first time. So I now know that, for some reason, I can't get past the DMI Pool Data screen because of the new hard drive.

    However, another problem seems to have arisen. With the hard drive from my PC plugged in to this new one I can get to the desktop, sure, but after about 3 seconds the computer just resets. No error messages or blue screens, it just resets. Every time. I'm hoping that's just because of the hard drive's settings and drivers all confliction with the new computer's components though?
    Finally I tried putting the new hard drive in to my existing PC and, as I was hoping, I got the ''Verifying DMI Pool Data' error! So, it's the new hard drive then I guess? Not sure why it got past the DMI Pool Data stage the first time I turned it on, but whatever.

    Unfortunately I don't have an empty hard drive (or one I can empty) to test in the new computer.
    So any other suggestions, or is my new hard drive just faulty and in need of a replacement?
    Thanks.

    I got that dern "Verifying DMI pool data as well" Have a feeling that it's my hard drive instead of my BIOS, CMOS and a whole host of other things that can cause this problem. I have another XP system which is the one I'm using right now. No problems. I even tried the problem HDD on another computer. Same thing.

    My computer shows this "Verifying DMI pool data" as well, after I disconnected all the drives. Hum. So this was telling me as long as I don't have a properly working hard drive in my computer I can expect to see this message. So it my be the end of the line for your HDD except for using it as a slave.

    But, it isn't a total lost. I can use it as a slave drive. However, I will have to start all over installing all my software on the HDD I'm using now.:grr:
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