ASRock K7S41GX SiS problem (re)installing windows - R6003 error

[gmc]

Hi

ASRock K7S41GX with an AMD Sempron 2800 & 512Mb DDR all running at
'out of the box' stock speeds -nothing controversial..

I'm trying to upgrade from ME to XP on an existing windows
installation that has gone lumpy - suspect there might be loads of
malware clogging the thing up..

I have Corporate XP on the drive, & this will only install from an
existing windows - won't run from DOS - so my reasoning is along the
lines of - 'OK: make a clean ME install, & then install XP over it' -
I really don't wan't to inherit any malware into the XP install...

I have tried a DOS floppy boot, renamed 'Windows' as 'Winold' & then
do an ME install into a fresh new directory - 'Windows'.

The OEM WinMe install discs I have on the harddrive has worked before
on other MB's - but in this case it will splash the VGA install
screen, but then immediatly it comes up with this R6003 error - divide
by zero...

MS KnowledgeBase flags this as a motherboard anti-virus issue but this
particular board ASRock K7S41GX doesn't have any AV features.

The ASRock site has no pointers, and a google of "r6003 K7S41GX " gets
zilch..

??

Any help much appreciated!

 

[Guest]

NEVER Upgrade over another windows instalation
Remove all partition from the hard drive and boot from XP disc

I have 2 of these boards running 2800 Semprons Superb

 

[kony]

Hi

ASRock K7S41GX with an AMD Sempron 2800 & 512Mb DDR all running at
'out of the box' stock speeds -nothing controversial..

I'm trying to upgrade from ME to XP on an existing windows
installation that has gone lumpy - suspect there might be loads of
malware clogging the thing up..

1) Do not try to upgrade to XP to try to fix a bad ME
installation. Get ME fixed first (that is, as fixed as ME
can get).

2) IMO, it is best not to upgrade (even a perfectly
running) ME to XP at all, rather than a clean ME
installation. Since you've paid roughly $100 for XP, I'd
expect you plan on running XP for awhile on that box and
thus in the long run it can be to your benefit to start out
with a clean OS installation of XP... not to mention that
you may regain 1/2 Gig or more HDD space.

To get rid of any potential malware, do the usual things.
Scan with Antivirus and adware detection tools, a startup
scanner (like HijackThis) and (if you do the ME-XP upgrade
path) disable all things loading at boot-time, first. I
also suggest checking system with memtest86+ and Prime95's
Torture Test, first, as there's nothing more aggravating
than to have such a procedure fail because of intermittent
CPU or memory instability issues- even though the box may
have been stable all along, things change- heatsinks get
dust buildup, motherboard capacitors age or begin to fail,
dust or thermal effects on parts' contacts... it's just good
to double-check fitness of whole system before new OS
installation, especially with it suspect before you even
start that OS change.

I have Corporate XP on the drive, & this will only install from an
existing windows - won't run from DOS - so my reasoning is along the
lines of - 'OK: make a clean ME install, & then install XP over it' -
I really don't wan't to inherit any malware into the XP install...

I don't recall if I"ve ever tried Corp XP from DOS, but, are
you sure you're doing it correctly? From DOS, you do not
run the Setup.exe file, you run the Winnt.exe file in the
/I386 folder.

I have tried a DOS floppy boot, renamed 'Windows' as 'Winold' & then
do an ME install into a fresh new directory - 'Windows'.

Why would you do that? I mean, I could see trying to
upgrade over your old ME installation to try to preserve
your settings, apps, etc, as much as possible, but with a
clean ME installation you're still starting from scratch but
also worse off from doing the ME-XP upgrade instead of a
clean XP install.

The OEM WinMe install discs I have on the harddrive has worked before
on other MB's - but in this case it will splash the VGA install
screen, but then immediatly it comes up with this R6003 error - divide
by zero...

I'm starting to wonder how many windows licenses you have
but I'll brush past that anyway.

Check system stability as suggested previously, with
memtest86+ and Prime95. Check fans, dust, temps, voltages.

Had WinME installed previously on THAT motherboard? If not,
was this some kind of migration from an ME install to a
different motherboard where you just plug-n-played the new
boardby booting an existing ME installation that was running
on another system?

MS KnowledgeBase flags this as a motherboard anti-virus issue but this
particular board ASRock K7S41GX doesn't have any AV features.

I would consider updating the motherboard bios if there's a
newer one available, but not until doing the hardware checks
to confirm general system stability.

 

[Francois Moolman]

Ashrock Motherboard with AMD & Pentuim CPU are not thery Good. The Ashrock
motherbaord make it shelf is, the problem

 

[David Maynard]

Hi

ASRock K7S41GX with an AMD Sempron 2800 & 512Mb DDR all running at
'out of the box' stock speeds -nothing controversial..

I'm trying to upgrade from ME to XP on an existing windows
installation that has gone lumpy - suspect there might be loads of
malware clogging the thing up..

I have Corporate XP on the drive, & this will only install from an
existing windows - won't run from DOS

"Setup.exe" is the windows setup starter. Use \i386\Winnt.exe for starting
from DOS.

- so my reasoning is along the
lines of - 'OK: make a clean ME install, & then install XP over it' -
I really don't wan't to inherit any malware into the XP install...

I have tried a DOS floppy boot, renamed 'Windows' as 'Winold' & then
do an ME install into a fresh new directory - 'Windows'.

You're not preserving any settings when you rename the windows directory so
I don't understand why you don't just format the hard drive and start over,
which is the best way anyway.

 

[DaveW]

The histories of users unsuccessfully trying to run an Upgrade from WIN Me
to XP are endless. You would be FAR better off reformatting the harddrive
to get rid of the problematic Me and the nasty adware/spyware inhabitting
your system, and do a clean Full install of XP. You will avoid ongoing
nasty headaches with your system this way.

 

[Shep©]

NEVER Upgrade over another windows instalation

Why?
Point to imperative proof of your ill-advised statement :/

 

[Shep©]

Ashrock Motherboard with AMD & Pentuim CPU are not thery Good. The Ashrock
motherbaord make it shelf is, the problem

Nope.

 

[Shep©]

The histories of users unsuccessfully trying to run an Upgrade from WIN Me
to XP are endless. You would be FAR better off reformatting the harddrive
to get rid of the problematic Me and the nasty adware/spyware inhabitting
your system, and do a clean Full install of XP. You will avoid ongoing
nasty headaches with your system this way.

But we would be far better served tracking down the Surgeon who failed
to do your,"Labotamy" correctly :/

 

[David Maynard]

Try it! Do it successfully and let us all know of your success. GOOD
LUCK!

Since you asked, I've done it numerous times with nary a problem.

Of course, my systems start off working properly first.

 

[G]

Why?
Point to imperative proof of your ill-advised statement :/

Try it! Do it successfully and let us all know of your success. GOOD
LUCK!

 

[kony]

Try it! Do it successfully and let us all know of your success. GOOD
LUCK!

I"ve done it, it can work, BUT there is (typically) a lot of
file and registry bloat, and some apps seem to install
differently based on whether Win9x or NT is installed so
they may need uninstalled and reinstalled either way.

 

[kony]

2) IMO, it is best not to upgrade (even a perfectly
running) ME to XP at all, rather than a clean ME
installation.

Edit: Should have read "... rather than a clean XP
installation."

 

[gmc]

Hey thanks guys! - what a team!

maybe I will just re-format & take it from there.

 

[Guest]

If you format you will in fat32
Remove all partitions boot from XP disc for NTFS

 

[kony]

If you format you will in fat32
Remove all partitions boot from XP disc for NTFS

True if he "needs" NTFS. If not, XP runs fine from FAT32.
If he wants both types he could always put a 2nd parttion as
FAT32 on the drive and make the primary XP partition, NTFS.
Then the installation from HDD 2nd partition holding XP
files is faster, the files are on the HDD already for later
convenience too.