P4C800-E Deluxe with SATA no safe mode

[Steve Gibbs]

I have just built a new system and after installing Windows, attempts to
enter Safe Mode cause the system to reboot. This occurs just after the line
where AGP440 is loaded. Normal mode works well, but occasionally the system
resets after running certain programs. The installation went without a
glitch, originally I installed by formatting the full drive capacity to
NTFS. I later used Partition Magic 8 to split this to C: 50Gb and D: the
remainder, both being NTFS. The Safe Mode problem still persisted.

As a side, I was also getting Security Descriptor errors reported in Norton
Systemworks 2003. Reading that a drive converted to FAT32 and back to NTFS
might resolve this issue, I did just that and the security descriptor
problem was solved.

This box needs to be reliable for business use. Any advice please?

Windows XP Pro SP1 (OEM)
P4C800-E Deluxe, BIOS V1015
Single Maxtor SATA 160Gb 8Mb cache (6Y160M0) on Intel SATA port non-RAID
(Reported as Third IDE master)
ASUS A9200SE 128Mb graphics
1Gb Corsair TwinX RAM (PC3200)
DVD player & CD-RW on Secondary IDE
P4 Northwood 2.6GHz

Thanks, Steve

 

[Who?]

Turn off the 'automatically reboot' option in the advanced system
properties.
This will let the pc blue screen and it should tell you what is upsetting
the os.
HTH
Brian

| I have just built a new system and after installing Windows, attempts to
| enter Safe Mode cause the system to reboot. This occurs just after the
line
| where AGP440 is loaded. Normal mode works well, but occasionally the
system
| resets after running certain programs. The installation went without a
| glitch, originally I installed by formatting the full drive capacity to
| NTFS. I later used Partition Magic 8 to split this to C: 50Gb and D: the
| remainder, both being NTFS. The Safe Mode problem still persisted.
|
| As a side, I was also getting Security Descriptor errors reported in
Norton
| Systemworks 2003. Reading that a drive converted to FAT32 and back to NTFS
| might resolve this issue, I did just that and the security descriptor
| problem was solved.
|
| This box needs to be reliable for business use. Any advice please?
|
| Windows XP Pro SP1 (OEM)
| P4C800-E Deluxe, BIOS V1015
| Single Maxtor SATA 160Gb 8Mb cache (6Y160M0) on Intel SATA port non-RAID
| (Reported as Third IDE master)
| ASUS A9200SE 128Mb graphics
| 1Gb Corsair TwinX RAM (PC3200)
| DVD player & CD-RW on Secondary IDE
| P4 Northwood 2.6GHz
|
| Thanks, Steve
|
|

 

[Noozer]

As a side, I was also getting Security Descriptor errors reported in Norton
Systemworks 2003. Reading that a drive converted to FAT32 and back to NTFS
might resolve this issue, I did just that and the security descriptor
problem was solved.

No solution for your problem, but you do realize that a drive converted to
NTFS from FAT is not running as well as a drive originally formatted as
NTFS. I don't know what the difference is, but I've seen it mentioned in a
few places.

 

[Steve Gibbs]

No solution for your problem, but you do realize that a drive converted to
NTFS from FAT is not running as well as a drive originally formatted as
NTFS. I don't know what the difference is, but I've seen it mentioned in a
few places.

I understand that this could be the reason for the Security Descriptors
error problem being resolved. Once I've tracked down the problem, I'll
reformat to native NTFS again.

Thanks, Steve

 

[Steve Gibbs]

The MFT can become fragmented on a converted volume (a native one should
prevent this), and the allocation unit, is usually smaller than is optimal
for performance. Permissions will be slightly different on a converted
boot volume (the tighter permissions normally applied during an install,
are not applied when the volume is converted). These will have been lost
when converting to FAT32.

Best Wishes

The Safe Mode problem existed before the volume conversion but I'll reformat
to native once the cause is identified.

Regards, Steve

 

[Steve Gibbs]

Turn off the 'automatically reboot' option in the advanced system
properties.
This will let the pc blue screen and it should tell you what is upsetting
the os.
HTH
Brian

Excellent idea. Will test this.
Thanks
Steve

 

[Roger Hamlett]

No solution for your problem, but you do realize that a drive converted to
NTFS from FAT is not running as well as a drive originally formatted as
NTFS. I don't know what the difference is, but I've seen it mentioned in a
few places.

The MFT can become fragmented on a converted volume (a native one should
prevent this), and the allocation unit, is usually smaller than is optimal
for performance. Permissions will be slightly different on a converted
boot volume (the tighter permissions normally applied during an install,
are not applied when the volume is converted). These will have been lost
when converting to FAT32.

Best Wishes

 

[Steve Gibbs]

I have just built a new system and after installing Windows, attempts to
enter Safe Mode cause the system to reboot. This occurs just after the line
where AGP440 is loaded. Normal mode works well, but occasionally the system
resets after running certain programs. The installation went without a
glitch, originally I installed by formatting the full drive capacity to
NTFS. I later used Partition Magic 8 to split this to C: 50Gb and D: the
remainder, both being NTFS. The Safe Mode problem still persisted.

As a side, I was also getting Security Descriptor errors reported in Norton
Systemworks 2003. Reading that a drive converted to FAT32 and back to NTFS
might resolve this issue, I did just that and the security descriptor
problem was solved.

This box needs to be reliable for business use. Any advice please?

Windows XP Pro SP1 (OEM)
P4C800-E Deluxe, BIOS V1015
Single Maxtor SATA 160Gb 8Mb cache (6Y160M0) on Intel SATA port non-RAID
(Reported as Third IDE master)
ASUS A9200SE 128Mb graphics
1Gb Corsair TwinX RAM (PC3200)
DVD player & CD-RW on Secondary IDE
P4 Northwood 2.6GHz

Thanks, Steve

Problem solved. I flashed the BIOS to V1017, disabled RAID in the BIOS
(forgot this previously), reformatted to native NTFS, reinstalled the OS and
didn't load any of the motherboard drivers associated with Promise / RAID.
Now the box is stable and works like a dream. Thanks for everyone's comments
& suggestions.

Steve