Windows XP SP2 random lock-up during boot up

[Emerson Lee]

I am a user of Rosewill Radeon 9200SE. On Windows XP
SP2, it cause system unstable during boot up.

Randomly (1/3 times), after Windows welcome screen,
before log on screen, system hang up with a black
screen. Sometimes, I can see broken blue lines full of
screen glittering before it goes to black screen.

Is this hardware problem or software incompatibility?

=====================================================

My system information:
Motherboard: Asus P4P800 SE
CPU: Pentinum 4 3.0C
Memory: Corsair PC3200 DDR 1G (512x2)

I have tried:
* Microsoft ATI driver
* Latest ATI driver (Catalyst 4.11)
* Latest Omega ATI driver (2.59)

All of them have the same problem.

Can anyone give me some suggestion? Thank you very much!

 

[Kelly]

Hi,

Suggestions:

Computer Stops Responding with a Black Screen When You Start Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;q314503

Windows XP Stops Responding at the Welcome Screen
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q294/4/27.asp

Black Screen on Boot
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q155/0/53.asp

Good luck and keep us posted. )

--
All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Kelly]

Added info: Try booting into Safe Mode. Once done, go to
Start/Run/Msconfig/Boot.ini and select /BaseVideo then reboot.

More info:

How to boot into Safe Mode:

You need to hit F8 during boot, just after the BIOS info switches to black
screen. Or...

Go to Start/Run/Msconfig. Boot.Ini and check off /SafeBoot. Apply/Ok,
reboot.

Description of Safe Boot Mode in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q202/4/85.asp

Safe-Mode Boot Switches for Windows Boot.ini File
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q239/7/80.asp

Another option: Add Safe Mode to the Boot Screen

Use as an example/guideline: Go to Start/Run and type in: C:\boot.ini and
copy/add what you want (Safe Mode or with Command Prompt), then save,
reboot.

Normal, Safe Mode and Command Prompt.

[boot loader]
timeout =15
default = multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS = "Windows XP Normal"
/fastdetect /sos)

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS = "Windows XP SAFE
Mode"/safeboot:minimal)

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS = "XP SAFE Mode with
Command Prompt" /safeboot:minimal(alternateshell)


--
All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Emerson Lee]

Hi Kelly,

Thank you very much for the reply! However, my problem seems to be
graphics card or mother-board.

If I use safe-mode, there's always no problem.

BTW, when I switch DVI output to analog output, I reboot 5 times this
morning, all of them succeed.

My friend suggested that it might be timing issue between
motherboard/CPU and graphics card.

It's really frustrated to fight with this kind of problem in the dark
-- no log, no event. Is there any tool to show/track what system is
doing during that black-out time?

Best Regards,

Emerson

 

[Emerson Lee]

Latest test result:

* When using this Radeon 9200SE card on an old machine, it works fine
in both DVI-out and analog-out.

* When using it on new machine (ASUS P4P800 SE motherboard, P4 3.0C),
analog-out always works fine; if use DVI-out, sometimes (1 out of 3)
system goes to black-screen when boot up. However, system doesn't
freeze, I can still ping this machine, just can't see video output. So
the CPU and data bus runs fine.

It looks like that graphics card and motherboard or CPU has a speed
mismatch or something, which leads to wrong address mapping on
graphics card.

Anyone has suggestion?

Thanks!