Vista won't load and enters reboot loop

[Vista Noob]

Three weeks ago, I intalled Vista Home Premium Upgrade via a clean install
onto a SATA drive on a new 'put-together system': Asus P5B-SE mobo; nvida
8500GT; Intel e4500 core 2 duo; 2GB RAM. I intalled all updates; allowed
Vista to install all drivers. Worked fine for about two-weeks except for the
occasional BSoD; hoped SP1 would fix it. Now, the BSoD is in a reboot loop.
Vista won't even load before it automatically reboots. Can't boot from the
Vista DVD because it finishes loading files, then the BSoD, and reboots.
Can't load in Safe Mode, because half-way through the installation of
drivers, I get the BSoD, and automatically reboots. Nothing I try works
because I get the BSoD and the system reboots. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

 

[Mick Murphy]

One of your probs is that you allowed Auto updates to install hardware
Drivers by Microsoft.
It is better to go to the hardware Manufacturer's website and download the
most up to date, exact,driver for the hardware.

Secondly, SP1 will not been released to the general publice until update
tuesday of Next month: March.It is stll Beta.

 

[Vista Noob]

Thanks for the tip on Auto updates. I always thought it was best to allow MS
to update what it thinks is best, but I'm find out that's wrong.

As for SP1, I haven't installed it. I'm waiting for it to be released to
the general public according to MS's schedule like everyone else. I was
saying that once I do, I hoped it would solve my initial BSod problems.

Any suggestions regarding how to solve my problem? Thanks!

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Noob

Unless it's a secret, what is the error message on the BSOD?

 

[Vista Noob]

Hi Ronnie,

It's no secret, but I can't read it all. It flashes on the screen for maybe
a second, then goes to what I think is my POST screen(?) showing my mobo
logo. From what I can glimpse, it says something about "If this is the first
time you've seen this screen, reboot . . . if not, there is a hardware or
software problem, . . . ."

Thanks!

 

[Vista Noob]

I'm leaving work and heading home where I don't have access to the internet
and this message board, because my home computer is the one that won't work,
so I wanted to leave some more details of my problem below in case someone
knows the answer and is kind enough to help:

1) When I try to reboot in safe mode, the driver installation stops at the
crcdisk driver, then I get the BSoD, then my system reboots.

2) When I try to start windows normally, the little green slider along the
bottom makes its way left to right about two times and freezez on the third
or fourth pass--then BSoD, then my system reboots.

3) Can't boot from Vista DVD, because it begins to load the files, then
BSoD, then reboots.

4) Last Known Good Configuration--same things: starts its operation, BSoD,
reboot.

5) As mentioned in my earlier post, the BSoD does a memory dump, than
quickly disappears, going back to my Mobo logo.

6) After the mobo logo, I get a screen that shows my IDE HDD and my Plextor
ODD, but it doesn't show my SATA drive, which is the one I have Vista
installed on.

7) It is only when Vista tries to load that I get the BSoD and subsequent
reboot.

Thanks again to everyone!

 

[Ken Triebold]

This sounds like a problem with your memory setup.

Go into your bios and set the RAM latency timing (something like 5-5-5-15)
according to the manufacturer's specs for your particular memory. If it is
currently set to auto, change it to manual and enter the correct values.

Also, (and just as important) enter the correct voltage value for your RAM
in the bios. Again, if this is set to auto in your bios, change it to manual
and set it to the voltage value that is specified for your particular RAM.
In order to see the RAM voltage setting in bios, you may have to first set
the CPU overclocking to manual, but this should be explained in the bios
section of your manual for the motherboard.

 

[Vista Noob]

Hi Ken!

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm printing it out now and will give it a try
when I get home. As for the latency timing, I seem to recall it is set for
45. I think the values in BIOS was 5, 15, 25, 35, 45.

Thanks again and I'll post here how it goes.

VN

 

[Michael Price]

I would check the disk settings. The only time I saw a loop as you discuss
was when I had my disk set to AHCI in the bios and the drivers were not
properly loaded. Switching the disk back to IDE or PATA mode fixed the
problem. I then loaded the Intel AHCI drivers from device manager, rebooted
the machine, changed the setting in the bios and all was well.

Try that

 

[Vista Noob]

Hi Ken,

I tried your solution as best I knew how, and didn't get it to work. I
didn't see the RAM latency timing in my BIOS, nor would I have been able to
set it if I could as my RAM packaging didn't contain the timing info--only
info on how to install the sticks.

I did find the voltage settings, and there were three options presented:
Auto, 1.9V, and 1.8V. I tried all three--nothing worked.

Thanks for the help though. I appreciate it.

 

[Vista Noob]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the advice. I actually tried your suggestion in one of my many
earlier 'fiddle around' attempts to solve my problem. I set the disk from
IDE to AHCI in BIOS and the computer booted from my other IDE drive that had
an older version of XP Home. The XP desktop loaded before I got the BSoD and
it rebooted. I then unplugged all of my drives except for the one SATA drive
that had Vista and tried booting both in IDE and AHCI. No luck with either.
I wasn't able to download AHCI drivers, because I can't get my computer
functioning enough to do that--I can't even boot up, not from disk, not from
DVD, nor in safe mode.

Also, what I'm noticing is that the BSoD/Reboot happens sooner and sooner in
the start up process now. Initially, Vista worked fine for about 2 days
before the BSoD/reboot, then it happened every day, then it happened after an
hour of use, then it happened right after the Vista desktop loaded, then it
happened right after login to Vista, then after the green slider bar, and
then now after the POST screens.

Also, the error code looks something like: 0F error
x0000007_0000000_0000000. I'm not sure if this is exactly right, but from
what I can remember, it was something like it.

Any ideas? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?

Thanks!