Riddle me this BatMan? This MoBo HP or ASUS??

[SneakyBastard]

I am TRYING to revamp an old HP Pavilion 4535 mini-desktop for a friend who wants to install Win XP. I did this for him once with no problems about 4 months ago. He said, "Just put XP on it and install the music programs I like and call it a day." So I did.

I told him from the get..."96 meg of PC100 is just BARELY above the requirements for XP.....The BIOS is dated at 1999......Your drive is only 6 GB......Are you SURE you want to use THIS PC for Multi-Media Tasking??"

Needless to say....It is back on my desk today.
I have tried everything to keep this thing up and stable but it just shuts down after about 10 minutes of uptime. All settings are correct, the power supply is fine, the CPU is not too hot, all fans are in working order, and it is not due to workload. It will shut down while idling on the sign-in screen. So I deduce that it is in need of a BIOS update in order to work properly with XP.

This is a MEW-VM MoBo. A HP OEM version made by ASUS. Neither Company care to claim this piece o' crap as thiers! I have searched and searched through ASUSTech and downloaded the closest match I can come to regarding the BIOS and AFLASH utils.

MEW-AM is just ever so slightly varied in difference to the MEW-VM, so, I tried to use the BIOS and AFLASH utility VIA the ASUS download section on the US website.

I get an ERROR! Can't find system BIOS' Hook.

I read the thread here already concerning the gentleman with the P4P board but I do not think it applies here as this board and Phoenix BIOS is old enough to qualify in this case. Unless I am not using an OLD ENOUGH version of AFLASH!!

Can some one please help with a solution? (Not one that requires lighter fluid and a match which is what I would have done to this thing long ago.)
My friend seem rather attached to this dino so I would like to save it for him if possible...

Thanx....

[geoscomp]

..."96 meg of PC100 is just BARELY above the requirements for XP.....

really? the actual microsoft recommendations are for 128 mb of ram, at least a 300 mhz processor..etc...the actual realistic requirements are for close to at least 256 mb of ram..and if you have sp2, add another 64...and at least a p3 600 processor...


as far as bios updates, have you tried this one?

[Ruslan]

Welcome to Windrivers Forums!

1. I would suspect power supply causing shutdowns... Don't get fooled by spinning fans and even booting PC - those tiny 100Wt power supplies are not quite reliable ones (especially those made by Bestec). Because of stupid design heat stays inside the case in those HP series, as result causing damage to capacitors inside the power supply (have seen already a lot of them). You can try another (standard) PSU to see if it will make any difference.

2. Also I would suspect bad (or incompatible) one of memory sticks. That PC has 2 memory sticks, I guess - 32MB and 64MB... Check the memory with any good memory tester... This MB is i810 chipset based and very picky about memory quality.

3. By the way, give it that guy to read: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...&lang=en&cc=us

4. Any of standard ASUS flash utilities won't work for this board. Besides, you should use BIOS from HP, not from ASUS - you have already got the link (in previous post). I wouldn't recommend ASUS's BIOSes for this board as they might be incompatible...

5. Check also if his system is not screwed up by viruses/spyware - I've seen already some viruses causing shutdowns (don't remember their names, though).

[TWiF]

I agree with last post about possible bad memory. But, before buying new sticks I’d first check the capacitors (the round barrel looking thingys about ½” to ¾” high) on the motherboard. Focus on the top of the device. If any of them look like they’re bulging (popped their tops) or you see crusty looking crud on or around them (or any other electronic device), then you’ve found the problem. If the board does have some bad capacitors you’re seeing the early signs --- system shuts off or hangs. Eventually, it won’t even turn on. ABIT motherboards are notorious for their capacitors popping. In fact, they had a civil suit against them for this very reason. . This usually happens with age though (at least that’s what my wife tells me).

Warning...don't touch them cause capacitors are designed to store a charge even when the power is off. These guys probably don't have enough of a zap in them to harm you – and they are insulated, but my legal counsel advised me to mention it.

Cheers.

[SneakyBastard]

OK....I agree with all of you on this issue. The reccomendations stated at the startup of Win XP plainly state min. 64MB. RECCOMEND 128MB though. I have told him to just scrap the board and just buy some new mem for a Soyo P4-IS2. It will take PC133, and I already have a Celeron 2.4 Ghz CPU jsut laying around. I think he is just stuck on the size of the thing. It is only about 3" square it looks to me, but I have a full tower gaming PC with all the flashing lights and doo-hickys!

As for the capacitors (love the description, by the way!) I already gave here the once over and saw no cause for alarm, no bulging caps or blistered resistors.

I started mem-test via a Knoppix CD last night and it ran with no errors. It has been on steady in Knoppix for 16 hours now. No shut downs. As to the Spy Ware or Adware. This is a clean install. Nothing was saved from previous install. Reformatted as NTFS and installed cleanly. Have done no updates. Nothing is installed BUT XP.

I have the case open and the board and all laying flat on the desk. Could the positioning of the Mobo be any cosequence?? I have heard of nothing before concerning positioning of Mother Board or CPU. And I am still not ruling out PSU. That thing is the cutest little Power Supply ever seen. The fan is almost the same size as the PSU combined!!

So my question still.......Why would it shut down when running Win XP and not in DOS or Knoppix??

[SneakyBastard]

And BTW ....TWiF.....My Uncle used to build PSU's and Electronic stuff, which is where I learned to do this stuff. We used to charge some small caps and put then in silly putty and wait for my brothers or sisters to come and grab it! WHooooo HOOOoooo!! Those were good times!!

Just some levity for the times. They aint what they used to be!!

[NooNoo]

XP can be very demanding on hardware. Any fault that wouldn't show up in 98 or knoppix will show up in XP. It may be the bios - XP believes its fully supportive of ACPI but actually it's not, so XP gets a nasty shock and shuts down.

What bsod do you get when you run XP?

If you know about capacitors, you know what they do - and your power supply might not be providing stable power - that will also upset the applecart.

[geoscomp]

The reccomendations stated at the startup of Win XP plainly state min. 64MB. RECCOMEND 128MB though.

Here's What You Need to Use Windows XP Home Edition
• PC with 300 megahertz (MHz) or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233-MHz minimum required;* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended

• 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
• 1.5 gigabyte (GB) of available hard disk space.*

• Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher resolution video adapter and monitor

• CD-ROM or DVD drive

• Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

from microsoft..and those figures assume you are not going to do anything else except run windows..and have no service paks installed.