System can't extract cab file, Mobo gone

[PolderTech]

Hi there,

System not able to extract cab files when installing software (games, drivers for scanner, testsoftware etc.). It started approx. a half year after newly installed OS (XP pro) on new computer with installation of MS Flightsimulator game. Error message: not enough (virtual)memory, disk full or cab file corrupt.
On another computer no error messages; cab files not corrupt. Disk has more then 10GB free space on active partition, so that rules out as well. The machine has 512 MB RAM and only OS is started when installing the software, not likely to be the cause, though. Microsoft's recommendation to renew the pagefile didn't solve it. Pagefile is on separate partition of 2GB.

At last re-installed the OS from scratch; made it this time dual boot (separate partitions). First W98 then XP. Installation was problematic, several error messages that files were corrupt even after CD was copied to harddisk (no errors during copying). After finally both OS were installed still same kind of errors in XP when installing software and extracting cab files. W98 also has some difficulties but less. Most of the time installed programs run fine. Only some games have occasionally weird video output, window scrambled always on same place early in the game.

Reseated both memory sticks; ran system with just one memory stick at a time: no luck. Ran DocMem test: memory seems OK. Tested memory on another System seems OK. Swapped HDD(8GB) and tested installation of OS: still same difficulties with installation.
Tried to install the MoBo drivers: error disk full or file corrupt is displayed. Installation of test software (SiSoft trailversion) with large cab files fails with above mentioned error. No matter it is installed from CD, HDD or network. Copying files from CD or network to HDD is OK.

Btw. Should you install the MoBo drivers before the OS installation and how do you do it when no OS is installed?

System spec's:
Mobo: K7SEM [SiS Chipset]
CPU: Athlon XP 1800+ (temp: 42-45deg.C while working)
Mem: 512 MB sdram (2x256MB/PC133)
HDD: 80 GB WD [IDE/ATA66] (80 wire cable used)
DVD: BenQ 12x
CDRW: Aopen 48x
OS: Win98 SE and XP pro

Has anyone of you an idea what might caused this odd behavior after a half year running fine and what is a good direction to look for a solution.

[NooNoo]

When you swapped the hard drive out, did you also try a new cable?

[PolderTech]

No, there was no spare at hand. Will see to borrow one for a test.

[nunob]

Have you tested the Hard Drive with something like Data Advisor or WesternDigital's tool to see if it is having issues? Also make sure you have updated the drivers for the ide controllers. And as to installing the mobo drivers before the os that makes no sense because the drivers are there to interact with the os and act as the go between the hardware and the os.

[CeeBee]

Try this:
-Remove all the cards except video.
-Reset the CMOS, then only enable the peripherals that you NEED for the beginning (IDE, USB if you have a USB keyboard or mouse); do not enable any option like sound, network
-Set the memory speed to the slowest value.
-Leave just 1 stick of RAM
-Connect your HDD to the secondary IDE port, have only the CDROM on the primary port
-Install the OS
If it's OK just add or enable the peripherals one by one and test to see if you have any problems.
If you get ANY error during the OS setup swap the RAM sticks and try again from the scratch. Let's see what happenes.

[PolderTech]

Thanks for the reactions so far.

Done the test with a IDE cable from a system that's running fine. Sorry to say but the same errors occur.

Will do the HDD test. Perhaps it will reveal if something is wrong with the IDE port. HDD is not considered wrong as device bound errors are expected to stay with the unit when swapped. And that is already done.

After the HDD test I will move the HDD to the second IDE port and the CD-drive to the primary and see what that brings.

Furthermore I still can't get the picture clear how the systems works. If a file has to be extracted one would expect that first all the main memory is filled before any virtual memory is used. In performance monitor I've never seen memory loaded to its full capacity or even near it.
Where is the data cached when reading a file from CD, HDD or network for extraction during installation.
Why do the errors show up during installation, not during copying from CD or downloading from the network.

[NooNoo]

Originally posted by PolderTech
Thanks for the reactions so far.

Furthermore I still can't get the picture clear how the systems works. If a file has to be extracted one would expect that first all the main memory is filled before any virtual memory is used. In performance monitor I've never seen memory loaded to its full capacity or even near it.

One would expect it yes, but it doesnt work that way at all....


The corruption may have already occured during the copying and is only evident in execution of the files.

[PolderTech]

CeeBee, first I want to apologize for the long delay in reacting. But I’m not the owner of the system just a helping hand. The system is normally used for more serious business then games.

I finally was able as you suggested to strip the system down to its bare bones. Used various combinations of the HDD and CD drive on IDE1 and 2 when installing the OS but during copying files the system hanged motionless. I‘m sure the HDD, the CD drive and the CD are OK. They work just fine in a 133 MHz test system. Although installation takes for ages.

I then as a last resort tried to flash the BIOS. Got the BIOS and flash utility from the manufactures website. All went well and I was offered to backup the old BIOS. After showing the checksum the utility gave the message: Unknown flash type and quit.
This leads me to the conclusion that some bits may have been knocked over in that BIOS causing the problems with installation of programs and so.

Is there a way to get the BIOS flashed anyhow? Or is this really the end for this mobo. Btw. a hot swap is not an option because we don’t have another BIOS chip

[NooNoo]

They work just fine in a 133 MHz test system. Although installation takes for ages.

That says to me there is something wrong with the drive... did you run Western digital's diagnostics?

[CeeBee]

After showing the checksum the utility gave the message: Unknown flash type and quit.

This will happen if flash protection is enabled - could be a jumper or a setting in BIOS

[PolderTech]

This will happen if flash protection is enabled - could be a jumper or a setting in BIOS

CeeBee you were right the BIOS flash protect was enabled. After changing the jumper it was possible to flash successfully.
Unfortunately it is still not possible to extract large cab file when installing programs

Noo Noo I run the WD disk diagnostics again. The disk has no errors. But the BIOS check learned me that the disk is not read to it full capacity by the BIOS.
Checked the settings. In WD diagnostics: C=155009, H=16 and S=63.
In BIOS the values are: C=38296, H=16 and S=255.
Tried to change the setting in the BIOS manually but only five digits are allowed.

Still puzzling what causes the error.

[eboyjones]

When you swapped the hard drive out, did you also try a new cable?

Had a very similar problem. So I reformatted and ghosted my back-up drive to to primary drive after switching jumpers on drives. Same problems, but I thought like NooNoo bad cable. Put in new not used or borrowed cable reformatted and ghosted again and problem went away.

So if you did the same using the original cable and even if you borrowed a good one after you re-installed the problems are already on the drive.

[PolderTech]

Thanks EboyJones for the hint. I bought a new cable and placed is directly from the sealed bag in the machine. I also prepared a "fresh" HDD (1GB) on a test system to be used in the system under test. Newly partitioned and formatted with the correct geometry.
I had to install Win 98 because the HDD is to small for XP. OS installation was painless as were the motherboard drivers.

But, however, installation of the troubling game gave me the same error as before. New cable and "fresh" HDD didn't bring any relieve. Extracting the large CAB file with WINZIP also failed.
Fortunately I was able to install a demo copy of Sandra test software. One of the few working modules gave a tip that the FSB was running to fast (133 MHz) for the chipset (SIS730).

After lowering the FSB speed to 100MHz the installation of the troubling game was a piece of cake. Of course the CPU (Athlon XP1800+) is running now on 1.1 GHz instead of the 1.5 GHz.

So you see the cause is sometime hiding in a dark corner you don't expect.
Thanks to all of you who reacted and gave ideas as to where to look for a solution.

Does anybody knows if this behaviour is typical for the SIS730 chipset or imposed by a limitation of the mobo (K7SEM) or is it just bad luck?

[NooNoo]

You might want to run Sandra and find out the cpu you actually have on there.... did it come with the cpu? If it's the purple board v3.0 I believe thats a 1200 duron....

[PolderTech]

You might want to run Sandra and find out the cpu you actually have on there.... did it come with the cpu? If it's the purple board v3.0 I believe thats a 1200 duron....

Noo Noo I ran Sandra and checked for the CPU and Mainboard. When FSB is set to 100 MHz processor model is Athlon @1.15 GHz model number 1332.
When FSB is set to 133 MHz processor model is Athlon XP @1.53 GHz model number 1821.
The box the CPU came in also stated Athlon XP 1800+. I convident that the processor is Athlon XP 1800+. CPUinfo tool from AMD confirms that too. (Family=6, Model=6, Step=2)

Checking the mainboard with Sandra tells me when FSB set to 100 MHz the FSB speed = 2x100MHz (200MHz data rate) the max FSB=2x100 MHz and max mem speed=1x100 MHz.
When FSB is set to 133 MHz the FSB speed=2x133MHz (266MHz datarate as expected) the max FSB=2x100MHz and max mem speed=1x100MHz.

These latter values seem to be true in our case. Although is an article in Tom's hardware guide it is mentioned that the chipset would support 133 MHz clock speeds as well. So I'm still a bit confused.

It looks like we are ripped off by paying for a fast processor and fast memory and still crawling due to the lack of speed in the chipset. Or do I see it wrong and does anybody know how to correct the situation.

BTW. the motherboard is version 1.1e. The color of the heatsink of the chipset is orange.