New XP install: screen goes blank!!! Help!

[gorgerax]

I built dozens of systems and there is usually a new glitch each time but am always able to figure it out. This time the glitch has me stumped!

I am putting together a system using some new; some old parts as follows:

CPU: C2D E6300 (new)
Mobo: Asrock 775 Dual VSTA (new)
Ram: Dual Channel Corsair DDR400 (old)
Video: Gigabyte 9600XT 128MB (old)
3 HD; 1 DVD/RW (old)

After putting everything together and setting the cd/dvd as the boot drive, I let it boot up the XP Pro set up disk. Everything proceeded normally. The drive I had set as the Primary Master came up as the E drive. I hate that! So I hit F3 and F3 again to quit the install and turned everything off. I disconnected the power to the other 2 hd, and resarted. Now the video was all messed up...kinda hard to explain... After trying several restarts I turned the machine off again. Unplugged it and cleared the CMOS. Now the video looked fine through the boot up screens. However, as soon as I boot from the install disk, the "Windows is inspecting your system" message flashes and everything goes dark! The disk is still spinning but nothing happens!

I've reset the vid card, Ram sticks, even replaced the IDE cables and the same thing happens everytime. There is a note in the mobo manual to NOT use 3.3v AGP cards...I don't know what voltage this card is and cannot find anything on Gigabyte's site.

Any suggestions? Thanks!!!

 

[exit2dos]

Are you using Cable Select setting on your drives? If not, some manufactures use a different jumper setting for an individual drive than they do for a master drive.

 

[gorgerax]

Initially I did. But In troubleshooting I stripped everythin down to just the Main HD (set to Master on Primary IDE) and CD/DVD (set to Master on secondary IDE) Did not help...same symptoms.

I'm really thinking the mobo is defective.

Thanks!

 

[exit2dos]

Initially I did. But In troubleshooting I stripped everythin down to just the Main HD (set to Master on Primary IDE) and CD/DVD (set to Master on secondary IDE) Did not help...same symptoms.

I'm really thinking the mobo is defective.

Thanks!

Check your drive again and see if it needs a different setting to be used as a single drive - not just a master.

Do you have a utility to format your disk without Windows, such as a start-up disk? If not, check your drive's website to see if they have a start-up program to format your drive with no OS installed. Or, can you use one of your other drives as the main one?

Can't help but think that the aborted install on your drive or the removal of your other drives is what's causing the problem since it was working before you aborted it.

Finally, try disabling SATA and RAID support in your BIOS (I assume you're using all PATA drives).