[moved from h/d's]Downgrade from vista to xp, hangs on boot hard drive problem

njerkovich · 08-27-2008, 03:33 PM

Don't know if you can help me but I recently installed vista on a computer which has nforce2 chipset, after realizing nvidia doesnt support nforce2 for vista anymore i formatted my partition then began to install xp pro. Everything installed fine until the computer went to reboot and now it hangs at the second screen into the boot after graphics card info it shows motherboard info then processor info then freezes. I cant press the delete key to get into bios i've tried all different key commands to get into bios on the motherboard website. No post beeps are going off. So basically how do I get into my bios to be able to boot from cd and delete my partition and create a new one with windows xp. I understand the HDD Drivers are differenent from vista to xp and thats what the problem is however i cant get into bio or even boot to cd for that matter... Am I going to need to buy a new hard drive?

**blah789** · 08-27-2008, 03:54 PM

Weird because I installed Vista Ultimate on an A7N8X-E Deluxe, which is an nForce2 board, and things went fine using Vista's bundled drivers. (I subsequently went back to XP/2000 though, because Vista's such a piece of crap - too slow even after many tweaks - worst 200 bucks I ever spent)

Did you install any new hardware before attempting all this? If so removing or unplugging that hardware might allow you to move forward in the POST screen. I'm asking because it's really weird that software changes (such as an OS) could cause the POST to lock up.

Beyond that, you could try unplugging all your disk drives (including CD/DVD) and try to boot up and see how far you can get (POST/BIOS-wise). If things go fine, you can try replugging your drives one at the time until you find out which one causes the lockup. Perhaps try plugging that one into another IDE channel or switching it to master/slave.

P.S: Do you get as far as the memory test at all? You said it stops after displaying motherboard + processor info. You could also try removing your memory modules/switching their slots (watch out for static!) and see if that's where the boot sequence is failing.

njerkovich · 08-27-2008, 06:31 PM

Tried it all and nothing works!

I don't get to the memory test it completely freezes at the processor information. Everything i've read says that Vista uses a different boot sector format. Instead of just re-formatting the disk partition, you must delete it and re-create it with the XP CD before re-installing. Which I didn't delete the partition I just formatted it. So duh to me! But still, I unplugged the hard drive, the cd/dvd rom drives and it still freezes at the processor information. I don't have a floppy drive installed nor do I have a boot disk, how would I go about flashing the bios?

Like I said, I can't get into the bios and I can't get into boot options either although it's already set to boot from cd rom first it won't get that far before it freezes... I'm so lost.

**blah789** · 08-27-2008, 07:21 PM

I really don't think this has anything to do with Vista or what's on your hard disk if your freezes happen, even when your disks are unplugged.
Even having a floppy drive (in order to flash the BIOS) wouldn't help since you wouldn't be able to boot from it since you can't even get to the memory test! (Actually it might if you have Award BIOS, since you might be able to get into the awardflash utility by pressing Alt-F2).
Look in your motherboard manual for a jumper you can set that will clear the CMOS and reset your BIOS. And try the swapping/removing memory I suggested earlier (with all your drives unplugged).
I'm equally lost as to how something you did in Windows (if anything) would completely lock your computer so early in the bootup sequence.

njerkovich · 08-27-2008, 07:26 PM

Beat ya to it blah, I had to move jumpers on jp1 and then back however it still hung up on processor test. When you switch jumpers do you switch them, then turn pc on then off, then switch back or do you just switch them when the pc is off? I even took the cmos battery out and unplugged the pc and left it unplugged for 20 minutes or so. Extremely upset. About to throw it off my third story apartment balcony.

Also if my ram or something else was the problem wouldn't I get post beeps? I tried everything you said. No luck... This situation sucks because I can't even narrow it down to what I would need if I needed something new... RAM? HDD? PROCESSOR? in that order?

**blah789** · 08-27-2008, 09:46 PM

I really wouldn't know what to try at this stage. Perhaps you could ask a moderator to move this thread to the motherboard/bios/cpu section.

dai · 08-28-2008, 09:04 AM

turn the computer off
remove the power lead from the back
take the side off
remove the cmos battery
move the cmos jumper from pins 1 and 2 to pin 2 and 3 and the back to pins 1 and 2
replace the battery
put the side on
replug in the power lead
boot the computer

there can be 2 solder points you touch with a screwdriver
2 pins you touch with a screwdriver or use a jumper
a cmos clear switch or button
there will be a diagram and instructions in your manual

clear the drive with killdisk
then format and install
http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm

08-27-2008, 03:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
njerkovich Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 10 OS: xp	[moved from h/d's]Downgrade from vista to xp, hangs on boot hard drive problem Don't know if you can help me but I recently installed vista on a computer which has nforce2 chipset, after realizing nvidia doesnt support nforce2 for vista anymore i formatted my partition then began to install xp pro. Everything installed fine until the computer went to reboot and now it hangs at the second screen into the boot after graphics card info it shows motherboard info then processor info then freezes. I cant press the delete key to get into bios i've tried all different key commands to get into bios on the motherboard website. No post beeps are going off. So basically how do I get into my bios to be able to boot from cd and delete my partition and create a new one with windows xp. I understand the HDD Drivers are differenent from vista to xp and thats what the problem is however i cant get into bio or even boot to cd for that matter... Am I going to need to buy a new hard drive?

08-27-2008, 03:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
blah789 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,874 OS: Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP3	Re: Downgrade from vista to xp, hangs on boot hard drive problem Weird because I installed Vista Ultimate on an A7N8X-E Deluxe, which is an nForce2 board, and things went fine using Vista's bundled drivers. (I subsequently went back to XP/2000 though, because Vista's such a piece of crap - too slow even after many tweaks - worst 200 bucks I ever spent) Did you install any new hardware before attempting all this? If so removing or unplugging that hardware might allow you to move forward in the POST screen. I'm asking because it's really weird that software changes (such as an OS) could cause the POST to lock up. Beyond that, you could try unplugging all your disk drives (including CD/DVD) and try to boot up and see how far you can get (POST/BIOS-wise). If things go fine, you can try replugging your drives one at the time until you find out which one causes the lockup. Perhaps try plugging that one into another IDE channel or switching it to master/slave. P.S: Do you get as far as the memory test at all? You said it stops after displaying motherboard + processor info. You could also try removing your memory modules/switching their slots (watch out for static!) and see if that's where the boot sequence is failing.

08-27-2008, 06:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
njerkovich Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 10 OS: xp	Re: Downgrade from vista to xp, hangs on boot hard drive problem Tried it all and nothing works! I don't get to the memory test it completely freezes at the processor information. Everything i've read says that Vista uses a different boot sector format. Instead of just re-formatting the disk partition, you must delete it and re-create it with the XP CD before re-installing. Which I didn't delete the partition I just formatted it. So duh to me! But still, I unplugged the hard drive, the cd/dvd rom drives and it still freezes at the processor information. I don't have a floppy drive installed nor do I have a boot disk, how would I go about flashing the bios? Like I said, I can't get into the bios and I can't get into boot options either although it's already set to boot from cd rom first it won't get that far before it freezes... I'm so lost.

08-27-2008, 07:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
blah789 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,874 OS: Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP3	Re: Downgrade from vista to xp, hangs on boot hard drive problem I really don't think this has anything to do with Vista or what's on your hard disk if your freezes happen, even when your disks are unplugged. Even having a floppy drive (in order to flash the BIOS) wouldn't help since you wouldn't be able to boot from it since you can't even get to the memory test! (Actually it might if you have Award BIOS, since you might be able to get into the awardflash utility by pressing Alt-F2). Look in your motherboard manual for a jumper you can set that will clear the CMOS and reset your BIOS. And try the swapping/removing memory I suggested earlier (with all your drives unplugged). I'm equally lost as to how something you did in Windows (if anything) would completely lock your computer so early in the bootup sequence.

08-27-2008, 07:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
njerkovich Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 10 OS: xp	Re: Downgrade from vista to xp, hangs on boot hard drive problem Beat ya to it blah, I had to move jumpers on jp1 and then back however it still hung up on processor test. When you switch jumpers do you switch them, then turn pc on then off, then switch back or do you just switch them when the pc is off? I even took the cmos battery out and unplugged the pc and left it unplugged for 20 minutes or so. Extremely upset. About to throw it off my third story apartment balcony. Also if my ram or something else was the problem wouldn't I get post beeps? I tried everything you said. No luck... This situation sucks because I can't even narrow it down to what I would need if I needed something new... RAM? HDD? PROCESSOR? in that order? Last edited by dai; 08-28-2008 at 09:03 AM. Reason: change the colourful discription

08-27-2008, 09:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
blah789 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,874 OS: Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP3	Re: Downgrade from vista to xp, hangs on boot hard drive problem I really wouldn't know what to try at this stage. Perhaps you could ask a moderator to move this thread to the motherboard/bios/cpu section.

08-28-2008, 09:04 AM	#7 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 53,588 OS: vista 32x 64x ultimate retail	Re: [moved from h/d's]Downgrade from vista to xp, hangs on boot hard drive problem turn the computer off remove the power lead from the back take the side off remove the cmos battery move the cmos jumper from pins 1 and 2 to pin 2 and 3 and the back to pins 1 and 2 replace the battery put the side on replug in the power lead boot the computer there can be 2 solder points you touch with a screwdriver 2 pins you touch with a screwdriver or use a jumper a cmos clear switch or button there will be a diagram and instructions in your manual clear the drive with killdisk then format and install http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm __________________