Asus A7N8X V1.04 - won't install Windows XP Pro SP-2 OEM

I've got a machine here with an A7N8X-Deluxe motherboard
with the SII 3112A SATA Chip onboard. I have two Seagate
ST380023AS SATA 80GB Drives installed, directly linked to
the SATA ports with the cables provided with the motherboard.

There are no IDE Hard Disk drives in this machine.

The machine is up to date with the latest 1008 BIOS and
the CMOS has been cleared/reset correctly after the
flash-update.

I can install Windows 98SE on this machine without any
trouble at all. The machine finds the Hard Disk, partitions
and formats the hard disk -- and does the base install of
W98SE correctly.

However, when I try to install either Windows 2000 Pro or
Windows XP Pro SP1 or Windows XP Pro SP2 on this
motherboard, the machine correctly boots from the CD-ROM
drive, detects the hardware and starts the install process. I
then press F6 as directed in the SATA install instructions and
load the SATA drivers as directed -- this all works fine.

However, once I have added the SATA drivers to the list, the
machine continues to load the base driver-set from the blue
text-mode screen and then stalls at the "Setup is starting
Windows" line where the machine should enter the protected
mode GUI to continue the install.


I have checked the following:

1. It does not matter if I use either one or two DDR DRAM
sticks in the machine. It always stalls at exactly the same
point.

2. It does not matter if I use an IDE drive connected to the
ATA133 Channel on the motherboard or a SATA drive
connected to the Primary SATA port on the motherboard,
the machine stalls at exactly the same point.

3. It does not matter if I use the latest 1008 Motherboard BIOS
or the Beta 1009 Motherboard BIOS, the machine still stalls
at exactly the same point.

4. It does not matter if I use the Version 1.0.0.22, 1.0.0.281 or
1.0.0.57 drivers from either the Asus or SII websites, the
machine still stalls at exactly the same point.

5. I have also tried loading the WXP SP2 install *without* adding
the SII SATA Drivers to the list. This is *supposed* to get me
to a screen where the WXP installer tells me it can't find a hard
disk on which to install Windows XP. That doesn't happen, I
am stuck at the same point as always.



All I want to do is simply install WXP SP2 on this machine to a
single SATA drive as Partition C: -- and then add the second
SATA drive as either Partition D: or as a mirror to the first.


Any further pointers would be much appreciated.


Thanks,


Bill

try this...go into BIOS...disable APIC..then try..if I have it enabled on my
A7N8X-Deluxe rev 2.0...the install craps at "Starting Windows"

Worked nicely. What looks like a valid install is going on the
machine as I speak.

Thanks very much for the tip. Without your suggestion, that
would have been one of the very last things I tried -- as APIC
is supposed to be one of WXP's strengths...


Bill



dino wrote:
try this...go into BIOS...disable APIC..then try..if I have it
enabled on my A7N8X-Deluxe rev 2.0...the install craps at
"Starting Windows"

exactly...but this is not an issue only related to this board...it is just
one of "those things" that randomly happen..at 1 point I had 2 machines with
the issue..a KT4VL DFI Infinity and the A7N8X-Deluxe. Try that for
frustration during an install.

dino wrote:
exactly...but this is not an issue only related to this board...it is
just one of "those things" that randomly happen..at 1 point I
had 2 machines with the issue..a KT4VL DFI Infinity and the
A7N8X-Deluxe. Try that for frustration during an install.

I suspect this is uncrossed T's and undotted I's in the BIOS
which is causing the WXP hardware-query to fail to complete
with some hardware configurations when APIC is enabled. It
certainly *looks* like a hardware-stall when the thing locks at
the "Setup is Starting Windows" screen.


Thanks again for the heads-up. Machine is now complete
and a valid WXP-SP2 install is in place.


Bill