Problem I can't seem to solve

First I'll set the stage: I have 4 desktop computers kept in running order. #1 (my
main box) runs Win 8.1. #2 also runs 8.1. #3 is a backup for #1 and runs XP. #4 is
a backup for #2 and runs XP. When I upgrade from time to time, it's always for #1.
Stuff that's replaced there gets shunted to #2, #2's stuff to #3 and so on. Well, I
ordered a new main board and CPU for #1 and decided to go ahead with #2 to #3 and #3
to #4 shifts. But I only got as far as #2 to #3.

#2's Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L socket 775 board with a Pentium D 945 CPU was moved intact
to case #3 after I deleted the video driver in #3. It replaced an ASUS P5P800-VM
board with the identical Pentium D. Both boards have 2GB of DDR2 RAM. After I got
all the connections made and booted up #3 with the Gigabyte board, everything went
well until XP started to load. Then it stopped and the system rebooted. After
several tries and it still rebooted when XP started to load, I double checked all the
connections and BIOS settings. All OK. Then I decided there were probably some
drivers that weren't compatible with the existing XP installation and the Gigabyte
board, so decided to do a repair install of XP. That all started out normally, but
then a BSOD popped up once all the Windows pre-installation files loaded. It
complained about the possibility of added drives or drive adapters. There was a
difference in that area since HDDs connected to the Gigabyte board in #2 were SATAs
and HDDs in #3 are both IDE. But the Gigabyte's IDE port had been working perfectly
in #2 since I had 2 IDE DVD drives connected to it. The Gigabyte manual even
specifies the IDE connector supports HDDs. Just to be sure, though, I installed a
working PCI IDE adapter card and plugged both HDDs into that. I also switched to a
new IDE cable. But the results were the same. A DVD drive plugged into the adapter
worked with no problem, but I still couldn't boot to XP or reach a point of being
able to do a repair install. Yet I could access both HDDs and read their contents
using a 3rd party boot disk. Even when I slipped in a clean IDE HDD, XP wouldn't
install on it. Still the same BSOD.

There was an initial problem with the system trying to boot as soon as I plugged it
in, but that was apparently due to initially misconnected front panel elements since
it was corrected once they were sorted out.

There are similar 550W Antec PSUs in #2 and #3 with neither ever indicating any
problem.

When I installed the Gigabyte board back in #2 and the ASUS board back in #3, all
worked perfectly.

I've left out a lot of small things I did changing settings and switching plugs
around.

Any ideas? I can't help thinking there's probably something as obvious as an
elephant in the room that I overlooked. I've been doing this too damn long to miss
any of the small stuff.

Larc

On Sat, 12 Jul 2014 17:20:55 -0400, Larc
wrote:

#2's Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L socket 775 board with a Pentium D 945 CPU was moved intact
to case #3 after I deleted the video driver in #3. It replaced an ASUS P5P800-VM
board with the identical Pentium D. Both boards have 2GB of DDR2 RAM. After I got
all the connections made and booted up #3 with the Gigabyte board, everything went
well until XP started to load. Then it stopped and the system rebooted. After
several tries and it still rebooted when XP started to load, I double checked all the
connections and BIOS settings. All OK. Then I decided there were probably some
drivers that weren't compatible with the existing XP installation and the Gigabyte
board, so decided to do a repair install of XP. That all started out normally, but
then a BSOD popped up once all the Windows pre-installation files loaded. It
complained about the possibility of added drives or drive adapters. There was a
difference in that area since HDDs connected to the Gigabyte board in #2 were SATAs
and HDDs in #3 are both IDE. But the Gigabyte's IDE port had been working perfectly
in #2 since I had 2 IDE DVD drives connected to it. The Gigabyte manual even
specifies the IDE connector supports HDDs. Just to be sure, though, I installed a
working PCI IDE adapter card and plugged both HDDs into that. I also switched to a
new IDE cable. But the results were the same. A DVD drive plugged into the adapter
worked with no problem, but I still couldn't boot to XP or reach a point of being
able to do a repair install. Yet I could access both HDDs and read their contents
using a 3rd party boot disk. Even when I slipped in a clean IDE HDD, XP wouldn't
install on it. Still the same BSOD.

I'm running a 10- 15-yr-old original XP, shuffled through many, many
similar MB updates. I do it with from a binary XP sector-to-sector
image/backup. I also do it from a 4G primary partition, (dedicated to
that image), with all [except] my drivers, basically anything I can
get NOT to install physically into that XP partition - installed
elsewhere (another logical partition).

If there's a problem, I may have to take it all the way down to start
with one HDD (and a DVD). Sounds like you may be on the trail...a
BSOD is one of possibilities when encountering a new BIOS assignment
(sometimes seeing a SATA/RAID controller w/out drivers).

Try a MB P/IDE connector, if there is one. Turn the BIOS to defaults
and double check, turning off all features. Whatever it takes to get
XP working, then bringing them as appropriate back into play
(w/drivers) one at a time.

(When especially convoluted, once I get it working at that piont, I
may run binary images between advancements, either to be sure I can
get back and start again, double checking if something else is at
work, in case the problem repeats itself on a piror image, one known
to be working. I'm looking for a potential intermittant hardware
problem/glitches and related event/accesses.

Worst was an IBM laptop with IBM-embedded controller routines embedded
in a 384K region below the first 1M of system memory. Using a 3rd
party upper-memory controller a conflict would scramble the HDD, big
time, requring IBM's 9-hour LLF routine for initializing the HDD into
operable, ready conditioning. Probably was running the 3rd party
memory manager with W98. Like a 486/33Mhz ThinkPad factory installed
with W98, I eventually tried XP on -- too slow to be of much marginal
use for even browsing.

Back in the days of Tech Support. IBM's guy started freaking out when
I called and explained what I was doing. Had to figure it out
myself.)