Greets Guy's,

On a week's Hol's and my toy's decide to die..

My hassell is a WinXp box that has been used as a Internet Gateway/Firewall spare Lan games Server,
A few weeks ago, the system crashed late in the afternoon, this is unusual as the system has a standared uptime of 2 week's (that when i shut down and clean the dust out, replace the dust filters and every 6mths reseat the cards), and other than the odd program hang, it is never a bother.
When i restarted a check of the system logs showed nearly 20mins of "SideBySide"errors, and a recent history of Acpi, perfnet and perflib errors.. a check on the MS technet site was useless..
Also error's with MS Fax console.. disabled some 2 months ago and many mail server error's which I suspected to be associated with IMail (installed a month before). suspecting a prob with it I uninstalled, and did a system restore.. and disabled all of the Fax service Services's then watched..
everything seemed to run ok.. except for random DCOM errors and perfnet and Perflib errors on every boot.. (oh yes I stsrted to reboot the machine each day to get a gist of the happenings)..
the history to now the system would crash.. that is the display scrambled (unlocked display.. more like a tv that is between tv channels..snow).. and no responce to the network.. the wheels were spinning but the operater was dead..
Oh and the odd Acpi, perfnet/lib w32time errors .. all at boot.. and a "redbook"error..

I suspected I had located the source of the problem on Friday, when the system crashed and failed to boot.. fans run.. no operation.. I removed the cpu PIII-733eb on a skt370-Slot 1 adaptor, cleaned the board contacts and resated the cpu.. it was due for its annual HSf service. A swap out of the SDRAM sticks, and a check of the seating of the IDE, FDD cables an network, video and Sound Cards..
All now was running.. but Bloody BSOD's.. if it could just get to the desktop and stay there for more than 3 mins it would run for a few hours.. but watch out if you restarted.. BTW: safemode all was well.. but it is a useless server in safemode.

Errors in the Event and application logs include:
System errors ID 1003 code 50, 8e, and 0A
Services appearing here include..Esent, msdtc, vss, eventsystem, winmgmt, msfax (i thought i stopped you)acpi, dcom..
I Cleared the CMOS .. still probs.. did a warm install.. this is where things are getting weired..
during the warm/repair install.. the system couldn't load some files from the CD.. but reinserting the CD fixed that?????
System now continued to limp.. similar errors bsod's etc

decision .. reflash BIOS.. hey this is a Dual BIOS.. copy the backup.. succeded .. but still no joy..

Bugger.. I give up.. Clean install.. deleted the partition, formated and started to install.. got to 50%.. the prob with the Ünable ti copy File"came up again??? and this time the reinsert CD trick wouldn't work.. so tried a SP1 cd.. ahh yes!!...NO!! only to get the same error on another file... swap cd, swap cd 60% swap cd swap cd.. 70%.. swap Cd ... bugger now I have to start skipping Files.. 3 in all with some 30 cd swaps.. .. Product key.. yes that worked .. started to install .. regional setting (why do we have to install using a US key board and Us English.. I am getting pissed by now) and all seem ed well until.. yep you got it.. we need anothe stinking file from the Bloody CD.. the cds check ok in another machine.. checked by file copy..

So Where to from here.. currently, Reseting the BIOS, and will re Flash (from a fresh file), cleared CMOS at the same time..
One more go at the Reinstall.. Will try running the CD from the Primary IDE with the HDD.. ( did I mention I have tried 2 cd-rom drives and fresh cables)
If the Win Install Fails.. I have plent of Linux distros here to play with.. But I am not capable of hardware Fault finding with in that enviroment Yet.. i an considering using Knoppix to see what I can find..

Summery:

Tried:
Clearing CMOS
Flashing BIOS from Dual BIOS b/u
Win XP Pro Warm/Repair Install
Clear Partition and Format.. and clean Win Install
different Cd-Rom drives, different CD's
fresh IDE Cables

Not Tried yet;
CD-ROM on same IDE port as HDD
Full Flash of BIOS (Fresh bin)
LLinux Live to test


BTW.. Win is neede on this box.. this is the one the wife uses (on a limited account) when she is brave to venture into my "Öffice".. She won't touch the RH/Slackware/Mandrake boxes.. My balls are on the line here..


Ideas.. (that is if you survuved the read)

Cheers..