Sick MoBo or I've been 0wn3d

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..

1) Can you boot a Linux CD of this box and run it for a while without problem? If Linux run, I don't think it's a hardware problem. Can you double check with a Win2K Pro CD also.

2) Can you copiy the i386 directory of your XP CD locally and run the setup locally? It's normal for XP to be unable to copy some files (3 usually) in the installation. Ignore those error and go on, XP will run without those files.

Just takeing the box out of it's "hole in the wall" and setting it up on my work bench.. and will follow throught once I have done this.. used to copy the CD to the hdd in win98 just to avoid many of these probs.. will try that and the live linux cd when I do that....

Will be back and post the results..in about a hour or so..

cheers

[edit]
this edit on the sick machine.. currently running PHLACK linux.. uptime 1hr. next step to copy the i386 folder to a spare partition on the HDD.. and see the results.. [/edit]

Oh and Morphix Live Cd.. **** now that is a windows users linux.. the samba is one of the easiest to get going.. it was there all shares were found.... just have to automate the SMB passwords... purfect.... If i can't find an answer to this problem............................................................. I teach one wife to use one of the linux distro's ....Morphix.....

Ok Plot thickens..

Just had a call from a friend who's patients is a bit shorter than mine..

Basicly he decided to reinstall WinXP Pro after the machine went on the Fritz, he has replaced everything except the CPU and MOther Board and case/psu ..
And he's got the same prob as I mentioned when reinstalling.. error copying files.. in the smae mannor as I had encountered.. not one or two but 20/30 or more..
Have recommended SDK's idea of copying the cabs i386 folder to the hdd and running the install from there.. I haven't started my reinstall yet.. will a bit later..

the only common Link..... we both use the same router/adsl modem/ISP

TEsting the Linux live CDs has been interesting.. and as soon as I install a DVD-rom in the machine.. I may just install Debian 3..

cheers

Hi Undies :)

Please make an old fart very happy and try it with fresh RAM sticks?

Also video card if it has one............and sound?

I suspect a hardware rather than software problem on this one?

Just an angle?

Cheers

EDIT: following you last post, disable/remove any network stuff.........hey let's get the little bugger standing on its own two feet first?

Small hint : If everything run good on your work bench and you start getting crazy stuff in the "wall box", the power bar might go dead on you.

Status:

New Video Card
Swapped HDD
Tested With Live linux distros
Sound card removed
Attempted Install from HDD.. Had probs with only 4 files in the file copy process.But system couldn't install "Diskdrive", CD-ROM, "System"... the system would not boot Win for the first time.. BSOD Loop.. even in safe mode..
Just raided some ram from one of my Crunch Farm PC's (I have a group of machines running 24/7 on the BOINC/Seti beta ), and removed all other cards scsi, network(3of)..

Cheers

Failed.. "cannot copy File"error.. 5 files..

do the Slot 1 to socket370 cards have ram or a BIOS? ..out come the cpu anyway
the MOBO comes out CMOS bat removed and the MoBo will be sat on a shorting mat while... I whack it repeatedly with a 5lb hammer..

I have some painting to do.. will be back later

Looks like #@&%$ Faulty @#$&% RAM.....

the Farm machine went weired after putting the servers ram into it.. put its own back in all ok.. hmm but why didnt this work in the server.. different mobo's the farm machine was using cheap pc 133 sd, and the server had a dif brand of cheap ram. the boards were of dif age.. the farm was PC133.. the server board was only pc100.. there in lies the main difference.. some older (notably PC66 and PC100) boards dont like some brands of Cheap ram... went into work grabed a new stick of kingston PC 133 256Mb (geez their not cheap anymore)

And here is XP pro booting for the first time.. no errors or hangups during the install.. hmm should I now instal Sp1.. or use my slipstreamed CD?.. what the heck Ive dattempted 15 install on this baby so far.. one more won't hurt.. and what the hey may even change the partitioning.. hmm 20g for a debian install sounds cool...

still haven't found out what the app SideBySide is.. or is it a service.. whatever!..

thanks SDK and Nihil .. the ideas got me back on course..

it is amazing how frustration and anger lowers ones IQ..

Cheers..

Np! Good Luck on futur testing? ;)