AN35N ultra boo-boo. Please help?

Hello, all I've a might problem, here, maybe someone can help (please!!).

My brother shipped his computer Fedex ground up here to PA for the holiday, but apparently it took some abuse; the (Zalman flowery thing) HS fell off and rattled around the case a bit (he did fill the inside with peanuts). Now he's running this Shuttle with 3x256 2100/2700, and a Barton 2500.

Anyway, it looks like the HS hit the first stick of ram, in the non-DC slot. Now I know this stuff can take some serious abuse, and it doesn't look all that bad, but one of the chips on this stick looks a little bashed, and it doesn't work anymore. Crutial CL2, too, shame.

Now, the computer won't post with anything (including my ram) in the first memory slot. It will post with ram in either or both of the other two, but it always recognizes the processor wrong. 500Mhz, 877Mhz, it's different from time to time. No matter what, though, even if I put the mult to 14x and therefor an XP2500+, it won't get into windows. It starts to and then flashes a blue exception handling error (I'm assuming, it's really like a 1/10 sec flash) and restarts.

Can anyone lend a quick hand? What could be wrong?

TIA, all...

1. Clear CMOS
2. Check that Zalman is properly reseated
3. Install good memory in slots 2 & 3
4. XP2500+ Barton has a 11X stock multi not 14X
5. Restart machine, enter BIOS
6. "Load Optimized Defaults", then "Save to CMOS and Exit"
7. Reboot machine and see if Windows loads
8. Come back here and let us know how you made out.

Regards, Balrog

Note: Its best to always remove the HSF when you ship a computer, I also remove the PSU and box it separately.

Thank you sir! But I didn't fare so well.

If I'm sharing your line of thinking (overheating before it loads windows up?), I don't believe that's the problem. I left it on for a few hours in the bios, never went above 43c.

Cleared the CMOS several times, each time I loaded it back up and set it to optimized, and it loaded up at 877Mhz (or close to that), and blue screened-restarted right before it loaded into windows.

Ah, it's 11x because Bartons are 166, right? Duh!- I'm an idiot. Didn't really help, though, I set it at 166x11, registered as a 2500+, and did the same thing.

Thanks again...

Nah, I wasn't thinking overheating, using Optimized Defaults is a good way to restart a rig thats been messed up. Yeah 166 x11 = 1826mhz. Try resetting again and set everything to Auto\Optimal and memory to SPD and see what happens. What are you using for RAM? Are they like specs? Don't use mixed sticks, better to use a single stick rather than mix speeds or brands at this point.

Regards, Balrog

A) WOW! Lookit the new look. The old had been there for... what, at least a year and a half? Very cool!

B) Thank you, sir, the problem seems to be mostly fixed. I think it may have been a combination of a few things, some irq sharing, some damage from shipping, everything.

Anyway, I rearranged the sound and ata100 extension cards, and put in a single stick of generic ram, and it loads up to windows. I took my matched Buffalo and tried it in the Shuttle- both the DC slots work (the mixed generic crashes). It still won't, however, start up with any ram in the 1st slot. Also, (importantly), the LAN has stopped working. No lights or anything. Any ideas?

Strangely, as well, it will crash right before loading into windows if a string of 40 & 20 GB drives is plugged into the primary IDE- when they're plugged into the ata100 card, no problem. It is most certainly loading Windows off the 80GB, which is also on the ata card. Anyway!

Thank you And if you've got any idea what's up with the lan, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks again.

Look for visible motherboard damage.