# HP Problems, Motherboard or Ram??



## chris_HP_m7470n

Hey guys, new to the site and wanted to seek some advice on my computer. I am going bald pulling my hair out on this problem.

My system is a HP Pavilion Media Center TV m7470n Desktop PC. 
2x 1gig DDR 400

My computer auto installed a SP3 update from Microsoft and my computer would not fully reboot after. It reboots and before it gets to the login screen, it says IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. Also i have had PRN_LIST_CORRUPT.

I did a complete low level format and reinstall of windows, or tried to. It formatted and then began to install windows. Part way through I got the IRQL blue sceen again. I cant get past that. I know the BIOS has the most recent update drivers from the HP website. ( 03/03/2006-RS480-SB400-6A666M4DC-00-None    Phoenix-Award)

I ran mem test and it came back fine... looped the test 12 times over night. 

PC Test had two errors: 
Memory 1 Microtopology Failed

Memory 2 Microtopology Failed
(All other memory tests past)


All other tests including motherboard and hard drive passed with no problems. I can run Linux Live on the CD but not load Windows XP. Keep getting multiple errors. 

The last thing I did before the complete crash was the auto update of SP3 for windows XP and updated my ATI Radeon XPRESS 200 drivers from HP's website.  (BIOS was updated a few weeks prior to these problems as well) 

I tried new ram but same problems. Even tried shuffling the ram to the other two unused sockets. 

Any help much appreciated!
Chris


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## linkin

I have no idea what microtopology is, but it looks like both of your RAM sticks have issues. Probably small defects that only make it BSOD when a certain memory address is used.


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## schw32m

Don't know if it relates to your problem but there is a service bulletin from HP about SP3 updates and your machine.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01457284&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=1843651&lang=en

You may also have to set the BIOS to show IDE emulation to do the initial install of the OS without the SATA drivers.

PDF of the MB Manual AmethystM-GL6E


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## chris_HP_m7470n

Problem is I cant get windows to load/install so there is no way of setting what the HP service bulletin is saying. I did a format when it started having issues which I am learning now was a bad idea. Now not even Microsoft can help me fix this by the look of it. I think its the motherboard. With 3 Ram sticks, I can get as  far as formatting the drive and starting to install. It gets part way and blue screens Page_Fault_in_nonpaged_area.

The Ram is new so ya I think its the motherboard. I tried new ram on all different slots on the board and they all come up with different errors on the new Ram card. 

Would changing the jumpers get me any farther or mess up my new Ram?


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## schw32m

chris_HP_m7470n said:


> Problem is I cant get windows to load/install so there is no way of setting what the HP service bulletin is saying. I did a format when it started having issues which I am learning now was a bad idea. Now not even Microsoft can help me fix this by the look of it. I think its the motherboard. With 3 Ram sticks, I can get as  far as formatting the drive and starting to install. It gets part way and blue screens Page_Fault_in_nonpaged_area.
> 
> The Ram is new so ya I think its the motherboard. I tried new ram on all different slots on the board and they all come up with different errors on the new Ram card.
> 
> Would changing the jumpers get me any farther or mess up my new Ram?



Had you changed anything before this started to come up? Such as getting new sticks?

First do you have the old modules?
Two are the new modules single or dual channel? 
Three look on pg 18 of the manual. There is a specific combination that the sticks have to go in to make the memory stable. 

From what it looks like you can mix and match to a certain degree but there is a possibility that what you have or are doing with the memory is creating a situation where they don't play well together.



> MSI Reminds You...
> - The system operates ONLY when the DDR modules are installed in
> accordance with the above-mentioned memory population rules.
> - In dual-channel mode, make sure that you install memory modules
> of the same type and density on DDR DIMMs.
> - To enable successful system boot-up, always insert the memory
> modules into the Channel A slots (DIMM1 or DIMM3) first.
> - This mainboard DO NOT support the memory module installed
> with more than 18 pieces of IC (integrated circuit).
> - Do not support three memory modules.



Look at the chart on that page and make sure you have followed the rules to populate the slots. If you have the old sticks (and I would have to assume they worked fine) make sure they are put in as proscribed in the manual. Sometime MBs get really picky about this.


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## chris_HP_m7470n

My system is running on a Fadora Live CD and doesnt seem to like to open pdf's. 

My memory is:
Buffalo Select DD4003-1G/BR 1GB 1X1GB PC3200 DDR400 CL3 184PIN DIMM Memory

Not sure if its dual channel?


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## chris_HP_m7470n

Okay I got into the pdf and looks like having all there Ram cards installed is a bad idea? Im thinking of putting the one new memory card in the first slot and the one older card in the second slot. (that is how they were from factory)

I do have two new memory cards but I only opened and tested the one because I want to be able to take the other back if the issue is the MB and not the RAM. But to answer your question yes I do have the two old memory cards as well. The info matches the new ones perfectly. 

Not sure how to tell between single and dual?


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## schw32m

chris_HP_m7470n said:


> Okay I got into the pdf and looks like having all there Ram cards installed is a bad idea? Im thinking of putting the one new memory card in the first slot and the one older card in the second slot. (that is how they were from factory)
> 
> I do have two new memory cards but I only opened and tested the one because I want to be able to take the other back if the issue is the MB and not the RAM. But to answer your question yes I do have the two old memory cards as well. The info matches the new ones perfectly.
> 
> Not sure how to tell between single and dual?



I made a mistake in previous post. If I read all the technical stuff correctly, basically what it mean is that the sticks can either be addressed singly (single channel 64bit) or in parallel (dual channel 128 bit). Some one correct me if I'm mistaken but it doesn't appear as if there is any physical difference in the sticks themselves, it is dependent on _how they are addressed._

So in the case of your MSI board I'll attempt to chart this so it makes sense using two sticks.

Memory slot layout:

DIMM1 Ch A
DIMM2 Ch B
DIMM3 Ch A
DIMM4 Ch B

To run in single channel you would put your sticks in like this:

DIMM1 Ch A Mem stick*
DIMM2 Ch B
DIMM3 Ch A Mem stick*
DIMM4 Ch B

or

DIMM1 Ch A 
DIMM2 Ch B Mem stick
DIMM3 Ch A 
DIMM4 Ch B Mem stick

* MSI recommends doing single channel this way and the sticks do not have to match. 


To run dual channel you would place them like this:

DIMM1 Ch A Mem stick*
DIMM2 Ch B Mem stick*
DIMM3 Ch A 
DIMM4 Ch B 

or

DIMM1 Ch A 
DIMM2 Ch B 
DIMM3 Ch A Mem stick*
DIMM4 Ch B Mem stick*

or

DIMM1 Ch A Mem stick1
DIMM2 Ch B Mem stick1
DIMM3 Ch A Mem stick*
DIMM4 Ch B Mem stick*

* stick must have matching specs
1 stick must have matching specs

The board does NOT run 3 stick configurations. You can run one in DIMM1 but anything over that MUST be even numbers (IE 2 or 4 sticks).


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## chris_HP_m7470n

Thanks for the chart! Went I first opened the case, the memory sticks from factory were in DIMM 1 and 2. Which would be the first two slots which I think are blue. The other two black slots were empty. So I bought the same Ram cards and placed them in the same way. 

Im not sure if I run single or dual. Not sure how that works. If they came together in slots 1 and two, Im guessing its dual. 

I removed the third stick from DIMM 3 as I read the manual yesterday and as you say it does not like having 3 sticks.

Also I was able to recover a pagefile.SYS  will this have any info on my errors? I cant open it with Fadora so I have to have someone else open it for me.


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## chris_HP_m7470n

Im wondering if I should partition my hard drive and try running Linux. I can run the Fadora Live Linux cd but I dont know if it will install and work properly on the hard drive?
Chris


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