I'm thinking it's the ribbon cable....

[Dark Silver]

Well, let me explain this....

My sister had a Hewlet Packard lent to her....1.5 Ghtz, 128mb RAM, 32mb vid card, XP Home....typical pos you can expect from someone who knew nothing about comps when they bought it.

Anyway, she wanted it to play Evercrack on, so I found a spare stick of 128 PC2700 I had around the house, and slapped it in, minimum requirement shit and all that.

Computer ran ok then, after I cleaned it up with old files and shit on it, aside from running slow (only 256mb RAM after all....)

So this afternoon, at her request, I got 512 megs of PC2700, and found my extra Radeon 9200 128mb APG Card. Now, the comp didn't wanna run Everquest correctly, had problems with the graphics not coming up, half of the models were gone, polygons showed horribly, terrain was all screwed, etc etc.

So I changed fromt he onboard 32 meg card to the 128mb AGP jobby, swapped the 2x128PC2700 sticks for 2x256mb jobbies (I got them for 20 bucks on sale, yay Office Depot), and turned the lil mofo back on.

Windows goes to load up, error in the startup, blue screen. Blah, means I will have to go with system restore....

Restart, system restore, and for some fucked up reason, it won't do the system restore with the XP error o doom.

At this point, I began to twitch

-twitch-

So I figured....reformat, it should work. I reformat using the XP cd I had....goes to install...error on the install...

I try going backdate it and install 98, I finally get 98 installed on it after assloads of problems, goto update with XP.....and again, it fucks me. my CD seems to be screwed. So I go out and drop a c-note on a new copy of XP home (so now I have two copies of XP...fucking M$), try installing from the new disc.....and it tells me it's having problems reading files from the new disc, try it with the old disc, same problem on different files.

So now I'm about to go into convulsions I'm twitching so fucking much....

I know it's not the installed hardware, I tried doing it with and without the stuff being in the comp, same errors. Closest I can figure now, is that there's a problem with the 40 pin ribbon cable used for the CD, or the 80pin one for the hdd.

Anyone else have any ideas? I'm gonna be working back on it again tomorrow....and I'd like to see if I can get it fixed then...but I'm stuck.

The only good news I can see from this after I get it back working...is that the machine will play Evercrack like a beast.....my brother-in-law will be jealous of her non-lagging ass on that game.....

[velvety_kitten]

I just want to see you twitching about, other than I have no real offer of help. Pretty sad for a techie eh? *grins and scampers away*

[B4UTRUST]

Seeing him twitch is an amusing sight I do admit. Of course seeing me twitching around like I'm having a seizure from too much espresso is probably equally amuseing.

[Josh]

*puts on swami headgear.*

I'm thinking... bad RAM slip...

[Dark Silver]

it's no fair guessing the problem after I figured it out Josh

-shoots Josh in the foot-

But yeah....I fixed the problem, ended up being a bad PNY RAM chip, one of those I got from Office Depot. First time I ever had a problem with them. So I'm taking it back tomorrow for a refund.


And yes Scott, it is fun seeing you twitch from to much espresso.....and so much fun seeing you have the Caffine Hangover the next day....

Btw, Thanks for the Crowbar, the guys at the Coffee Shop in the Mall love it.

[velvety_kitten]

*mutters* I never get to see anyone twitching around..so unfair

*pouts and sulks out*

[Josh]

*stares at wounded foot*

Tough crowd, tough crowd.

*limps out, leaving a trail of bloody footprints*

[B4UTRUST]

Glad they enjoy the recipe. Just as long as I get some sort of credit...since it is my fucking drink that I invented.

And tell Melissa I said hi! ^_^