urgent cache problem

jaybob404 · #1 01-17-2005, 10:26 AM

my computer will boot windows xp just fine... but only if the cache is disabled!!! this is too big to ingore, so i'd like to fix it if anyone could please help. if i disable the cache, it will just go to a black screen when i turn it on (after the motherboard boot thing.)

PLEASE HELP ASAP!!!

Harnic · #2 01-19-2005, 12:37 AM

When you say "cache" do you mean "paging file" microsloth calls it in XP? I'm not sure if it's the same in XP Home edition but in Pro go to your system properties /advanced tab /settings in the performance area /then advanced again and click on change in the Virtual Memory section. At the bottom of the Virtual Memory window you will see a recommended file size, above that you will see "custom size", select that option & enter the recommended size in both the initial & maximum file size fields. This reserves the optimum ammount of disk cache all in one area of your hard drive so it doesn't become fragmented & sluggish. See if that solves your problem. Good luck.

Xanex · #3 01-19-2005, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybob404

my computer will boot windows xp just fine... but only if the cache is disabled!!! this is too big to ingore, so i'd like to fix it if anyone could please help. if i disable the cache, it will just go to a black screen when i turn it on (after the motherboard boot thing.)

PLEASE HELP ASAP!!!

Or do you mean the onboard cache that you can disable in the bios. If it is this then yes you do have a serious problem, either cpu related, or i could be completly wrong and all that would safely be required is a clean install

jaybob404 · #4 01-21-2005, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harnic

When you say "cache" do you mean "paging file" microsloth calls it in XP? I'm not sure if it's the same in XP Home edition but in Pro go to your system properties /advanced tab /settings in the performance area /then advanced again and click on change in the Virtual Memory section. At the bottom of the Virtual Memory window you will see a recommended file size, above that you will see "custom size", select that option & enter the recommended size in both the initial & maximum file size fields. This reserves the optimum ammount of disk cache all in one area of your hard drive so it doesn't become fragmented & sluggish. See if that solves your problem. Good luck.

no, the problem is in the bios. and i've done a clean install of Windows XP twice and either time did it work. i clean installed FreeBSD 3 times and that didn't boot with cache enabled either.

Play_The_0dds · #5 01-21-2005, 12:47 PM

load the bios defaults/setupdefaults or whatever yours calls it's self. you say it's bios caching, there are several cache options in the bios so not knowing if you have a video cache, or processor cache problem the default values should fix you up either way.... if you were overclocking or had some incorrect caching/shadow options enabled this will fix you up also as long as you dont set the same incorrect option again.

Harnic · #6 01-21-2005, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybob404

no, the problem is in the bios. and i've done a clean install of Windows XP twice and either time did it work. i clean installed FreeBSD 3 times and that didn't boot with cache enabled either.

You might try loading your bios defaults & saving them before booting... see if that helps. If not, let me know the make & model of your motherboard & chip & I'll dig a bit deeper for you if you'd like.

jaybob404 · #7 01-22-2005, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harnic

You might try loading your bios defaults & saving them before booting... see if that helps. If not, let me know the make & model of your motherboard & chip & I'll dig a bit deeper for you if you'd like.

no, the loading defaults did not work. my motherboard is a PCChips Socket A M811. by the way: i already tried a bios update, there wasn't one available for my model.

prs4u · #8 01-22-2005, 10:35 AM

jaybob404,

XP sorts all its caching out automatically. Turn off all apart from any chip setting that you can leave on.

If you want an extra tweak then (and only then) start turning caching on, one at at time and see how this effects speed on some of your major programs.

Most programs rely on XP to sort things out and in most cases XP does a reasonable job. The defaults on you CMOS may create caching to improve performance on old systems only if you cannot update your CMOS my suggestions may improve things. Let us know how you get on.

Play_The_0dds · #9 01-22-2005, 10:50 AM

ok, he answered his own question in his last post PC Chips is the absolute cheapest motherboard that can be bought...they are garbage. First one I ever seen was supposed to support athlon/duron processors with 200/266 fsb speeds, the board supported pc2100 ddr ram, but 66 mhz was all the bus speeds would do..I tried bios updates, chipset updates, tried rolling back drivers to older versions,,nothing worked. you can not get support from PC Chips they only deal with vendors and the vendors dont know crap. well since then i have seen atleast 50 and know most all of them were bought from ebay several were bought fro EZBPC which is now out of buisness. They were about the only support you could find for these little treasures. all i have seen have some odd issues with the mainboard.
you get what you pay for, pc chips and ecs are not good motherboards. if you just have to be cheap by a asrock, they are a asus cheapie and have great support.
If you want a real board here are a few names to look at. gigabyte,abit,asus,msi,biostar,DFI,and chaintech....of course there are other very good brands but i am to lazy to type them all so if i didnt list someone's favorite, feel free to post it.

Harnic · #10 01-22-2005, 01:50 PM

I tend to agree with P.T.O., you don't have a "stellar" motherboard there, but I'm not ready to chuck it right away. When I get back tonight from work I'll dig a bit more. Did you choose the components, or was this an off the shelf unit? What CPU are you running? Does it have onboard cache that's enabled in the CMOS?... so many questions, so little time!

Play_The_0dds · #11 01-22-2005, 02:31 PM

I dug through my records and the very first PC Chips board I spoke of was the same model as his, a M811 and I found a bios update for it on the EXBPC web site, which no longer exist....it didnt help anything. So while I was repling here, I did a search and found the bios update.
http://drivers.softpedia.com/get/BIO...ios-101a.shtml
may help you....but dont expect miracles.

jaybob404 · #12 01-23-2005, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harnic

I tend to agree with P.T.O., you don't have a "stellar" motherboard there, but I'm not ready to chuck it right away. When I get back tonight from work I'll dig a bit more. Did you choose the components, or was this an off the shelf unit? What CPU are you running? Does it have onboard cache that's enabled in the CMOS?... so many questions, so little time!

the only cache options i have are in CMOS... it was an "off the shelf unit" from newegg.com. i'm running a Duron 2800.

Harnic · #13 01-24-2005, 06:47 PM

I had to dig a bit on the PCChips website but there is a bios update available. Check it against what you have at: http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWeb/Downloads/ProductsDetail_Download.aspx?CategoryID=1&Typeid=4 &detailid=235&DetailName=BIOS&DetailDesc=M811LU(V3 .1)&MenuID=35&LanID=0 and if this one is newer, flash your bios to update. Hope it helps.