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evlutte
01-11-2008, 12:16 AM
Okay so I have major boot problems.

Here's my stuff:

Board: MSI K9N SLI Platinum
CPU + cooler: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ with corresponding cooler
Ram: 4x Corsair DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Video: XFS Nvidia GeForce 8600GT
CD: LITE on cd/dvd rw
Hard Drive: Western Digital 320 Gb
Case+ supply: Antec Sonata III

My very first boot was a no post(monitor doesn't recognize input).

After rebooting a couple of times, it displayed an "Your overclocking failed... press any key to reboot" message that my manual describes. It wouldn't recognize a keypress, and I rebooted.

This time, it booted correctly and started me on the windows install process. I got halfway through, and was typing my computer's "name" when the system disappeared. Everything remained powered on, but teh monitor lost contact with system. Eventually I rebooted.

After a few more no-posts, it booted to the overclocking message again, and again I had to reboot. This time, I made it all the way through the install process, and installed the drivers for all my systems. Then, randomly the system died just like it did during the windows install.

At this point, it gets weirder. Now, in between no-posts, the system will stop after displaying the video card info, or displaying the screen for the motherboard info. I've managed to check the BIOS, and I am 100% sure there is no overclocking going on, despite the messages it still occasionally shows. The diagnostic LED's display varying messages each time the boot stops, ranging from video card initialization, to processor initialization, to ram setup and a couple more.

I've managed to boot to windows once since the drivers, and the system died as described before without me doing anything.

I am 90% certain I have the latest BIOS, all my components are compatible with my board. When I contacted AMD, they told me it seemed motherboard related, and MSI gave me a bunch of non-useful tips. I've tried clearing the CMOS and switching the ram in and out. Nothing works, and the system seems to be booting less and less successfully as time goes on.

On google, I found information about a random shut-down problem on this type of motherboard that seems consistent with my problems once it actually boots, however, they seem to apply to slightly older versions than my board claims to be. Here are links to the description:
http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2006/09/07/msi-k9n-mobos-suffer-random-shutdowns
http://www.aoaforums.com/forum/amd-motherboards-and-cpus/38094-msi-k9n-mobos-suffer-random-shutdowns.html

I have honestly no idea what is going on. I know this is a lot of information and a complex problem, but any help would instantly make you my hero(especially if i dont have to return any parts :)).

Thanks in advance.