2 Different First Boot Errors...

[Flame3230]

Well, I finally got the last pieces of my custom PC in the mail today, put everything in, and no problems...at first. As I was installing XP Home, I got a stop error about partmgr.sys and a code: 0x000000ce. After trying again 2 more times and getting the same results, I left the screen on and looked around on Microsoft. Then, while I was searching for an answer, my PC decided to shut off. So I hit the power button again, it ran for a few seconds, then cut off. So I looked around in the case and saw that a power cable got caught in the CPU fan, so I pulled it out. The fan spins now, but my PC is still only running for a few seconds then cutting off, and I'm not sure what the problem is. And if it helps, here is my set-up:

Antec 900 Computer Case
Gigabyte EP45T-UD3LR Motherboard
Maxxtor 500 Gb HDD
4 Gb DDR3 RAM
EV3A 9500GT Video Card with 1 Gb Video Memory
500W ATX Power Supply
Windows XP Home
Random CD Drive I Found Lying Around

Any help is appreciated.

[The Wise Monkey]

Where did the power cable go? Check that both the 24-pin and 4-pin power connectors from the PSU to the motherboard are securely attached.

[Flame3230]

The cables are all firmly in place, but my PC is still doing the same thing, and it is very disappointing...

[The Wise Monkey]

Hmm...

Try going back to first boot status - motherboard, CPU, one stick of RAM and the graphics card. Disconnect the hard drive and the CD drive and see if you can boot into the BIOS.

Also make sure that the motherboard is not touching the case anywhere, as this could be causing a short.

[Dr Cuervo]

The 0xCE error is a stop error usually caused by faulty drivers and partmgr.sys has to do with partition management. Once you get the computer working you may need to download and install different drivers from a floppy disk.

[Flame3230]

I took out everything but the RAM, CPU, Mobo, and Graphic Card, and my PC turned on and worked fine. But when I plugged up the HDD and Disk Drive, it worked for a little while, but very slowly. The BIOS menu did come up, but shortly after my PC shut off again. I'm not sure, but I'll take a wild guess and say that my power supply isn't enough for my PC...

As for the drivers, I have no idea how to do the driver stuff, and on top of that, I don't have a floppy drive lying around, nor do we have any computers with a Floppy Drive, so I'm at a loss.

[The Wise Monkey]

That does sound like a possibility. I'm surprised that 500W isn't enough, but some PSU manufacturers tend to basically lie about what wattage they can produce. Try booting with just the HDD and see if the problem still occurs.

You can also copy drivers onto a USB stick, so you don't need a floppy drive. You shouldn't need to do anything like that for a standard Windows install though.

[Flame3230]

Well, I unplugged the CD Drive, and it still will cut off after about a minute, so I don't have a clue what to do now...

[The Wise Monkey]

Well, it sounds like your PSU can't cope with the components in your PC. You can try getting RMA-ing your PSU, or you can get another one. I would recommend going for a name brand PSU such as Corsair, Antec, PC Power & Cooling etc. as these have a good reputation.

[Flame3230]

Well, the power supply I got was an off-brand one from eBay a while back, but I've got my eyes on a Coolmax 750W to get soon.