[Stinky12]

I managed to solve it, but I just want to share it so you guys won't have to go through all the hassle.
So I was working on a system running Win7 that was so messed up, a format and clean install was in order. Okay no biggie as I've done it many times before, what
can possibly go wrong?
My journey began by formatting the drive and because I can't tell whether that system had Win7 Home premium 32bit or 64bit, I installed 64bit as who still uses 32bit anyways.
Every thing was sailing beautifully until near the end, a error appeared saying this hardware doesn't meet the requirements. Doesn't meet the requirements?!
Okay maybe the processor isn't 64bit compatible? But wait, it's socket 775 and most of them do support 64bit. A quick physical look at the CPU shows it's a Celeron E1400 and
on Intel's CPU site, the Celeron E1400 indeed supports 64bit. Without any 2nd thoughts, I've formatted the drive again and this time install Win7 Home Premium 32bit.

All systems are go and until I got into the desktop and was introduced with artifacts (vertical lines) across the screen. Now I thought maybe my install was wrong so I did a fresh install again and the same thing.
Okay, could it be the IGP on the board that's no good (there was no discrete GPU in this system), so I got a dedicated video card, installed it and still the same problem! Alright maybe another clean install is required, which I doubt you have to, but anyway just to see what happens, I've once again did a format and reinstall. After that, guess what? Still the same god damn problem. Now I know it can't be the IGP that's causing it or must it be something else?
I took a stick of ram and temporary installed into the system I was working on and again did a clean install, this time the artifacts went away! So was it the ram that was causing the problem?
I decided to run Windows update first and immediately I encounter a problem saying there is a error with Windows update or when I click on check for updates it will run a few seconds and then stop.
Fine, maybe it's more than just a ram problem? Again I did a clean install and Windows update still don't work! Maybe it's the motherboard, PSU, the HDD, DVD drive, or the disc I was using?
After changing almost all of the parts, Windows update still don't work, so I thought okay has to be the motherboard as I didn't change that yet. I change the motherboard and this time went back to
install Win7 Home Premium 64bit and it went through! I ran Windows update and f*cking hell, the problem still exist! Seriously WTF!!!???
Okay so it's not the motherboard, then what it be?! I reassembled the system back to its original condition with all of its original parts and immediately thought could it be a virus that got into the HDD and is causing this problem? Sadly it wasn't, as a brand new HDD didn't solve the problem either. Now my mind beings to wonder as, could it be possible a bios virus? I flash the bios with the latest from the site and
that didn't do it either. Flashed it again just to make sure, problem still exist! With everything getting changed and the problem isn't solved, I began to focus on the processor as that was the only thing I actually haven't replaced yet. I managed to get hold of another socket 775 CPU, installed it and pray that it will work. My prayers came true as Win 7 Home Premium 64bit installs properly on the original board and Windows updates works too!!! Because a processor rarely gives problem, who would have thought the processor is the actual culprit to cause these problems.

[Slamman]

64 bit software (drivers, or adapting, compatible programs) is what's needed for any 64bit install, going from 32 to 64 is typically a procedure where Windows can screen first, see if your system is up to snuff, before you just make assumptions you can do it
Also, socket T or 775 has no real bearing on 64 bit or not, I used 939 or AMD64 as an example of really the first iteration, if you ran a 478 socket test on your CPU, all the supporting instruction set features can be determined with the spec'ing software out there that we mention all the time, CPU Z of course, but SIV is a great tool for a massive feature check list, as is PCWizard and Everest.

You can set properties for compatibility mode in the reverse, but moving to newer tech with older software often creates issues just because of the age and time that software was written and taking into compatible systems they design it for.
I believe I have a Celeron in the last eMachine I worked on, one that was tossed out, and I saved it! haha That Celeron is for a 775 socket, but supports 64 bit, I stored it, so I can't really recall if it was running any 64 bit OS, but perhaps Celeron is more of a gamble handling it, This one was my first 775 Celeron I ever had, and that series still continues, but they are planning a possible retirement of Pentium as a chip name, I'm not sure if Celeron will be also put to rest

This post has been edited by Slamman on Saturday, Apr 14 2012, 07:37

[SyphonPayne]

Yeah CPUs are usually the last thing I troubleshoot on a PC. For future reference, you can run Prime95, Linpack, etc. to test for CPU errors (you probably already knew that .)

[Slamman]

In all the CPUs I've encountered, I never had them acting erratic, but if one is damaged, the system fails to boot and function in that regard. Strange

[Stinky12]

Prime95 doesn't pinpoint exactly what is wrong, you still have to do all the work. It's like the new 2011 Asus ROG board that lets you volt mod your GPU, some wannabe OCer thinks the bios can tinker that
within the PCIe. It doesn't work that way, the traditional method still applies. Asus just makes it a bit a lot easier to help you make your adjustments.

[finn4life]

That must have been a serious pain in the ass, i would have been tearing hair out.
Who woulda thought? I'll keep that in mind, maybe it will happen to me one day.

[SyphonPayne]

QUOTE (Stinky12 @ Saturday, Apr 14 2012, 20:46)

Prime95 doesn't pinpoint exactly what is wrong, you still have to do all the work. It's like the new 2011 Asus ROG board that lets you volt mod your GPU, some wannabe OCer thinks the bios can tinker that within the PCIe. It doesn't work that way, the traditional method still applies. Asus just makes it a bit a lot easier to help you make your adjustments.

Prime95 tests memory and RAM. If you replace the RAM and still get errors, bingo it's the CPU (or mobo.) It has different torture test modes. Small, large FFT and Blend. Small is CPU-only, large is CPU + a little RAM (and mostly the hardest one to pass,) blend tests a lot (but not all) of your RAM, also a hard one to beat, but easier than large FFT. Linpack will test the CPU solely, but there is still the chance of the motherboard being the problem.

[Slamman]

I am figuring I wrote down specs on the eMachine I got with Celeron 775 chip, Since it does appear 64bit capable, when I get a chance, I'll test drive a new HDD with it, using Windows 7 Home Premium 64, the only copy of Win 7 I have so far.

Syphon, Memory and RAM are the same thing, be more specific there! haha

[SyphonPayne]

I meant CPU and RAM, but hey, at least you were helpful for once in your spam fest!

[Slamman]

Nah, that ain't true, I'm more then helpful, I'm informative "to boot"
The problem with MEMORY for the layman is the use of Gigabytes and Megabyte terms for size in terms of HDD and memory RAM modules