BIOS optimized defaults = system instability?

[lokivn]

I have a gigabyte 7nf-rz, Athlon XP 2200+, ATI Radeon 9600 pro, windows xp SP2

I've been having problems w/ my computer since I replaced mobo and processor, but I finally fixed them when I realized it was the built in network card on the mobo causing random system hangus... often in games.

so i put in an old network card and everything was fine. until 2 days ago when i updated my omega drivers and in reconfiguring everything loaded the optimized defaults on the BIOS. i hadn't changed much but i had disabled the LAN card under "Integrated Peripherals" (it then goes away w/ no option to re-enable) ... so I loaded windows, it reinstalled the card .. i said oh crap and uninstalled then turned it off in BIOS.

now the computer freezes again. i am quite positive it is the LAN card because i was having freezes no matter what until I brought it home and it wasn't hooked up to broadband for 4 days... the second i hook it up it goes back to freezing anywhere from 2 minutes to 2 hours into a game.

any ideas how to fix this????

 

[bigdawgjts2663]

Well, you can load the fail safe defaults for your motherboard, and it sounds like there is a compatibility issue with your system and the LAN card, possible the software. I would doublecheck compatbility, and then possible find a generic LAN card (D-Link, offbrand of LinkSYS) for 15 bucks or so and try it out and see what happens. Other than that, how old is your mobo, becasue you shoudln't be having these problems with a new type of mobo, so I would check into all of your hardware before jumping to conclusions.

 

[lokivn]

thank you for replying.

i did put in a d-link and it was ok UNTIL i reloaded optimized. i tried fail safe and it still froze.

 

[lokivn]

bump. anyone ever experience anything like this? I have redone all the BIOS changes I had before but it still crashes. I wonder if reloading the defaults, removing the 3rd party ethernet card and then disabling onboard ethernet/installing 3rd party again would fix it... probably not, arrrggghhhh.

also the motherboard is a completely new Gigabyte 7nf-rz.

 

[Amd64Boy]

drivers or failsafe

 

[AND_YOU_ARE]

Care to elaborate on your post, Amd64Boy?

 

[AND_YOU_ARE]

I would suggest that when ever you change hardware like your motherboard that you start with a fresh install windows. Wipe your drive and start over. When changing motherboard, each one has different features and different onboard hardware devices. It could be that when windows boots up it is trying to load drivers or something that would run from the old motherboard.

When ever you upgrade major hardware that requires drivers do a fresh install of windows. This reduces the chance of problems with drivers or software.

 

[lokivn]

It's a new harddrive. The failsafes also don't help the problem, and every single driver in the system is as up to date as possible.

note: the problem was happening on the old hard drive as well but i bought a new one just in case. it still happened.