locked
Dell Precision T3400 continuously reboots after splash screen on Win 7 RTM x86 and x64!!! Help! RRS feed

 > 

  • Question

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Ok, so I decided to go from the RC to the RTM...all my experiences with Win 7 have been spectacular. No incompatibilities etc.  Dell also lists the Precision T3400 as compatible with Windows 7 on its support site, and claims that there are no additional drivers needed (all are available in Win 7).

    I'm running the T3400 in a factory-configured RAID10 setup with an Intel ICH9R controller on the motherboard.  Installed Win 7 beta, RC x64...no issues.

    Once I upgraded to RTM, however, things got good - right after the 'Starting Windows' splash screen after installation, the computer reboots (and keeps doing so, until I do something to stop it).  Going into Safe Mode doesn't help, as Windows says 'Setup cannot be completed in Safe Mode'...

    I've tried installing on just one HDD (with no RAID), disabling RAID, doing RAID0, RAID1, RAID10...nothing helps.  Have also tried manually adding Intel ICH9 drivers through setup, but it wouldn't take (driver could not be installed...).

    I have now reinstalled the RC, and it's working fine!  It's the RTM that is driving me nuts...obviously there is some kind of driver incompatiblity here.  How do I go about resolving this?  This is a standard config T3400 and I can't believe that I would be the only user to experience these issues.

    Help!
    Tuesday, August 18, 2009 7:13 AM

Answers

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Same problem here

    Change  the video card  and works

    Something like
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150365 will be good enough


    • Marked as answer by Vivian Xing Friday, September 4, 2009 8:41 AM
    Friday, August 28, 2009 5:52 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    AngelosL (and all),
    I also have a Dell Precision T3400. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (x86). The installation completed successfully. When Windows 7 is booting, the desktop and taskbar appear, and Windows appears to be setting up Internet preferences, desktop, themes, etc. for the first time. Right after that occurs, the system restarts, endlessly looping.

    Question: Do you have two T3400 machines (one which is stuck in this behavior (with the A08 BIOS) and one newer T3400 (with the A09 BIOS) which you successfully upgraded to Windows 7 RTM)?

    Here's what I have done/tried/noticed:
    1. I have already applied the A08 BIOS patch. No change.
    2. I have swapped out the videocard to a totally different older video card. No change.
    3. If I go to safe mode and assign the Win 7 drivers from nVidia (NVS 290), instead of Windows rebooting after the Windows 7 startup, I get a blue screen with the message "Driver is mismanaging system PTEs"
    4. I have applied the Intel matrix storage manager updates (didn't apply to my machine), and Intel chipset software updates listed at the Dell Driver site (for Win 7 x86).
    UPDATE: I got it to work after 5 hours of messing with it. Why do people think computers are productivity tools? I don't get it. Anyways, after unchecking all of the startup items and services and adding them back in, rebooting a zillion times, I found that I could break the cycle of booting and restarting. The key was to run msconfig and  turn OFF the Service named "Power"  (Manufacturer: Microsoft). With that service off, I can boot into Windows 7 and even load the nVidia Windows 7 drivers for the display adapter.  Hope that helps and saves you the hours I spent on it!!

    Any other ideas or clues or information from Dell?
    Thanks.
    • Proposed as answer by MTWest Friday, September 4, 2009 4:39 AM
    • Marked as answer by Vivian Xing Friday, September 4, 2009 8:41 AM
    Friday, September 4, 2009 1:59 AM

All replies

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Why don't you choose fresh install rather than upgrade?
    Tuesday, August 18, 2009 8:58 AM
    Answerer
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Yes, to Daniel Ho's reply. If you mean "Once I upgraded" as Installed the RTM with the upgrade option, that will not work. If you only implying that you freshly installed the newer version, "upgraded", then that is a different situation.

    Which installation process did you use for the RTM?
    The problem with troubleshooting is that trouble shoots back.
    Tuesday, August 18, 2009 10:34 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Sorry for the ambiguity, all the installs were fresh installs.  Fresh install to RC, fresh install to RTM.  Tried the x64 and x86 versions of the RTM, all fresh installs.  Currently back on RC and running fine (couldn't bring myself to go back to Vista).
    Wednesday, August 19, 2009 7:31 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Dell now lists driver support/downloads for Win 7 here. BIOS = version A08. I see no other driver issues, although there are firmware updates for the optical drives.

    just to confirm...F2 to BIOS-set raid enabled-save and exit  ctrl-i -build RAID 10 volume-volume configuration displayed correctly-navigate to exit-enter -select F12 on boot to boot from DVD.

    That's for SATA drives using Intel raid, do you have SAS drives with the adapter card?

    Have you discovered any other possible clues?
    The problem with troubleshooting is that trouble shoots back.
    Sunday, August 23, 2009 11:38 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Yep I saw the BIOS so downloaded/updated the BIOS already.  Didn't make any difference.

    As for the RAID building steps, that's pretty much it.  Tried the same for RAID 0/1/5...nothing worked.

    I am indeed using SATA not SAS drivers...and there's no adapter card, the RAID controller is onboard.

    Nothing else yet - I'm completely stumped.  Dell tech support won't address this until they start shipping with Win 7.  Annoying...
    Sunday, August 23, 2009 5:02 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    OK. I am thinking that the Intel ROM based driver (on mobo) needs the Intel Matrix storage manager installed into the OS for complete operation. Perhaps the RTM is missing the Matrix storage drivers.

    On the Dell driver page here, they provide a pre-OS installation driver package for Vista (32 & 64-bit) for the Intel matrix storage manager. This creates a file to place on media (Floppy) to point to during the OS installation (install any additional drivers?)

    Intel provides one for Win 7 here for their X38 board (32 & 64-bit)

    The only other issue I discovered is a firmware update for the Seagate drives related to the drive appearing inaccessible after power. It was listed as Urgent.

    I don't have a raid machine to test on, so I am just posing some ideas.
    The problem with troubleshooting is that trouble shoots back.
    • Proposed as answer by Robinson Zhang Tuesday, August 25, 2009 2:25 AM
    Monday, August 24, 2009 11:30 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Thanks Nano - forgot to check this forum in a few days.  I will try it out ASAP and post results. 
    Thursday, August 27, 2009 6:14 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    I have the same problem with a T3400 with A08 bios. Blank screen after the installation.
    A few days before we received a new T3400 (manufacture date august) with bios revision A09 the installation finished successfully with no issues. Even when I switched the Hard disk from A09 machine to the one with A08 bios I had the same problem, blank screen.

    Dell informed me that will release the bios at the near feature.

    Thursday, August 27, 2009 7:48 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    AngelosL,
    Interesting. Did you receive a driver disk with the T3400 with the A09 BIOS? You could browse that disk to see if the A09 BIOS is there. If it is, update your computer with the A08.

    Also, you could upload it to your Live Space and share it with EvoulutionCapital.
    The problem with troubleshooting is that trouble shoots back.
    Thursday, August 27, 2009 10:12 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Also, AngelosL, just to be clear - when does the blank screen occur?  In my case, the installation from CD completes, and as the computer is booting into Windows for the first time to finalize installation, the restart loop begins.
    Thursday, August 27, 2009 1:06 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Also, AngelosL, just to be clear - when does the blank screen occur?  In my case, the installation from CD completes, and as the computer is booting into Windows for the first time to finalize installation, the restart loop begins.

    Yes at the same point, if i recall correctly just before you enter the user & computer name.
    I have tried to locate the bios at the "drivers & utilities" cd-rom from the A09 machine but it's not available.
    Friday, August 28, 2009 8:40 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Same problem here

    Change  the video card  and works

    Something like
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150365 will be good enough


    • Marked as answer by Vivian Xing Friday, September 4, 2009 8:41 AM
    Friday, August 28, 2009 5:52 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    AngelosL (and all),
    I also have a Dell Precision T3400. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (x86). The installation completed successfully. When Windows 7 is booting, the desktop and taskbar appear, and Windows appears to be setting up Internet preferences, desktop, themes, etc. for the first time. Right after that occurs, the system restarts, endlessly looping.

    Question: Do you have two T3400 machines (one which is stuck in this behavior (with the A08 BIOS) and one newer T3400 (with the A09 BIOS) which you successfully upgraded to Windows 7 RTM)?

    Here's what I have done/tried/noticed:
    1. I have already applied the A08 BIOS patch. No change.
    2. I have swapped out the videocard to a totally different older video card. No change.
    3. If I go to safe mode and assign the Win 7 drivers from nVidia (NVS 290), instead of Windows rebooting after the Windows 7 startup, I get a blue screen with the message "Driver is mismanaging system PTEs"
    4. I have applied the Intel matrix storage manager updates (didn't apply to my machine), and Intel chipset software updates listed at the Dell Driver site (for Win 7 x86).
    UPDATE: I got it to work after 5 hours of messing with it. Why do people think computers are productivity tools? I don't get it. Anyways, after unchecking all of the startup items and services and adding them back in, rebooting a zillion times, I found that I could break the cycle of booting and restarting. The key was to run msconfig and  turn OFF the Service named "Power"  (Manufacturer: Microsoft). With that service off, I can boot into Windows 7 and even load the nVidia Windows 7 drivers for the display adapter.  Hope that helps and saves you the hours I spent on it!!

    Any other ideas or clues or information from Dell?
    Thanks.
    • Proposed as answer by MTWest Friday, September 4, 2009 4:39 AM
    • Marked as answer by Vivian Xing Friday, September 4, 2009 8:41 AM
    Friday, September 4, 2009 1:59 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    AngelosL (and all),
    I also have a Dell Precision T3400. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (x86). The installation completed successfully. When Windows 7 is booting, the desktop and taskbar appear, and Windows appears to be setting up Internet preferences, desktop, themes, etc. for the first time. Right after that occurs, the system restarts, endlessly looping.

    Question: Do you have two T3400 machines (one which is stuck in this behavior (with the A08 BIOS) and one newer T3400 (with the A09 BIOS) which you successfully upgraded to Windows 7 RTM)?

    Here's what I have done/tried/noticed:
    1. I have already applied the A08 BIOS patch. No change.
    2. I have swapped out the videocard to a totally different older video card. No change.
    3. If I go to safe mode and assign the Win 7 drivers from nVidia (NVS 290), instead of Windows rebooting after the Windows 7 startup, I get a blue screen with the message "Driver is mismanaging system PTEs"
    4. I have applied the Intel matrix storage manager updates (didn't apply to my machine), and Intel chipset software updates listed at the Dell Driver site (for Win 7 x86).
    UPDATE: I got it to work after 5 hours of messing with it. Why do people think computers are productivity tools? I don't get it. Anyways, after unchecking all of the startup items and services and adding them back in, rebooting a zillion times, I found that I could break the cycle of booting and restarting. The key was to run msconfig and  turn OFF the Service named "Power"  (Manufacturer: Microsoft). With that service off, I can boot into Windows 7 and even load the nVidia Windows 7 drivers for the display adapter.  Hope that helps and saves you the hours I spent on it!!

    Any other ideas or clues or information from Dell?
    Thanks.
    Thanks MTWest for your workaround.
    I can confirm that at my workstation the problems resolved when i changed the nvidia NVS 290 with an old Nvidia Quadro FX 550. I just changed  the card and system boot normally. I will try your suggestions at another workstation.

    I am really disappointed with dell support because i have opened a case 2 weeks before and i have no answer.
    Thanks
    Monday, September 7, 2009 8:08 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    AngelosL,
    So you have one relatively new T3400 with a A09 BIOS and Win7 runs fine.

    You have another T3400 with a A08 BIOS and Win7 wouldn't work unless you installed the old Quadro FX 550 card.

    Is that correct?

    It annoying because I think the Audio services are dependent on the Power service...

    Thanks.
    Tuesday, September 8, 2009 8:10 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Hi guys...tried the Intel drivers and no change.  Will try the video card change today.

    Unfortunately, for me, going to msconfig isn't an option because I can't boot into safe mode.  Windows never completes booting the first time, so when I try to go to safe mode I get the 'Installation cannot be completed in safe mode...' message.  Hopefully changing the video card will work for me.  Am hesitant to try it out because I might lose half my day to this!
    Monday, September 14, 2009 2:30 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Good news,

    Dell provide us with bios A09. I have applied it at one T3400 and it's working fine, the installation finish successfully with windows 7 RTM.
    Monday, September 14, 2009 4:53 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    AngelosL - can you please upload a copy? would be extremely helpful. Thanks!
    Wednesday, September 16, 2009 5:22 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Dell Thailand has graciously declined to provide me with the A09 BIOS:

    Sorry has to inform that I try finding the driver request but bios A09 is not yet release in our DB.

    Nothing much I can suggest you because what we did tried with Window 7, 32bit no problem.

     

    For your information, Microsoft will officially launch Window 7 on this coming October 2009.

     

    Once newer version release, we will update you accordingly.

    This is awesome...I spend tens of thousands of dollars on their equipment and they can't give me a freakin' BIOS update!

    Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:13 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    ____...my copy of Win 7 expires tomorrow without activation, and the TechNet keys don't work for it anymore!  Unless Dell pulls through for me in the next few hours I have no computer tomorrow.  This is upsetting to say the least.
    Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:31 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Are you saying the RTM will not activate? I would start a new post labeled RTM expiring- cannot activate. You should get a moderator to assist on that one.
    ASUS P4PE-P4 Extreme 3.4gHz-2gb G.Skill PC3200-XPSP3:55gb-Win7RC:17gb-DATA:500gb-ASUS N6800GT
    Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:52 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    No the RC won't activate...I can't install the RTM since Dell won't send me the A09 BIOS.  Had to install the RC as the RTM went into the continuous reboot loop as mentioned above.  Dell Tech Support is treating me like an end user, rather than the head of IT of a public company, telling me that the A09 BIOS is not available on their website...aaahhh!!!
    Thursday, September 17, 2009 12:42 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Perhaps this link will provide you with a workaround until October or whenever you get BIOS A09 and clean install RTM.
    ASUS P4PE-P4 Extreme 3.4gHz-2gb G.Skill PC3200-XPSP3:55gb-Win7RC:17gb-DATA:500gb-ASUS N6800GT
    Thursday, September 17, 2009 5:49 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    You can still get an RC key here.
    ASUS P4PE-P4 Extreme 3.4gHz-2gb G.Skill PC3200-XPSP3:55gb-Win7RC:17gb-DATA:500gb-ASUS N6800GT
    Thursday, September 17, 2009 5:51 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    EvoloutionCapital,
    What happened? Did you get your activation issue resolved? How about the install problems?
    Tuesday, October 13, 2009 11:05 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    When I first bought my T3400 was used.  2.4 quad core.   it came with 4GB of ram and the XP pro OS was screwed.  After many, many hours, I discovered you cannot re-install the WIndows XP pro, or re-pair XP Pro with more than 2 GB or ram.  I had 4, 1GB boards, I removed the last from slots 3 & 4,  I also unplugged the Card Reader which had further been screwing up the auto detect on the drive.   After successful installation of XP Pro, I then re-installed the other 2GB of ram and it worked fine until just a few weeks ago after major Microsoft updates.  I had unplugged the system and would not boot.   Could not repair the OS and worked for a few days until I remembered, ONLY 2 GB of RAM Maximum when installing OS (or at least XP pro).   My OS was virgin, with no risky software, Symantec Endpoint Protection, malware, etc, and run only through Sonicwall firewall.   could not understand why it would not boot.  It also refused to boot to XP repair disc, Partion Magic (to check hard drives) etc.   THE RAM is the issue.  I had even set the setup back to factory configurations and had the newest version firm ware all along.
    Friday, May 11, 2012 5:53 PM