Win 7 64 BSOD's

[missionrec]

Hello compatriots in audio production,
I'm new here, not new to Audio!! I have a favor to ask. Any ideas are welcome (except switch to mac )

Here is my dilemma,

This has been my main production system since I built it in 2007,

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHZ
Intel D975XBX2
4.0 GB Ram
/3gb switch
250gb SATA system drive
500 GB Sample streaming drive
Marvell RAID 10 (for Audio)

MOTU 424 PCIe
MOTU 2408 MK III (x1)
MOTU 2408 MK II (x2) (for lightpipe and TDIF I/O 24 channels each)
1. UAD-1
XP 32 SP 2
Cubase 4/5
Nuendo 4

In early January I decided to book a week off, Do a BIOS update (which was supposed to fix an internal conflict in the D975XBX2 between the Marvell RAID controller and the onboard LAN) and install Win 7 64 so I could get the advantages of the extra RAM and move into the 21st century. I even had the "foolproof" backup plan of having my main system drive (solid now these past couple of years) in my hands outside of the box as I started the rebuild with Win 7 on a completely different hard drive.

It is now late Feb. and I have no working system @ all. Somehow????? the BIOS update corrupted my "Safe" XP build ( I finally gave up and put it back in and promptly killed it with a BSOD????) now I am in a real pickel trying to decide where to go next.

I just cannot get the MOTU 424PCIe to live in a 64 bit system. I have borrowed a Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R with the intention if I could get it running I would just buy one of these (it seems a very highly rated DAW MOBO) and am having random BSOD's with nothing installed in it but an ATI HD 4350 video card and the PCIe 424. Same for the Intel MOBO in my old rig. I could not get the 424 to install at all on either MOBO with the MSI (Nvidia) N9500GT that was in the i7 machine when I borrowed it. ATI does allow the install but the systems are totally unstable.

I can move away from the MOTU gear but my production style involves a LOT of light pipe I/O and this system works great (72 channels of I/O) to route external computers running soft synths and a Yamaha 02R v2 via TDIF.

Is there anyone out there who is running a 424 on an i7 or a Core 2 duo in a 64 bit environment? What MOBO are you using?? I also need to have a RAID 10 and my UAD1 and UAD 2 installed on this rig so I know I'm asking a lot . . .

I have talked to MOTU and it seems they have no in house people running i7s yet (they are checking with their PC beta people??) and I hate to purchase a MOBO that is 4 year old technology (and go back to 32 bit) just to get this rig running so I can generate some $. But I will do this if I have to.

If any of you out there have any suggestions or questions that may help to get me back on track I'll be ever so grateful and looking forward to long and mutually beneficial relationships encouraging us all to better art!

Thanks,
Hank Lueck

www.missionrecording.com
www.seedsunlimited.com

system profiles;
DEAD ONE * Main System / Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 / 2.4 GHZ / 8.0 GB Ram / MOTU 424 PCIe / MOTU 2408 MK III (x1) / MOTU 2408 MK II (x2) / XP 32 SP3 / Marvell RAID 10 / UAD -1 & 2 / Cubase 4/5 / Nuendo 4

Slave System / Athlon Opteron 148 / 3.8 GHZ / 2.0 GB Ram / MOTU 424 PCI / MOTU 2408 MK I (ADAT I/O only) / XP 32 SP 2 / RAID 10 / Cubase 3 (For realtime software synths)

Mobile system / Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 / 2.1 GHZ / 4.0 GB Ram / RME Hammerfall II W/ HDSPE Express Card / ASIO 4 ALL V2.10 beta 1 / XP32 SP3 / Vista 64 / Cubase 4/5 / Nuendo 4

[paulwr]

the MOTU setup is so great for lots of lightpipes.... best value out there..... IF and when their drivers work with your setup. RME is going to run $1600+ for two RayDAT cards and that will fall short. Just 64 ATAD channels, plus you loose pci spaces since they take two space each (only 2 actual pci-e slots), though you can re-configure a custom location for the extra daughter card part of each that doesn't use and actual slot, but takes up the space. I hate that about RME, but the drivers are typically up to date and solid.

If you wind up thinking you'll go RME, with these RayDAT cards, or even a larger RME MADI system (probably $4500+) I can put you in touch with a close friend that is a dealer where you may save some $. I've had no personal experience with the 424's. LEX maybe still uses 424's for his 72 channels of ADAT in's. Maybe he'll respond.

-Paul

[TAFKAT]

The MOTU 424's are a bit of a minefield on Giga X58 boards , so you need to be very careful there.

So is the old XBX system BSOD on XP as well, or just Win7, sorry I lost that in the mix.. ?

Do either of the systems BSOD without the MOTU 424 installed ?

FWIW: I have numerous clients on XBX boards running XP x64 with great success, with RME hardware tho, but I have also used XP x64 on P45 systems with older 424 PCI cards with great success.

Might be worth a try.

[missionrec]

The MOTU 424's are a bit of a minefield on Giga X58 boards , so you need to be very careful there.

So is the old XBX system BSOD on XP as well, or just Win7, sorry I lost that in the mix.. ?

Do either of the systems BSOD without the MOTU 424 installed ?

FWIW: I have numerous clients on XBX boards running XP x64 with great success, with RME hardware tho, but I have also used XP x64 on P45 systems with older 424 PCI cards with great success.

Might be worth a try.

All three systems stable without the 424. (XbX Win7 64, XBX XP 32 SP3,Giga Win 7 64)
Funny thing, the XBX was stable w/424 for years until the last BIOS update, now it's BSOD city.
I tried XP 64 about 2 years ago . . The 424 was OK on it but there was so little support for the other drivers/software I needed I gave up . . .
Another interesting development, the XBX will no longer boot @ all with the 424 and a UAD-1. It did before the BIOS update . . . ????

I just installed an old 9652 Hammerfall, hoping to get something up and running, figured I could get one of the 2408's going with lightpipes on the old XBX (XP32) system. It's kinda flaky, no telling what I did to it with all of the BSOD's from before . . .

Thanks for the dialog . . .

~missionrec

[TAFKAT]

You should be able to revert back to the old BIOS on the XBX, looks like they have done some major shuffling of lower level memory resources that is playing havoc.

UAD1's are also notorious for causing low level issues once the memory resources get shuffled.

Also try doing a clear CMOS just to get a fresh start on the resource assignment on the board, of course have all the cards out and drop them in one at a time after that and see how you go.

I had a fantastic run with XBX boards for a few years, mind you they are all running the BIOS's that were current then, no telling what they have screwed up with this latest one.. :-(

BTW: If you have any of the minidumps, send them to me and I'll do a debug on them to see what exactly is bringing the system down

[missionrec]

TAFKAT,
You are the BOMB!
I will try the CMOS clear first. I'd like to keep the LAN and the RAID if possible (this was the reason for the BIOS flash in the first place,) but I will certainly can the LAN to get the system going again. I have no idea how to roll the BIOS back (I'm not even sure which the old BIOS was,) but should have no problem with the CMOS clear and the rebuild one card at the time. I'm VERY familiar with that process . . . . .

I have watched Win7 pull a minidump in a BSOD but I haven't seen Xp do this . . I'll look tomorrow to see if I can find one on the XP build. I know absolutely nothing about code, but have been fairly adept @ building my own DAW's since Win 98. (I had 98 lite smokin' all the way through ME and Win 2000 . . .)

Thanks again for your willingness to help a fellow in need!

Back soon,
~missionrec

[Jcschild]

Win 7 on an older system is usually not wise.
lots of ACPI issues.

XBX and XP was one of the most stable systems ever.
i would do a frsh install of XP with no cards inside. doo all the updates to SP3, do all the latest driver updates online (intel chipset, video etc)
if you want to go into the 64bit world its time for a new system anyway.

[TAFKAT]

I know absolutely nothing about code, but have been fairly adept @ building my own DAW's since Win 98. (I had 98 lite smokin' all the way through ME and Win 2000 . . .)

Oh yes 98Lite and XPlite were the bomb , pity Shane ( the developer) didn't navigate the tech over to Vista and Win7.

I know Shane quite well, he is a local here in Melbourne, and we did a bit of work together over the years . I have to admit I haven't spoken to him for a while, maybe time to touch base again.. :-)

BTW: I still have my old PIII-500 SCSI system sitting in the studio , running Windows 98Lite, VST 5.1., connected to a MOTU 8x8 MIDI interface running an old Gina card , can't say I have actually used it in over 10 years, but I did fire it a up a little while back just to see if it would boot, and up came 98Lite in about 10 seconds, running in about 16MB of RAM, and the system was almost as responsive as anything I build now. Amazing. That thing was as stable as a rock.., yes hard to believe for some, but I had 98Lite rocking... !!

Let us know how you go with the XBX reshuffle..

[missionrec]

Well TAFKAT,
I saw the system come up solid today for the first time in WEEKS! Back in XP SP3 but glad to be passing audio!!
The CMOS clear seems to have really done the trick!

Interesting though, I took the CMOS battery out and unplugged the computer for about 5 minutes. I removed the MOBO jumper that puts the BIOS into "repair?" mode. (I can't quite remember the exact terminology now, it's kinda late here . . .) and fired the MOBO up once (just long enough to post) with no battery and no jumper. Turned it off, put the battery and the jumper back in, and fired her up. The clock was still set??? and many of the BIOS settings were still intact????. Serial port off, parallel port off, ect. . .

Kinda wierd . .

Anyway I started the rebuild (XP SP3) and the system hasn't crashed a single time since. 424 happy, UAD-2 duo happy, audio jumping! I think my UAD 1 may have bit the dust in the midst of the troubles, I'll know more tomorrow when I try it in my old DAW but it will not allow the XBX to post, and it gets mighty hot mighty fast . . .

I may try Win 7 again on this rig but I will have to get some work done first . . . at least the CMOS clear seems to have given me something to work with again (if it ever really cleared anything at all???)

Gratefully,
missionrec

[Vinark]

If the clock is not reset the bios isn't either. Remember to remove the power cable too. Once that is removed and the battery too pressing the power button will drain the caps of the power supply.