BSoD when using more than 3GB RAM during install

Hi All,

I suspect I have beaten my machine and myself to death over this, and as of now still have no ideal solution. I am including more detail than probably needed, but after searching through the forum, maybe this detail will be helpful to others.

While trying to do a clean install of Win 7 64bit, I kept getting the BSoD due to "The device driver got stuck in an infinite loop". The blue screen would flash very quickly, then the machine would reboot itself, and then repeat same thing over and over again. This was during the install, so trying to get into Safe Mode wouldn't work as the install was not complete.

I have an ASUS M2A-MVP mobo, and trying to run with 8GB RAM. I had run Vista 32bit with 2GB RAM prior. Got more RAM (4 identical 2GB modules) for Win 7 64bit.

I tried about a million things and searched this forum endlessly, and thought maybe it was the graphics card and/or its drivers since the card is in legacy support with no Win 7 drivers. (MSI RX1550) So I installed a new graphics card. Instead of the BSoD, it would just hang up during the install.

I then did a clean install of Vista 32bit, and couldn't get the new graphics card to work (Galaxy GeForce 2100 (I think)). After trying many unsuccessful tweaks, and then calling Galaxy tech support, Galaxy told me the card was bad.

So back to Best Buy and this time I got Nvidia GeForce 8400 GS and tried another clean install of Win 7 64bit. Hanging up during install at the same spot. So now I pull everything out of my computer I don't absolutely need (secondary hard drive, PCI cards, etc.) and still same problem.

Finally I think to take out the new 8GB of memory and go back to my old 2GB of memory. Success! Okay, so now its the memory. Turns out I can run with one 2GB module, or one 2GB module + one 1GB module. But cannot boot with any combination greater than 3GB.

(Yes, I booted successfully with each of the four 2GB modules when installed alone, so none of the 2GB modules appear to be at fault. Also successfully ran Vista 32 bit with all 8GB installed, even though not all 8GB was recognized.)

Talked with Crucial where I got the 8GB memory, and they said it is a mobo problem.

Exchanged e-mails with ASUS tech support, and they told me the obvious (make sure memory is well seated, etc.), but also said to erase the CMOS and set the BIOS timing and voltage.

My BIOS will let me set the voltage, but not the timing. I tried to go to an earlier version of BIOS hoping it would give me the option to change the timing, but it wouldn't let me go to an older version. Voltage change alone did not correct the problem.

So it seems I am stuck with a motherboard/BIOS that won't let me use more than 3GB memory.

I've been at this for over four days now.

By the way, my old MSI RX1550 graphics card works fine with Win 7 since I took the extra RAM out.

I think my only options are to live with less than 4GB, or get a new mobo. Not ready to spend more $ on a new mobo and who knows else that would require.

If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know.
Thanks!

Thanks Rich,

Dump should be attached.

Redwisher said:

Hi All,

I suspect I have beaten my machine and myself to death over this, and as of now still have no ideal solution. I am including more detail than probably needed, but after searching through the forum, maybe this detail will be helpful to others.

While trying to do a clean install of Win 7 64bit, I kept getting the BSoD due to "The device driver got stuck in an infinite loop". The blue screen would flash very quickly, then the machine would reboot itself, and then repeat same thing over and over again. This was during the install, so trying to get into Safe Mode wouldn't work as the install was not complete.

I have an ASUS M2A-MVP mobo, and trying to run with 8GB RAM. I had run Vista 32bit with 2GB RAM prior. Got more RAM (4 identical 2GB modules) for Win 7 64bit.

I tried about a million things and searched this forum endlessly, and thought maybe it was the graphics card and/or its drivers since the card is in legacy support with no Win 7 drivers. (MSI RX1550) So I installed a new graphics card. Instead of the BSoD, it would just hang up during the install.

I then did a clean install of Vista 32bit, and couldn't get the new graphics card to work (Galaxy GeForce 2100 (I think)). After trying many unsuccessful tweaks, and then calling Galaxy tech support, Galaxy told me the card was bad.

So back to Best Buy and this time I got Nvidia GeForce 8400 GS and tried another clean install of Win 7 64bit. Hanging up during install at the same spot. So now I pull everything out of my computer I don't absolutely need (secondary hard drive, PCI cards, etc.) and still same problem.

Finally I think to take out the new 8GB of memory and go back to my old 2GB of memory. Success! Okay, so now its the memory. Turns out I can run with one 2GB module, or one 2GB module + one 1GB module. But cannot boot with any combination greater than 3GB.

(Yes, I booted successfully with each of the four 2GB modules when installed alone, so none of the 2GB modules appear to be at fault. Also successfully ran Vista 32 bit with all 8GB installed, even though not all 8GB was recognized.)

Talked with Crucial where I got the 8GB memory, and they said it is a mobo problem.

Exchanged e-mails with ASUS tech support, and they told me the obvious (make sure memory is well seated, etc.), but also said to erase the CMOS and set the BIOS timing and voltage.

My BIOS will let me set the voltage, but not the timing. I tried to go to an earlier version of BIOS hoping it would give me the option to change the timing, but it wouldn't let me go to an older version. Voltage change alone did not correct the problem.

So it seems I am stuck with a motherboard/BIOS that won't let me use more than 3GB memory.

I've been at this for over four days now.

By the way, my old MSI RX1550 graphics card works fine with Win 7 since I took the extra RAM out.

I think my only options are to live with less than 4GB, or get a new mobo. Not ready to spend more $ on a new mobo and who knows else that would require.

If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know.
Thanks!

You might want to check msconfig (type msconfig in search) check the max memory box it should say 0 (zero) and be unchecked

Hi,

checked msconfig, max memory is unchecked and set at zero.

Anything else I can check/try?

Much thanks

I used WinDbg to look at the minidump. It indicate it is a graphics driver fault. Since I have used three different graphics cards/drivers since last Friday, and always did a clean install, I find it hard to believe it is actually the graphics driver, unless somehow the extra RAM is messing it up.

I am unfamiliar with reading these dumps. Are there any other clues it might have for me?
I have attached the dump results.

Anyone else see something like this?

Sorry, I thought I already did that.

Here is the actual minidump.

Here is another minidump. I first erased CMOS so I was back at default BIOS.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.