Ok, this is a problem that's been going for more than a month now. It's driving me nuts and I will prostrate myself in front of this forum and pledge my undying allegiance if you can fix it. Or help in any way. The build (the relevant parts at least) Core i5 2500K 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws-X 1600mhz Gigabyte Z68X-UD3P-B3 Inno3D GTX 580 OCZ Vertex 3 120GB SSD 3x HDD 550w PSU DVD RW optical drive Windows 7 Professional 64bit OEM Brief background Had old computer using this copy of Windows. Bought new parts, assembled new computer. Installed Windows. Problems - When at the part of the install that asks for a CD key, I punch in my key. It rejects it anywhere between 3-5 times, then just accepts it. - Various Windows services keep crashing. The Software Platform Protection Service (sppsvc) and Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service (wmpnetwk or something) in particular. Also Windows Defender from time to time. Also when installing via Windows Update, the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool also crashes. - If I skip entering the CD key during install, and try and do it in Windows, it does one of several things. It will... + Activate online. Then a few minutes later 'de-activate' - that is, in System Properties the Status and Product ID are "not available". + Refuse to activate online, phone activation will either do the same as above and deactivate shortly after activation, or it just won't accept the numbers I put in. Says they're incorrect. And yes, I triple checked them. + The Activation Client won't run. It will crash when trying to start. Gives a message that the 'RPC server is unavailable'. These three things above happen seemingly at random. It's always one or the other. - I will periodically get the watermark in the bottom right of the screen saying "Build 7601 this copy of Windows is not genuine" - For some reason, I'm having a lot of trouble browsing the internet. Several different iterations of Firefox (different releases, as well as CometBird and Waterfox) all crash anywhere between 30secs - 10mins into a session. I can sometimes force it to crash by accessing Facebook or Youtube, but again, sometimes it works fine. Opera has crashed once or twice, and Google Chrome keeps giving me those 'Aw snap' messages. I think that's all. Now, the attempted solutions... - Have reinstalled. About a gagillion times. - Tried installing off flash drive, tried using the DVD drive. - Tried using three different Win7 install discs. One of which was a SP1 updated install. - Have installed on different hard drives. - RAM is fine, and according to a PC shop the mobo is fine. - Reseated and checked cabling till my hands were raw and bloodied. - Installed Vista Home Premium 32bit full retail version. Vista's equivalent of the sppsvc (called something different but similar) also crashed repeatedly. - SSD firmware is up to date. - Tried several different BIOS versions. - Ran IntelBurn Test and CPU appears fine. - Checked the CPU socket for damaged pads. - Tried several different LAN drivers - Brought it back to barebones - mobo, 1 stick RAM, CPU, gfx, SSD. Same problem. - Enabled AHCI in BIOS. - Took the box to where I bought the mobo, asked them to fix it. The guy said he'd never seen anything like this before. Managed to stop the popups for sppsvc and wmpntwk telling me it had crashed. But in Event Viewer sppsvc is still crashing a couple of times until it just gives up. He did that by installing Comodo Internet Security, so basically he did nothing. Because if I wanted to stop the popups I'd just stop the services ever starting. Fed me some bs about my CPU hardware ID being blacklisted and to call Microsoft. Games and stuff run fine, no other instability at all. Due to my post count lacking, I can't post the original thread over on Atomic, but they've helped me thus far and suggested I come here to see about messing around with Windows 7. If anyone wants a look at the thread I can PM them the link. I understand an OEM version is locked to the original board it's installed with, but would that cause system instability? Wouldn't Windows just be all 'You're a pirate. Arr.' Only once was I presented with that screen within the Activation Client that asks me if I'm installing on a new computer yadda yadda, it crashed shortly after and I haven't been able to get it back. Pretty much covers it. So, does anyone have any ideas what is causing these problems? And, can anyone help me fix it? I don't mind reinstalling, formatting yadda yadda, I'd like to avoid messing with the BIOS but I will if I have to. In the end all I want is a nice stable OS which doesn't keep throwing random errors on screen or telling me that my copy isn't genuine. Thankyou in advance for any and all help.
The Loader was only to resolve activation; Maybe He can try to install W7 on another machine and see if the problem persists, (so the media would be problems) Or install another OS on the machine and see if the problem persists (hardware problem) Regards,
Yes I agree try installing windows 7 on another machine to rule out media in saying that ajnslng has already tried installation from 3 different windows 7 dvd's that is why I think hardware problem.
I think if he install another OS and the problem persists it's definitely a hardware problem, Now to install another OS and run properly, maybe something is harming the W7; Note: I had an old problem in a notebook chipset that ran Windows Vista (audio ok) but not Windows 7 (audio some problems);
Install W7 on a diff. set of hardware. If it crashes - DVD install media is the prob. otherwise replace ram/ssd.
I'd say disconnect everything except what you need to boot.. Only connect 1 HDD which is what you'd be installing windows to and a stick of ram so you can at least reduce the issues you may get.. Let's you limit some of the hardware from being the problem
Sorry, I did do that, just didn't add it to the list of fixes. Tried all the different RAM slots at one point or another, also bought new RAM and tried it with that. Definitely not the RAM at fault. Tried three different Windows 7 discs. Mine, a friends, and the computer guy burnt me a copy of Win7 Pro x64 SP1 install. Also tried installed off a flash drive just in case it was my optical drive, same problem all around. Installed to HDD to rule out SSD being the problem, also ran SSD Life which didn't find any faults. And SSD firmware is up to date. Did that too. Forgot to add it. It's been a long month Yeah I tried using my copy of Vista, same problem only Vista's equivalent service to sppsvc. I thought it was a hardware problem all month, but I've exhausted pretty much everything. I've ran IntelBurn Test and the CPU is solid. The RAM underwent memtest and it passed fine, and on top of that I've tried totally new RAM. The only thing I haven't tested is the motherboard, but the computer guy said that when he tested the mobo at the shop it didn't error. Having said that he was using different everything else. So I guess by process of elimination it's the CPU (despite what IntelBurn Test says) or the PSU maybe? Doesn't seem like a PSU issue though because under high load - BF3, DE:HR it's solid as a rock. I'm going to get a mate's machine over here and swap our CPU's around, see if I can get his to error or mine to stop erroring. Anyone have any other theories? Thanks for all the help so far.
@ ajnslng, are you using wireless or wired to connect to the internet most problems seem to be when accessing internet perhaps problem with network card.
Take CMOS battery load BIOS defaults do a full format on the hard drive and then try to install win 7 then.
Tried loading BIOS defaults, on several different BIOS versions. That's what I thought originally, so I disabled the LAN adapter in the BIOS and installed Windows, but in Event Viewer you can still see sppsvc crashing. Even at first boot, it crashes as the desktop is loading. I think the notification that comes up (as opposed to just seeing it in Event Viewer) only happens after SP1 installed. But saying that, I'm not 100% sure.
So, it appears it's the CPU. Put a mate's CPU in and it worked like a charm. Installed and activated, hassle free. Used Windows update, installed drivers etc. No crashes, not even in event viewer. Put my own CPU back in, and the activation held - this was yesterday - we checked Event Viewer and at the time, there didn't appear to be any crashes of sppsvc. wmpnetwk crashed once, but that's it. However today when I booted it up, it shows that yesterday, when we were playing around with it (according to the timestamp) sppsvc was crashing a few times. And today it's crashing as well. We were checking Event Viewer every few minutes yesterday to make sure, and neither of us remember seeing the crash reports. Getting kinda weird. I guess the question now, is whether it's because Windows has 'blacklisted' the hardware ID of my CPU or the CPU is faulty. There are arguments for and against both, on the one hand, sppsvc was crashing on first boot, without the internet connected, I mean Microsoft can't blacklist a processor it can't see can it. That points to faulty hardware, but then IntelBurn Test has run several times and passed no problem, and from what I've heard, if there's anything wrong with your CPU that will find it. I've emailed Microsoft to follow up on the blacklist crap. No point swapping the CPU for a new one if it's just gonna get banned as well. What do people here think of this 'blacklist'? And does anyone have any other ideas for testing if a CPU is faulty?
Emailed Microsoft, as I thought, blacklisting of hardware ID's is a load of BS. They also told me my key was in good standing and from their end it was all hunky dory. Took the CPU back to the shop, they've sent it to Intel. I can expect a verdict in 4-6 weeks. F that S. Went and bought another CPU. If I do get a return from Intel I'll just sell it (anyone want a discounted 2500K? ). Bottom line is that I popped the new CPU in and so far it's good as gold. Been running a couple of days now. Just wanted to thank everyone for their help and patience. It's been a good learning experience, if somewhat stressful.