Ok, I'm joining this discussion a bit late, I'm sorry, but just to recap...
 
1. You couldn't get Windows XP installed on your laptop, right?
 
2. You previously had Windows 98 on it.
 
3. You recently upgraded the RAM.
 
Now, I suspect that the newly upgraded RAM may be bad or incompatible, I'm sorry, I should have noticed this earlier. What I would do, at this point, before you start stressing too much, is test your RAM. You can download a very good utility, MemTest86 that will create a boot floppy to test your RAM. It's free, by the way, too. It sounds to me as though that's the root of the problem. As always, hope this helps, and let me (us) know how you make out.
 
[Edit]
My reason for asking if you previously ran Windows 98 is this: Windows 98 addresses RAM differently (AFAIK) than 2000/XP does, and you can often run Windows 9X with bad RAM and just occasionally get blue screens...
[/Edit]

right
 
the memory is compatible with the laptop
 
i have had XP WORKING on my laptop before apart from it crashed on shutdown everytime
 
i have had 98, ME working on my laptopn with the new memory installled
 
i want to go back to XP
 
i have flashed the bios, now i am getting extended memory problems before the windows 98 and ME setup begins to the decription of stack dumps, KERNAL Errors and not enough free memory to run this applivcation!!
 
i basically cannot install any operating system on my laptopn at this time
 
i really need help!!!

Just for the sake of argument, will you humor me and download MemTest86? You'll probably want to let it run for about 30-40 mins...

I just noticed something... Your post here indicates that you're having problem with another machine, too... A desktop, I suspect. This got me thinking... I am curious as to how 'clean' the incoming power is to your location... Do you have UPS(s) that the PCs are connected to? Maybe someone who reads this is an EE and can verify this, but I suspect that RAM is one of the first things to go when there are brownouts/dirty power. At any rate, I would test the RAM on the other PC as well.
 
Perhaps the RAM in both machines is fine, but by testing them it's ruled out as a point of failure...
 
Anyone have thoughts or comments on that thoery?

yeah
 
for a start its a laptop, i only have one and therefore cannot test it on anyother machine
 
i ran the memtest and all 256mb ram had an error on it - but like i said i have had this memory running successfully before its only since the bios was flashed that the error was occuring
 
when the POST boot takes place (when the laptop is turned on) the following error occurs
 
0232 extended ram failed at offset: 1B

1st enter the bios and load default settings (always do that after a flash)
if that doesnt fix the error
load the old bios and we will work from there
im 99% positive it's a acpi problem because the lappy was made before acpi.

ok im not suer where to find the default settings in this bios, its a phoenix bios is there a shortcut key to press??
 
also wheres the old bios???

ok i have resorted to going back to an old version of the bios, the oldest one that was on the samsung site.
 
my memory problems hav disappeared and im installing XP now but im not holding out much hope if im honest!!
 
thanks for all your help
 
Nick

ive been thru the samsung site and they arent very forthcoming on information and thier bios updates are way behind the times.
i think without giving the unit up to a tech for some trial and error stuff we might have taken this as far as we can.
unless anyone else can come up with a xp specific idea
 
the problem with the old laptops is that the bios was setup before acpi
so they need to be updated for xp. i will keep this samsung thing in mind in case i come across it again.