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Hey forumers!

So, here's the deal; recently, I started getting a bad case of constans BSOD's on my PC. The errors were the infamous STOP: 0x00000124, which, from my own experience, basically means there's an unknown hardware error. I know for sure that it isn't a software/driver error, since both my HDD's with different operating systems (one XP one Vista) crash, giving the same result.
Since I got this error first over a week ago, I've been trying nearly every possible solution to the problem from looking at forums where people have had the same issue, and trying things by myself.
I've come down to the error either being the motherboard/mainboard, or the processor.
Since I had already planned to buy a new processor this summer, I went ahead and did so to see if it solved my problems. I also bought another processor fan instead of using the stock one that ships with Intel's processors.
So, after receiving both, I installed the new processor and fan to my mainboard, and hit the power button (I had the power cord unplugged while installing it, of course). Now I have another problem, I can't get past MSI's lovely boot-screen, and thus cannot test to see if it was the processor that was giving me the errors. I've tried switching the CMOS jumper back and forth to see if that helped, but I get the same problem.
Then I tried reinstalling the old processor, going into safe mode, and flashing the BIOS before installing the new processor again. But MSI's lovely BIOS-updating service did not work. Not the net-based Live Update nor the older Live Update 3 application service. Then my computer BSOD'ed. Yeah, it BSOD'ed in safe mode.
Anyway, so I've also tried installing the new processor without switching the CMOS jumper. Computer starts up, everything seems to work, goes from the boot screen picture thing to black, then the system restarts. I though, "fine, MSI's homepage said something about it restarting to adjust to the correct FSB rate."
But I don't think it's supposed to go on like that forever. So after a few minutes, I gave up.

For the record, I've also tried disabling the on-board LAN controller and the on-board sound, didn't solve it. The problem does not lie within the graphics card, as we tried switching it to a different one. I've also tried switching my RAM-sticks back forth between the slots, turns out they weren't the cause either.

So, my question is (if you're still with me xD), should I just say 'funk this!' and buy a new mobo (thus having to sacrifice my festival-ticket, boohoo) or does anyone know why my computer refuses to boot with the new processor? I've checked MSI's homepage, the processor is supposed to be compatible, it's the right FSB, socket and everything (obviously, since it clicked in the slot).

Any help much appreciated! Thanks to anyone who could stand reading all this!

When installing a new processor, I find it's always best to completely reset the bios, which you've done, but anyhoo I'd take out the battery for 10 mins, or use the jumper if your brave.

I think I have a similar problem with my mobo - I'm sure the CMOS settings are playing havoc with the graphics card, like the settings got wrecked somehow, so now my PC behaves a bit like yours. Boots up to the windows loading screen, or a few seconds into Bios, then poof! - it's gone again. I found someone with the exact same problem as myself, and it was a fried motherboard causing the problem. My issue now is that I refuse to buy a cruddy motherboard to get me up and running again, I'd rather wait till I have a bit more money free and spend a little more, probably spend £100-£150 on a mobo, but you can get cheap ones for as low as £35, which come highly not-recommended.

@Van: I would take the battery out as well, if I could. It's just impossible to get out. :S
I've even tried loosening it by clicking the foot-thing that holds it, then flipping the computer over gently, but it refuses to pop out, lol.
But I guess it grants the same effect as switching the jumper over.

I suspect it might be my motherboard also, there was one of those cylindrical trinkets (don't know the name of them) that felt a bit more loose than the others, but I think I might've pushed it when I installed the new processor. Anyhow, since the problem occured before all this, it's not the original cause.

I've got the same issue, when I first bought my comp two years ago, my funds were, though not so sparse, quiet restricted, since exceeding the limit would mean that I'd have to borrow money from someone, and I hate doing that. So I bought a half-cheap MSI-mobo...

I was thinking of getting an ASUS-mobo for around £120-£125 (estimated conversion from swedish SEK.) Will that be good enough, you think?

Capacitor.

Which one? I would try and look at the resistor.

Vista generally doesn't like new hardware at all. Have you still got the boot CD for your OS's? If so, go to www.killdisk.com and delete all data on your hard disk, and then try re-installing everything. Worked for me.

TheComet

He mentioned a "cylindrical trinket". Pretty much the only cylindrical component you'll find on a modern motherboard is a capacitor. I was specifying that "trinket".

Ensure your PCI express is working OK - most of the 0x124 parameters are CPU execution check faults - so likely a motherboard or CPU malfunction, as you mentioned. But one of the possible errors in particular signals PCI Express problems (STOP 0x124 followed by 0x4 = PCIE failure) if something screwy is happening with the GPU, it could cause some kind of PCIE error, so rule that out before buying a new mobo (completely disable PCIE or remove any PCIE GPUs)

@NeX: I see, thanks for the info! We never really went into these sort of components during the technics course.

@TheComet: I do believe they're around here, the question is just where...
KillDisk sounds like a more dramatic procedure than I was hoping to use, since there's a lot of files on my boot-disk I want to keep. Copying them over to the other disk would be an option, but I don't want to risk file corruption because of the system hanging while I'm copying the files.

@David R: It sounds like a possibility, since swapping GPU's only ensured that mine was not malfunctioning. I would disable PCIE if I could, but then I could not stress the system to see if it still halts, since I don't have any onboard GPU. I could perhaps try using an old GPU with a PCI-connector, but we only have old AGP cards...

Thanks for the tips so far, guys! Much appreciated.

Why would it hang? If you are scared it will, try an ubuntu 9.04 boot disk and select from the boot menu that will pop up after putting the cd in "Try ubuntu without any change to your computer". This will take a while, until ubuntu runs in memory without using the hard disk. Then you can copy everything across with a guaranteed success.

Also, don't use vista. It sucks, and Microsoft monitors EVERYTHING you do. It is terrible. The problem you have is probably that vista scanned your hardware and found that you have a new processor. Therefore it thinks you have a new computer, and it wants you to buy a new licence from them. You have been officially sucked up by Microsoft.

TheComet

@TheComet: Lol, no need to go all Vista conspiracy theory on the thread. It actually isn't all that bad, I was very much against upgrading first. Then I got another hard drive and installed Vista on it, since I have XP on my main drive/boot drive. Now, a year after I got Vista, it has become a lot more stable and reliable with all the upgrades. The only problem I still have is an issue with my graphics card (a bug which occurs with most 8000-series cards, from what I've heard), where the screen goes blank after installing new drivers. There is a solution to it, so it doesn't bother me.
So Vista is not the problem, these issues started a week before I ordered the new processor, so it's no hidden hardware rejection tool.
Besides, it doesn't even let me past the bootup screen, so it's obviously a hardware issue.

I would go with what David R has suggested here, now that you mention the 8800 I wonder if you have an nvidia mobo. I have 680i lt - my 8800 gpu sits right underneath the SPP fan - which is taking in hot air(from gpu on circuit board side) and the MCP fan sits underneath the rear end of the card but right near the rear of the SATA drive and also takes in hot air!(from hard drive) Even with fans taking air out of the case at rear and drawing in from the front doesn`t help as it does not move hot air away from the SPP/MCP fans, so they run hot and get hotter on load. I used to get BSODS with stop errors or crashes(system freezes/halts) with or without what appeared to be bus artifacts(unusual for PCIe unless the boards MCP is hot is what I read on nvidia forums somewhere). Changing the positions of the fans to move hot air away from those fans stopped the crashing which would only happen after a few hours or when in game in the first place.
Now you may have a new problem though - you may have not cleared the cmos and/or flashed the bios and something went wrong like a corrupt bin file or the wrong bin file. The reason I say you may not have cleared the cmos is I`ve had issues with an oldish soltek board that had a second jumper for the fsb(I have only looked at my own mobo where more current technology is concerned). The bios remembered the settings for each fsb jumper setting but only ever showed the current one. Clearing cmos using the jumper would only clear settings related to the current setup of the fsb jumpers. (The fsb jumper options were pins 1-2=100, 1-2=133, 2-3=166). I think it would help more if you posted details of your hardware. I wouldn`t rush to spend more money on a problem you don`t know the source of. Can you get into your bios at all since the flash? If not have you tried cmos clear by removing battery(if it won`t budge, make it or get some else to) then just having keyboard, screen, 1*gfx card, 1*ramstick/old processor/mobo setup?(no drives, usb devices, pci cards).
Is there any chance that you have plugged in the k/b where the mouse should go whilst checking your system(non usb) - if so you would get a dead in the water but its still turning over reaction from your machine, if halt on all errors or halt on k/board errors is set in bios(which would be standard cmos defaults). Additionally by putting them in the wrong connections is likely to permenantly damage the k/board giving the same result if it was then removed and connected in right connection slot. I have lost several keyboards this way but only non usb ones and the halt on all errors/kboard errors gets me every time I reset cmos.

I actually have a P35-based mobo (Intel chipset), and there are no fans on it, except for the one mounted in the processor fan socket, of course. Other than that, there are just a couple of heat sinks on it.

My complete and somewhat thorough spec for my system is the following;
Antec P180 with 3 preinstalled fans (two big ones and one slightly smaller, by the bottom HDD bay, just mentioning because of the fans)
Chieftec PSU @ 560W
MSI P35 Neo mobo (with built in Realtek LAN-card and audio card)
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 @ 3,16 GHz (the 'old' one is a Core 2 Duo at 2,33 GHz)
ASUS GeForce 8800 GTS, 640MB edition
2 x 2048MB Corsair RAM-sticks, 800MHz (can't remember the exact model name, XMS2 or something, DDR2 memories anyway)
Western Digital Caviar of 250GB (the main one, with XP)
Western Digital Caviar of 500GB (the second one, with Vista)
An ASUS DVD/CD combo drive.
Memory Card 5-in-1 reader.
Remember that this is for troubleshooting reference, it's not supposed to be braggy or anything (I dislike people constantly bragging about their specs ).

I would check for an FSB jumper, but the CMOS jumper is the only one referenced in the motherboard's manual, with specific instructions on what it does. The others are not documented whatsoever, perhaps in the motherboard chart but not how they work. As I said before, the motherboard is supposed to adjust itself to the right FSB rate by restarting a few times, but it doesn't seem to work right, as it just keeps restarting forever.

I never did get the chance to flash the BIOS (MSI's service refused to work), so they've remained unaltered since I got the computer nearly two years ago (I first heard of BIOS flashing only a few months ago).

The keyboard is and has always been in the right port, I always check to make absolutely sure that I'm aiming for the right port, I'm a bit paranoid like that.
I have a wireless microsoft USB mouse, so no trouble with ports there either.

Come to think of it, I haven't tried unplugging the memory card reader yet. I'll try that, and as soon as he can, my brother-in-law will help me change the power supply to his one (slightly better one) to see if we can get the system running with the new processor then.

However this all works out or not, I've come to decide that I'll probably at least buy a new mobo anyways, maybe even a new power supply to ensure that my system lasts and will be upgrade-ready in the future. I'll still try my best to find the source of these stops, so that I can perhaps return in this part for a replacement that I'll either use or sell, if the warranty hasn't run out, of course. Anyhow, thanks once again to all for the help!