Total system failure, then no problem?

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by ojdidit, Sep 6, 2004.

  1. ojdidit

    ojdidit Private First Class

    Was trying to scroll down a web page when the system froze, so I powered off and then on. BIOS didn't detect my hdd and it obviously wasn't getting power as there were no hdd windup sounds. The case fan was working as well as other case lights. On the second BIOS screen, after is says "verifying dmi pool data" was the message " boot disk failure, insert emergency boot disk" or something similar. After fumbling with startup floppy and getting another freezeup, I powered off and then on again. But now I get nothing at all, no BIOS screen, and the monitor's status light is indicating no data coming from the hdd. Repeated this with the same response.

    After letting it ( and me) cool a few hours, I decide to try my old hdd, as the one in use was installed used and what do I know about hdd failure symptoms? So with a different hdd in there it boots right up, no detection problems. But after numerous startups and shutdowns trying to get all the drivers working again, this drive now fails to be detected.

    Failed to mention that whenever I got a BIOS screen, the cd drives were always detected. They are on the secondary ide cable. There is only one drive on the primary.

    So its not the hdd. Seems like it can't be the power supply. Would it be the mobo?
     
  2. Strogg

    Strogg 5-Star Freakin' Geek

    it's possible; i've seen ide controllers die on motherboards many times in the past; they seem to be a common component of the motherboard to go. just to be sure, you can use a voltmeter/multimeter to check the voltage of the 5v and 12v lines of the power connector, as well as making sure the drives work flawlessly on other computers. good luck
     
  3. ASUS

    ASUS MajorGeek

    Make sure all cables/connectors/etc are pluged in properly.
     
  4. Rob M.

    Rob M. First Sergeant

    I wouldn't rule out the power supply just yet. I've heard of some that get flaky after they've had time to warm up too much.

    I note you're running a 500MHz K6-2 -- which means that it's something like 5 years old. Is it possible that either the CPU or the power supply is overheating because of an accumulation of dust that's blocking airflow in critical places?

    My son's computer (a 450MHz K6-2) began exhibiting somewhat similar symptoms a while ago. It would run for a while, then crap out. When I opened it up, I found that the CPU heatsink fins were packed with dust. There was no way that air was going to move between those fins. I removed the fan, sucked the dust out with a vacuum cleaner attachment, put the fan back on, and started it up. The system behaved itself just fine from then on.

    Good luck!
     
  5. FinalJason823

    FinalJason823 Private E-2

    Try switching the hard drive to Secondary IDE and CD Roms to Primary, if the HDD is detected and CD Rom is'nt, I'd say thats a telltale sign that your mobo's IDE slot is bad.
     
  6. ojdidit

    ojdidit Private First Class

    As of now its been working like an effing champ for two days with the original hdd reinstalled. I'm going to get a vacuum hose on the job, as there is a bit of dust present. Who knows?
     
  7. Strogg

    Strogg 5-Star Freakin' Geek

    screw the vacuum; there's not enough suction. you need an air compressor or canned air. bring the computer to the street, and spray away. i did that to a friend's computer on a sidewalk once and, i swear, the cement turned into a different shade of grey.
     
  8. ojdidit

    ojdidit Private First Class

    Thanks for the help, guys. Appreciate all the suggestions. One more that might have helped I received offline was to replace the bios battery. At any rate, I incurred more problems until i vacuumed the fans. A poor job at best without high pressure air but the results speak for themselves- about 10 trouble-free hours of ops.
     

MajorGeeks.Com Menu

Downloads All In One Tweaks \ Android \ Anti-Malware \ Anti-Virus \ Appearance \ Backup \ Browsers \ CD\DVD\Blu-Ray \ Covert Ops \ Drive Utilities \ Drivers \ Graphics \ Internet Tools \ Multimedia \ Networking \ Office Tools \ PC Games \ System Tools \ Mac/Apple/Ipad Downloads

Other News: Top Downloads \ News (Tech) \ Off Base (Other Websites News) \ Way Off Base (Offbeat Stories and Pics)

Social: Facebook \ YouTube \ Twitter \ Tumblr \ Pintrest \ RSS Feeds