BIOS taking long time to boot

[Break_Da]

compaq presario 5000
p4 1.6 ghz, l2 256kb, 400mhz
3 x 256 mb, 768mb, pc133, 133mhz

computer has for a long time, deteriated in the boot up process, slowly degrading until finally issues were being brought up at initial boot up saying how changes were made and needed to be 'saved'. I replaced the CR2032 battery for the CMOS. I am still having a boot up/BIOS/CMOS loop, asking to have information saved, booting again, asking to save and verify changed components.

I am unable to boot to any device, FDD, HDD, CD-ROM. The pc stays at the beginning BIOS loading and reboots.

Thanks,
Robert

[tunered]

Pull your ide ribbon off the hard drive and see if it will post normal, I have seen failing hard drives do this, let us know. ed

[Break_Da]

Originally Posted by tunered

Pull your ide ribbon off the hard drive and see if it will post normal, I have seen failing hard drives do this, let us know. ed

I pulled the power off the HDD and the post is still NOT normal. The HDD is in another unit and I can see files fine.

[Bold Eagle]

Possibly isolation test time. Your getting no BIOS Beeps at all?

It is assumed your are using onbaord Video (IGP).

Unplug the PC.
Disconnect the HDD, FDD & CD or DVD.
Lay it on it's side and pull all RAM modules.
Turn it on to force a BIOS Error beep (if none it has no speaker connected).
Try with just 1 RAM module (all other parts still out).
Add another RAM module, etc.
Keep adding the parts until you "isolate" the specific piece of hardware.

[Break_Da]

Originally Posted by Bold Eagle

Possibly isolation test time. Your getting no BIOS Beeps at all?

It is assumed your are using onbaord Video (IGP).

Unplug the PC.
Disconnect the HDD, FDD & CD or DVD.
Lay it on it's side and pull all RAM modules.
Turn it on to force a BIOS Error beep (if none it has no speaker connected).
Try with just 1 RAM module (all other parts still out).
Add another RAM module, etc.
Keep adding the parts until you "isolate" the specific piece of hardware.

No BIOS beeping going on, just a redunant looping due to 'phantom changes' to the system, the HDD has ready been tested, all RAM removed on at a time leaving at least one stick in.
I will go through the rest, pulling and testing, thank you for the 'isolation' test... will be resuming on Monday, have a busy weekend coming...

Video is on the motherboard iirc, I will post if otherwise...

thanks...robert

[Debora68]

The problem is most people have been running windows for years, and the prefetch gets clogged with stuff that you almost never use. Windows takes forever to boot because it is prefetching a 1.0 copy of Napster, and you just want to check your email before you have to go to work.

[Aldous11]

Originally Posted by tunered

Pull your ide ribbon off the hard drive and see if it will post normal, I have seen failing hard drives do this, let us know. ed

Yes