Intermittent boot issues ...

Has anyone had intermittent boot problems with Vista? I'm working on a new clients computer and I'm the third place shes taken it to get it fixed ... the previous two haven't been able to fix it ... I've run MBAM, SAS, NIS, sfc /SCANNOW, chkdsk /r and HiJack this, plus a couple of other programs I use, none of them can fix it ... Ive run various stress testers, including BurnIn at its highest settings, nothing has errors. I've cleaned the inside of the computer, scrubbed contacts and reseated everything, ran memtest, done everything I can think of ... nothing works! It will boot fine twenty times in a row, then it wont boot five times ... any ideas????

 

Have you tested the PSU?

 

Yer but it wouldn't be that anyway ....... It boots fine until it gets to the Vista progress bar, then sometimes it will go through, others it will just sit there and do nothing .... it is one of the first releases of Vista but .... could it be a coding issue that an update has screwed up??

 

Its only 2 - 2.5 years old ....

 

Not sure what this link can do for you: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

 

I gave that article a go Cordialis ... just running another chkdsk /r then ill try to boot again ...

 

Fine. Let us know how it went...

 

Nup didn't work ... still have intermittent boot issues

 

This here is of some relevance. Couldn't find any better:

Troubleshooting startup problems: http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/ad74fdfb-1af6-48ea-b4b3-ca74035fdb161033.mspx
Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529/en-us

Also: could you tell us how these "intermittent boot problems" show? What happens exactly?

 

Well, it might boot fine twenty times in a row, then for the next four times it will get to the Vista loading screen and the progress bar scrolls but nothing happens, the bar will keep scrolling ... eventually after a couple of restarts, it will work again ...

 

This could be caused by other factors than the PC such as printers, routers, usb devices etc. Have you experienced these errors yourself? Or do they only occour when the owner runs it? And have you cheked that these devices have all their (driver) updates? Also check other external things - related to internet connection, networks etc.

 

Thought about that too ... and I saw it happening when I arrived at her place to pick it up ... plus I have had it happen here also ... with only PS2 Keyboard and mouse connected ...

 

Halo's remark about the battery could be reconsidered even though the PC is relatively new. It's not impossible that the battery can have some sort of an error? Speaking about relatively new: all service/support/etc. should still be valid - why not talk to the vendor? 3 years warranties are not unusual?

 

True .... Compaq is a subsidiary of HP aren't they??