Strange, persumed software problem at boot.

Hello!

I had a strange thing happening today, that has never happened to me before, and I wonder if someome can shead some light on why this happened, and what the cause is, and how alarmed I should be...

I have an updated AV and Firewall system, using Bitdefender which I'm very satisfied with so far, have been on it for 2 months now, after some unsuccessful trials of other systems. Computer was restored with an image 2 months ago as well. I run XP pro.

At boot, first screen said everything was normal, all memory in check, found hdd's and everything seemed fine and dandy. Then the "white load bar" that goes from left to right of the screen started, and about 1/5-th through the load, computer froze and no more hdd activity. Reset didn't work, so I tried starting last known good configuration. Same thing. Tried starting in safe mode, started loading files, got to defrag.sys (I think it was .sys at least, blasted memory) and then it froze. I turned the computer off for 2 minutes and started, and everything was normal and it booted without problems.

Is this just one of those freak things that occasionally happen? Or should I worry about something? A virus scan reveals nothing, but I doubt it can be a virus thing, as it went wrong at such an early stage of the boot...

http://members.chello.se/solange/smileys/hello.gif

 

Might be a one-time thing. Never hurts to run chkdsk /r /f and memtest86 though.

 

Hi!

I have done the chkdsk, and I also ran the mem test. Problem persists, and has now escalated. First, the computer froze every now and then, always in the same place. Now it freezes every time I boot. It comes to where the screen is black, and the white bar goes from left to right loading (drivers?). Every time that happen, I shut the computer down with the power button and start again after a few seconds, and on second attempt, it always boots.

If I try using the reset button, it will freeze again, I have to shut the power down and start again. If the computer has been on and I restart, it doesn't freeze. If the computer has been shut down for less than an hour or so, it doesn't freeze, it is only when I try turning it on after it's been off over night or over day that I have this problem.

Other than this I have no other issues. I have rolled back to a previous image and restored C (using True Image). This image was created almost a year ago, so very long before my problems occurred. But the problem remains. This makes me 99.99% sure it is hardware and not software that is causing this. I'm terrible with hardware, so I could use some hints, if anyone has any ideas!

 

I suppose this means this thread is actually in the wrong forum, it probably belongs more over on hardware... Blast!

Still, if anyone with a better knowledge about hardware than me has any ideas, I would be very happy!

 

Do you have Everest Solange, sounds like either a RAM problem which you have eliminated partially with Memtest, HD problem which CHKDSK should have flagged, next would be a Temperature/Power problem which Everest should find, you should also check your "Event Veiwer" to see if any "Flags" are there. Everest link http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181 Hope that Helps our Swedish Miss

 

Hi!

Thank you so much for your reply!

I have checked the event logs. Since the image was restored, there are no errors in the events, only a couple of dhcp warnings. So that was a dead end. I've installed Everest, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. It is an excellent tool to figure out what hardware is installed, reminds me of a program I had a few years ago called Aida32 or something like that. I can get reports from the program, but I need to study them more carefully to see what they are actually telling me!

I'll be back as soon as I've understood the reports!

 

Hi!

I've studied the reports from Everest, and they all tell me I have a very nice and healthy computer... I might not know exactly what I'm looking for, but I've gone through every report that I thought might have any bearing on the case, but there is just nothing that looks out of the ordinary...

I'll spend some time next weekend to make sure everything is seated properly, and I'll take out my old hdd (not the boot drive) and see if it is causing the problem (old hdd is 5 years old). I'll try removing the mem sticks one by one and see if that changes anything as well.

This comp is very old, so I suppose it won't last indefinitely. I was just hoping indefinitely was a little further away...

BCGray, would you like me to post reports from Everest? I have sent them to a friend who knows more about hardware than me, and he can't find anything wrong either, but you never know I suppose...

 

Everest should give you Temps & Voltages like in this screen
http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/6707/screenhunter1vr2.jpg

Remember that Voltages should be within 0.25 Volts of indicated. If not try a P.ower S.upply U.nit swap

As far as your planned course of actions, they sound great and should point the way, to a cure

 

Thanks

This is the grim truth...

http://members.chello.se/solange/show/Everest.jpg

Blast!

So... I might have to do some shopping. I hate shopping! Lol.

If this is what is causing this, I wonder if it is even worth replacing the power unit, the case is ancient... Ah well, I'll sleep on it and see if I feel any wiser tomorrow!

Thank you so much for the help! http://members.chello.se/solange/smileys/hug.gif

 

Yeapers, you have a PSU problem, which is really no problem at all, as they are "Cheap" and standard sized, just make certain it has the right connections on it, which is know problem............Should cost you less than $70 USD for a "good" supply.............and it is really easy to swap Solange, unhook a couple of connectors, undo a few screws and you'll be laughing in the land of the midnight sun. Cheers Solange

 

Thank you so much for the help and advice!

Not so worried about changing the thing, after all, a few cables here and there, what could possibly go wrong?

I live a little too far from the pole for the midnight sun, and it is the wrong time of year... But I live far up enough to have seen some amazing aurora borealis. I was working on a sailing ship at the time, and we were sailing up towards Stockholm in the middle of the Baltic, and the entire sky was covered with it, never ever seen anything like it!

 

Yea we get those up here in Canada as well, about four years ago, we had one, where you would have figured God was painting the night sky, the whole sky was differing shades of blue and red, not the normal shimmering ribbon you normally see. It lasted about two hours, tried to take photo's but none turned out anything like it really was. You gotta admit this is one Lovely Planet, all the best on your PSU swap Solange

 

Update.

Last night the new PSU was put in, and this morning I turned the puter on very giddy and hopeful. But no, problem remains.

In fact, the voltage figures are still the same, so the problem might be a lead somewhere else, or a sad capacitor somewhere on the mobo I suppose, or it might not be related at all.

On a plus note, my extremely thorough cleaning of the CPU dropped the temp down to 56 degrees, and the new PSU must be feeding the fan better, because with it, the CPU now operates at a healthy 46 degrees C. I had some help building this comp about 5 years ago, but the first time someone told me about monitoring temperatures in a computer was about a year later, and I have to confess, I have NEVER seen this CPU operate below 75, I just didn't think it would go this low!

So for now, I'll start messing about with the hdd's and see if one of them is the culprit. But if it turns out they aren't, I think we might have to come to the conclusion this is a mobo problem, and then I think retirement is closing in.

Ah well first things first, it might be one of the hdd's! I'll keep you posted!

 

Solange do you have one or two sticks of memeory, thinking that if your 2.5 volt line is still 0.22 volts, that there may be a short in one of the sticks, remove just one at a time.............Also remember that your unit has literally been a "Slow Cooker" for awhile with those temps. Sorry that the PSU didn't resolve the issue

 

Hi!

Yes, I do have 2 sticks, will try that! The 2.5 is still resting comfortably at 0.22.

One thing that strikes me as a little odd is the fact that the temps dropped without the voltage rising. If my Ohm's Law serves my memory right, low voltages cause high currents, and therefore high temps...

Thank you!

 

You go to the Head of the class Solange, that is indeed correct.........but it might just be that one of your Volt sensors is wacky.

 

So... It appears to be a memory stick that is being naughty. I removed one, and puter boots. I replaced it in another slot, and it doesn't boot, so I have with fairly good certainty ruled out the mem slot being the culprit. A few more tests and I'm off to get another mem stick. Maybe I should take the opportunity to upgrade with a 512 stick, while I'm at it! This baby would probably perform better on 768 than it does on 512!

I've got 2 sticks with 1024 each laying around, but they don't fit my mobo, such a shame!

Funny, BC, I once got a job as a ships engineer for knowing Ohm's Law... It helped me find a switch that had intermittent contact with a rain of sparks being the result. While the guys were scratching their heads looking at the 230 and 380 volt systems I told them not to be silly, it had to be the 24 volt, and after that it was just a matter of locating the switch! The ships owner was so happy not to see his wooden princess go up in flames that he hired me on the spot!

 

Update!

The evidence now points clearly to one of the mem sticks. I switched them around so that the suspected "broken" one was in the first mem slot, and the comp doesn't even go to the mem check screen the first time it boots, it just beeps. Again, when I start over, it boots fine, so it must be some kind of static problem or so inside one of the mem chips or something. So I'll just get a new stick and I'm on the road again!

Thanks for your help, BC!