Computer constantly ON runs fine, just don't shut it down and try to restart later! Why?

[Hans Huber]

My computer is ON 24/7, 365 days a year and runs perfectly. No BSOD's, I
take care of the software, full antivirus, latest security patches,
firewall, no dodgy hotbars, spyware whatsoever.

BUT when I shut that beast down for only a few hours (which only happens
every few months or so) it is damn hard to restart it! Yesterday I had to
try for a few hours and got to various stages. It froze when the graphic
card was counting the memory, it got all the way to WindowsXP and then just
went to a black screen to immediately start again (as if I had pressed the
reset button), then again froze at the first boot screen, got to WindowsXP
again and restarted (like a reset again). All in random order really, I
could not see a pattern. Mostly it got up to XP though and just reset
without warning.

The system consists of:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-7NNXP
CPU: AMD Athlon 1.33GHz (which is really slow for that mobo)
RAM: 2x 256MB DDR (2100)
2 off IDE HDD (7200rpm):IDE 1 One IBM Deskstar 60GB (can't remember but
think about 3 years old)
IDE 2 One Western Digital 120GB (about
a year old)
1 DVD rom as slave on IDE1
1 Plextor CD burner (1210TA) as slave on IDE2

Any ideas?

Your advice is greatly appreciated!

Chris

 

[Rick Maninov]

My computer is ON 24/7, 365 days a year and runs perfectly. No BSOD's, I
take care of the software, full antivirus, latest security patches,
firewall, no dodgy hotbars, spyware whatsoever.

BUT when I shut that beast down for only a few hours (which only happens
every few months or so) it is damn hard to restart it! Yesterday I had to
try for a few hours and got to various stages. It froze when the graphic
card was counting the memory, it got all the way to WindowsXP and then just
went to a black screen to immediately start again (as if I had pressed the
reset button), then again froze at the first boot screen, got to WindowsXP
again and restarted (like a reset again). All in random order really, I
could not see a pattern. Mostly it got up to XP though and just reset
without warning.

The system consists of:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-7NNXP
CPU: AMD Athlon 1.33GHz (which is really slow for that mobo)
RAM: 2x 256MB DDR (2100)
2 off IDE HDD (7200rpm):IDE 1 One IBM Deskstar 60GB (can't remember but
think about 3 years old)
IDE 2 One Western Digital 120GB (about
a year old)
1 DVD rom as slave on IDE1
1 Plextor CD burner (1210TA) as slave on IDE2

Any ideas?

Your advice is greatly appreciated!

Chris

Electrolytic capacitors dry out (mainly) on the motherboard over time with
heat.
They'll work fine when up to temperature but read low when cold.
Just as a trial, next time the machine is re-booted from a cold start, try
just leaving it on at whatever point it freezes for an hour. Then kick it
off again.
If this works, may be time to dig in your pocket for a new mobo before it
dies altogether.
Rick.

 

[Hans Huber]

Electrolytic capacitors dry out (mainly) on the motherboard over time with

heat.
They'll work fine when up to temperature but read low when cold.
Just as a trial, next time the machine is re-booted from a cold start, try
just leaving it on at whatever point it freezes for an hour. Then kick it
off again.
If this works, may be time to dig in your pocket for a new mobo before it
dies altogether.
Rick.

The thing is that the motherboard is almost brand new. I ordered a new PSU
for now and give this a try, will keep you posted what happens!

Thanks

 

[Phisherman]

I leave all my computers ON, both Windows and Fedora Redhat Linux. I
turn off the monitor power when I leave the computer room. An IBM rep
told me one time that is better to leave them on--the power up is hard
on the circuits. However, your computer will become very obsolete
before it actually wears out, even if you power up-down everyday.
Turn off the monitor helps reduce energy consumption.

 

[Bill Barto]

Another posibility is a hairline crack in the MB which is breaking a printed
circuit. When hot the circuit is made, when cold the circuit is open. Have
seen this before.

 

[Hans Huber]

Hairline crack! That's just what I would need!

I actually found that I (dumbshit) installed two standoffs that mount the
motherboard to the case at the wrong spot and that they were touching and
probably shorting the motherboard at the back. Since I moved those standoffs
to their correct position the whole thing seems to be running more stable
now.

Will also chuck in a brandnew Globalwin Sapphire 520W PSU tomorrow and that
will hopefully shut the computer up.