(e-mail address removed) wrote
Found this little tidbit in the eventviewer just before the last crash:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: atapi
Event Category: None
Event ID: 9
Date: 2/25/2006
Time: 1:06:46 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SOLAR
Description:
The device, \Device\Ide\IdePort0, did not respond within the timeout
period.
MS Online Help lists this as a CD-ROM error....
There's clearly an intermittent fault in the hard drive subsystem.
I'd swap the cable first, mainly because thats the cheapest thing to swap.
If the fault is still seen, probably best to put the drive in another
system if you can and see if the fault moves with the drive or not.
Bit tricky with a fault that only shows up once a month tho.
If it does move with the drive and a new cable
doesnt help, could well be a motherboard fault and
the reason that PC was discarded in the first place.
If you want to run the fault to ground anyway, I'd try
running the motherboard loose on the desktop to check
if its an intermittent short to case. Quite a bit of hassle
tho, particularly if the fault persists and all you have
proven is why it was discarded in the first place.
