Inconsistent Start-Up

[Guest]

My problem is inconsistent start-up. When I shut down and try to restart,
the computer locks up and won’t start. Where it locks up is not consistent
either, sometimes I will get all the way to ‘desktop’ before lock-up. I have
tried running ‘fixboot’ from the Recovery Console. However, even getting the
Recovery Console to start is inconsistent as well.

The computer will almost always start and run fine, by removing whatever
secondary HD that is installed. This problem has been persistent with a
number of various hard drives.

Computer: AMD Sempron 3300+ 2.19 GHz, 1.00 GB RAM, BioStar Motherboard,
CD-RW, DVD-RW, USB 2.0, Firewire
OS: Windows XP Home v2002 SP2

Primary HDD: currently installed as Master
Seagate 80GB ST380013A (C: Part 1, 40 GB (System), D: Part 2, 40 GB)
Ultra DMA Mode 5

Secondary HDD: currently installed as Slave
Seagate 200 GB ST3200822A (G: Part 1, 40 GB (page file), H: Part 2, 160 GB)
Ultra DMA Mode 5

Have tried:
Seagate 80 GB ST380020A (Currently in use in Mac G4, no problems)
Seagate 160 GB ST3160023A (Currently in use as USB 2.0 external drive, no
problems)

All the hard drives have been checked with Seagate diagnostics software and
report ‘Good’. I have tried various HD cables as well.

I don’t know if this is a software problem or a hardware problem.

Any thoughts / ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Malke]

My problem is inconsistent start-up. When I shut down and try to restart,
the computer locks up and won’t start. Where it locks up is not consistent
either, sometimes I will get all the way to ‘desktop’ before lock-up. I have
tried running ‘fixboot’ from the Recovery Console. However, even getting the
Recovery Console to start is inconsistent as well.

The computer will almost always start and run fine, by removing whatever
secondary HD that is installed. This problem has been persistent with a
number of various hard drives.

Computer: AMD Sempron 3300+ 2.19 GHz, 1.00 GB RAM, BioStar Motherboard,
CD-RW, DVD-RW, USB 2.0, Firewire
OS: Windows XP Home v2002 SP2

Primary HDD: currently installed as Master
Seagate 80GB ST380013A (C: Part 1, 40 GB (System), D: Part 2, 40 GB)
Ultra DMA Mode 5

Secondary HDD: currently installed as Slave
Seagate 200 GB ST3200822A (G: Part 1, 40 GB (page file), H: Part 2, 160 GB)
Ultra DMA Mode 5

Have tried:
Seagate 80 GB ST380020A (Currently in use in Mac G4, no problems)
Seagate 160 GB ST3160023A (Currently in use as USB 2.0 external drive, no
problems)

All the hard drives have been checked with Seagate diagnostics software and
report ‘Good’. I have tried various HD cables as well.

I don’t know if this is a software problem or a hardware problem.

Any thoughts / ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

You've done a good job of troubleshooting. Because the error happens
with different hard drives, this is most probably a hardware issue. It
could be that your power supply isn't strong enough to handle the extra
drive or it could be that your motherboard is failing. The quickest and
cheapest test is to try a different psu.


Malke

 

[Guest]

Computer was built as a barebones unit in Feb '06. This problem has
manifested itself in the last 3 months or so. I have 450 W PSU in it. Have
run all my virus and spyware apps (Norton, AVG, Ad-Aware, Spy-Bot,
WinDefender, as well as registry cleaners). but I might have to agree on the
PSU analysis. Seems odd given only a little over year old. Is there easy
way to check output? (although i do have other new equivalent PSU's, might
be quicker to just swap)
Dave

 

[Poprivet]

You've done a good job of troubleshooting. Because the error happens
with different hard drives, this is most probably a hardware issue. It
could be that your power supply isn't strong enough to handle the
extra drive or it could be that your motherboard is failing. The
quickest and cheapest test is to try a different psu.


Malke

From your physical description of removing a drive and getting it to work,
it almost does sound like PSU problems. But the hangups on the other hand
don't; you report a hangup, not a loss of anything and no error message.
Usually a PSU, IME at least, gives more catastrophic results. These days
they work or they don't work.
But of course the PSU swapout IS the right first thing to check.

Another thing you said seemed to indicate that the computer had been up and
running each time this happened, and you just did a Restart or Shutdown and
reboot. When fans power off, many components continue to rise in
temperature as the fan isn't there any longer to keep the heat blown away,
so to speak.
Does it always start OK from a cold boot after having been off for, say,
an hour or more? If so, perhaps the cpu fan speed isn't keeping up, or you
have airways inside the computer blocked with cables or other components.
There is the "chimney" air path, and the air paths thru the case fan and
to/from the cpu fan. And of course the air entry points need to be free of
dust and debris.

Just sort of thinking out loud. Let is know how it goes, OK?

If you are running with a UPS, many of those will indicate (via software)
the load being placed on the PSU and whether or not it can keep up with the
load. I also have a 450W (APC) and it's normally running about 315W when
all the drives are all active and the peripherals are all turned on. It
tells me I can add more load, but if I add very much, it says to stop, don't
add any more. I think that's at about the 380W point but not sure; it's
been quite awhile.

HTH
Pop`


Pop`

 

[mikeyhsd]

might run a memory diagnostic on it.
just because you have a large power supply does not automatically mean it cannot be going bad.



(e-mail address removed)



My problem is inconsistent start-up. When I shut down and try to restart,
the computer locks up and won’t start. Where it locks up is not consistent
either, sometimes I will get all the way to ‘desktop’ before lock-up. I have
tried running ‘fixboot’ from the Recovery Console. However, even getting the
Recovery Console to start is inconsistent as well.

The computer will almost always start and run fine, by removing whatever
secondary HD that is installed. This problem has been persistent with a
number of various hard drives.

Computer: AMD Sempron 3300+ 2.19 GHz, 1.00 GB RAM, BioStar Motherboard,
CD-RW, DVD-RW, USB 2.0, Firewire
OS: Windows XP Home v2002 SP2

Primary HDD: currently installed as Master
Seagate 80GB ST380013A (C: Part 1, 40 GB (System), D: Part 2, 40 GB)
Ultra DMA Mode 5

Secondary HDD: currently installed as Slave
Seagate 200 GB ST3200822A (G: Part 1, 40 GB (page file), H: Part 2, 160 GB)
Ultra DMA Mode 5

Have tried:
Seagate 80 GB ST380020A (Currently in use in Mac G4, no problems)
Seagate 160 GB ST3160023A (Currently in use as USB 2.0 external drive, no
problems)

All the hard drives have been checked with Seagate diagnostics software and
report ‘Good’. I have tried various HD cables as well.

I don’t know if this is a software problem or a hardware problem.

Any thoughts / ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Guest]

Here's update...
previously, i said i had 450W PS, it should have been stated as 400W. But,
I installed new 450W PS and re-routed power cables. Previously, the second
hard drive was 'downstream' of (2) case fans and the graphics card. Do not
know exactly how that happened or if it has an effect, but, is now wired
directly from PSU with 'dedicated' feed (nothing else on that line) except
the hard drives. I can not say what loading is but so far after 36 hrs of
continuous operation with several stop and reboot cycles, there has been no
issues! I am hoping it is solved. Btw, the hard drives are running at 90
degrees F and the CPU at 109 degrees F.

Anyway....thanks all, for pointing me in right direction...it appears 'solved'

Dave