PC keeps switching off

[tg]

I've got a computer I made based on an Aopen AX4PER-GN motherboard, an Intel Celeron processor and 256Mb memory.
The problem I have only started recently and is puzzling. This computer runs windows XP fine, even earler windows versions, but it
keeps shutting off suddenly whenever I run Norton Ghost. It doesn't matter whether I'm backing up or restoring - midway through the
process the machine behaves as if I've just pulled the power plug out, and yet it runs windows fine, never any problems. The only
difference between the two is that Norton Ghost is a DOS program and windows is well....windows.
I've tried different memory, no change.
Tried different power supply, no change.
Tried different hard drives, no change.
Tried different graphics card, no change.
Taken all PCI cards out, no change.
Tried different Norton Ghost floppy discs, no change.
I've run Norton Gost from both a boot floppy and a boot CD, no change.

I haven't got another processor to swap and test.
Do you think the board could be at fault?
Thanks for any help.

 

[Dave]

I've got a computer I made based on an Aopen AX4PER-GN motherboard, an
Intel Celeron processor and 256Mb memory.
The problem I have only started recently and is puzzling. This computer
runs windows XP fine, even earler windows versions, but it keeps shutting
off suddenly whenever I run Norton Ghost. It doesn't matter whether I'm
backing up or restoring - midway through the process the machine behaves
as if I've just pulled the power plug out, and yet it runs windows fine,
never any problems. The only difference between the two is that Norton
Ghost is a DOS program and windows is well....windows.
I've tried different memory, no change.
Tried different power supply, no change.
Tried different hard drives, no change.
Tried different graphics card, no change.
Taken all PCI cards out, no change.
Tried different Norton Ghost floppy discs, no change.
I've run Norton Gost from both a boot floppy and a boot CD, no change.

I haven't got another processor to swap and test.
Do you think the board could be at fault?
Thanks for any help.

Do you have boot sector virus protection enabled in the BIOS? -Dave

 

[Rod Speed]

I've got a computer I made based on an Aopen AX4PER-GN motherboard, an Intel Celeron processor and
256Mb memory.

The problem I have only started recently and is puzzling. This
computer runs windows XP fine, even earler windows versions, but it keeps shutting off suddenly
whenever I run Norton Ghost.

Which version of Ghost ?

It doesn't matter whether I'm backing up or restoring - midway through the process the machine
behaves as if I've just pulled the power plug out,

Is Ghost at the same place every time it does that, like
booting to DOS if its an older version of ghost like 2003 ?

and yet it runs windows fine, never any problems. The only
difference between the two is that Norton Ghost is a DOS program

That isnt true of Ghost 9 and 10.

and windows is well....windows. I've tried different memory, no change.
Tried different power supply, no change.
Tried different hard drives, no change.
Tried different graphics card, no change.
Taken all PCI cards out, no change.
Tried different Norton Ghost floppy discs, no change.
I've run Norton Gost from both a boot floppy and a boot CD, no change.

I haven't got another processor to swap and test.
Do you think the board could be at fault?

More likely its the version of DOS it doesnt like if it turns off while starting DOS.

Its possible to use PCDOS instead of MSDOS, try the alternate to what you are currently using.

 

[Rod Speed]

Do you have boot sector virus protection enabled in the BIOS?

That shouldnt produce that symptom, shutting down like pulling the power plug.

 

[JAD]

turn off (NO) PnP OS installed? in BIOS

 

[tg]

thanks for all the responses here, I've sorted the problem and you'd never guess what it was.
It was the hard drive IDE cable. Who would have believed it eh?....

 

[dargers78]

thanks for all the responses here, I've sorted the problem and you'd never guess what it was.
It was the hard drive IDE cable. Who would have believed it eh?....

Shorted the grid, turned off all the lights in the city, huh?