PC Strange Behavior - Boot Problems

[kamevil]

Yesterday my PC decided to reboot while I was using it. Since that time, it
has failed to reboot (warm) using the reset button. The CDRom lights will
flash but the hard drive light stays light and there is no signal to the
monitor. Basically it freezes. However, if I shut the system down, wait a
few minutes, then turn it back on, it reboots and operates normally. It may
then freeze up again later and will not reboot using the reset button. I
know its a hardware problem and suspect CPU or RAM. Any ideas?

Kamevil

 

[Mike Walsh]

The fact that it will not reboot with the reset button suggests a processor or motherboard problem.

Yesterday my PC decided to reboot while I was using it. Since that time, it
has failed to reboot (warm) using the reset button. The CDRom lights will
flash but the hard drive light stays light and there is no signal to the
monitor. Basically it freezes. However, if I shut the system down, wait a
few minutes, then turn it back on, it reboots and operates normally. It may
then freeze up again later and will not reboot using the reset button. I
know its a hardware problem and suspect CPU or RAM. Any ideas?

Kamevil

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Mike Walsh
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

 

[DaveW]

Sounds more likely like a bad power supply unit, or, less likely, a failing
motherboard. CPU's and RAM are solid state and fail fairly infrequently.

 

[kony]

Yesterday my PC decided to reboot while I was using it. Since that time, it
has failed to reboot (warm) using the reset button. The CDRom lights will
flash but the hard drive light stays light and there is no signal to the
monitor. Basically it freezes. However, if I shut the system down, wait a
few minutes, then turn it back on, it reboots and operates normally. It may
then freeze up again later and will not reboot using the reset button. I
know its a hardware problem and suspect CPU or RAM. Any ideas?

Kamevil

It would be very unlikely to be a CPU or RAM problem... of all potential
hardware problems, those two are some of the least likely.

More likely would be:

1) Power supply failure on primary 5V or 12V rail (you failed to mention
specifics of system!).

2) Motherboard failure, hardware-related (replace board).

3) Motherboard failure, bios-related. Update bios or reflash current bios
and investigate if any bios settings are marginal, affecting POST
stability, for example a memory timing or CPU parameter like FSB or
voltage... not that the CPU or memory themselves are the problem, but
rather the motherboard's initialization and running parameters. Given
that the cold power-on is working this is less likley than power supply or
motherboard hardware failure.

 

[Trent©]

Yesterday my PC decided to reboot while I was using it. Since that time, it
has failed to reboot (warm) using the reset button.

What do you mean by 'reboot'? Do you mean that it won't even shut
off?...and then try to restart. Or does it shut off...and then won't
fully recover from the restart button?

Disconnect ALL drives. Then boot into the BIOS prompt. Then hit the
reset button. See if it then reboots you into the BIOS prompt.

The CDRom lights will
flash but the hard drive light stays light and there is no signal to the
monitor.

Sounds like a hard drive problem. What operating system are you
runnin'?

Basically it freezes. However, if I shut the system down, wait a
few minutes, then turn it back on, it reboots and operates normally. It may
then freeze up again later and will not reboot using the reset button. I
know its a hardware problem and suspect CPU or RAM. Any ideas?

I doubt if its the cpu or ram. But you can prove it to yourself by
disconnecting the drives as suggested above...then trying the reset
button with only the ram and cpu.

If yer running xp or 2000, do a ctrl/alt/del when the problem
happens...and see what the cpu usage is.

Its very possible that you could have picked up a virus. I'm assuming
you checked for that already...including trojans.

Good luck...let us know.


Have a nice week...

Trent©

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