Posted: 1/17/2005 8:33:44 AM EDT
|
My computer is having a few...problems. Problem 1 This is simple, and I'd be willing to bet it's just a bad stick of RAM. I have 384 meg of DDR, but on startup, it has begun only scrolling through 256mB of it. That's an easy fix. However... Problem 2 After startup and initialization, the Windows XP startup screen appears and stays for about 30 seconds. Just about when it should be completing and going to my desktop, the computer restarts. This repeats endlessly and I have not been able to get past this point. I've checked BIOS and that's all the same as it was before - boot from harddrive, etc. There is no CD or disk in any of the drives, either. Ideas? Thanks in advance. |
+1 try removing the memory until you identify the bad stick and see if the machine will boot without the bad one installed. failed memory can also lead to data corruption. |
+1 try removing the memory until you identify the bad stick and see if the machine will boot without the bad one installed. failed memory can also lead to data corruption. |
|
Don't know what type of machine you have, or how old it is, but in our labs, we got a bunch of bad ibm's from about 4 years ago. They got a bunch of bad capacitors, and what you describe is pretty much what happens. Just continuously reboots just when it is about to get to where you can log in. Take a look for any that a swelling. That will tell you. |
actually the VRM problem was about 2 years ago. those machines would post and intermittanlty boot into windows. the problem was much worse on the multiprocessor systems. this problem seems to have started with a dimm failure. |
|
Do you only have the single stick of RAM? If you have multiple, take out the suspected bad and replace with a known working one (regardless of size......its just a test to determine if the RAM is the fault) Assuming you can rule out the memory (which based on the first error I dont think you can), the next series of steps would involve looking at the boot attributes of your specific PC. If you can eliminate hardware, and are fairly certain that you corrupted the registry...my favorite fix is simply re-imaging the machine completely. To me, it takes less time to re-build it from scratch than it does determining the problem and applying the fix. I think you need to look at the MEM first...if its a 384 stick but the BIOS sees 256....you have issues...fix that before you move forward. Good luck |
|
Boot into a safe mode that will show which drivers are loading in realtime and see which one it actually stops and reboots on. Or just do a parallel OS install re-install your apps and copy the guts of your profile to your new profile that will be created when you do a parallel install. |
Just replaced 600 boards for warranty for a large dealer for the same problem. The capacitors were swollen, and in some cases leaking. It showed up as continuously rebooting, powering off. |
Have you tried just the 128 alone? Have you tried either RAM stick in another known working PC? what was changed since the last time the pc worked.......can you reverse those steps to bring the PC back to that state? Knowing that its a home-grown system.....have you verified that the main board is cool? |
|
first assuming a standard machine hard disk 0 should be your boot source for a hard disk boot. the only way to test the supply without a load tester is to measure the volatges on the wires. if you don't have the wiring schematic it' ain't easy. have you tried a minimum config boot? have you tried to boot off the cdrom media. If the cdrom boots normally odds are the hardware is ok and the problem lies with windows. This is probobly the quickest way to rule out hardware for you. |
thanks.
|
My Windows 2000 machine had a similar problem. It was a registry problem caused by some crummy software that came with one of my wife's textbooks. I did a clean install of Windows and had major problems with driver incompatibility. No time to fix them, so no sound card for two months.  Do a CD ROM Windows boot. If that does work, you probably have Windows issues. Borrow a computer, back up your information from the hard drive, and reinstall. Maybe XP has some slick reinstall features so you don't have to back up your data. If that doesn't work you probably have hardware issues. Good luck. If you can get Windows to start, I think there is a Reboot on Loss of Power option under Power Management in the control panel. Turn this off. Memory - confirm the 128 stick is bad by installing it alone. Maybe the memory slot is bad? Test that stick in another computer also. Jeffrey |