Damn PC!

[ToxicPanda]

Hi,

Having a prob with me PC so I thought I would ask here for some ideas of some diagnostic checks I could perform to try to find the problem.

Basically, my PC is not booting up. It starts off fine (the first boot page comes up, I can access the BIOS setup if I need to) but the once it gets to the next stage, before it tries to boot windows, it just shows a black screen with a blinking cursor and wont go any further.

I have tried loading the fail-safe defaults in the BIOS but that wont work. The next 2 options I am going to try is flashing the BIOS and trying a different processor.

This screams “CPU broken” to me but I was after a few other opinions. I have an Athlon 2400+ XP processor, and when I checked the clock speed in the BIOS it was set at 22.5 (frequency was at 133), I’m pretty sure that is not healthy.

Cheers,
TP

edit: I think the clock speed of the processor is locked so I dont know if it has been using 22.5 or the default of 15.

[arthurleung]

Your CPU should be running at 133x15 = 2Ghz, if its at 22.5 (Doubt it) then it would have been running at 3Ghz, which you shouldn't be able to boot, let alone accessing the BIOS at all.

Are you sure your windows installation is fine? Looks to me that its your harddrive or windows is broken rather than the CPU.

You can try to download Memtest (to a floppy) and run memory test, and also MPrime for CPU stress testing to rule out uncertainties.

[ultimate]

Have you tried clearing the bios.

[ToxicPanda]

The reason I dont think its windows or the hardrive is because it does not get far enough to boot windows. I also think it would give me an error message as opposed to a blank screen.

For this reason I dont think Memtest or MPrime will work as it will fall over before it will be able to boot from the floppy.

[MSIC]

The best way of testing is to start with the bare minimum of hardware attached, and go up from there. IE Motherboard, CPU & heatsink & fan only first, then add RAM in, then the hard drive, then the DVD drives. Then any plug in PCI cards (modems, sound cards etc).
I personally have had this problem with rubbishy USB devices, and when i unplug them it boots to windows just fine (although to be fair i suspect my motherboard chipset USB drivers more than the devices themselves).

[FatalSaviour]

Doesn't sound like CPU to me.
I agree with arthur, that it sounds more like the HD or windows corrupted, or perhaps the motherboard.
Have you tried booting from a floppy or other media?
If it crashes before booting from this, I'm going to go for a MB problem

[ToxicPanda]

Doesn't sound like CPU to me.
Have you tried booting from a floppy or other media?
If it crashes before booting from this, I'm going to go for a MB problem

It is crashing before it can boot from the floppy/DVD-Rom/HD, although if it is a mobo problem I am supprised it is starting up at all, let alone allowing me to make changes in the BIOS.

Oh well, I'm gonna try MSIC's Suggestion first, wish me luck .

TP

[MSIC]

Woo hoo! I win! (Does this mean i also get the blame if it doesnt work?)

[FatalSaviour]

Damn right it does MSIC...no pressure though

[ToxicPanda]

Very strange,

Just switched on me PC before trying anything and it worked fine first time. I have no idea why it had problems this morning. My only worry is that the little problem my PC was having earlier may be a symptom of something more serious to come... time to back up me HD I think.

Looks like your off the hook MSIC.

Thanks,
TP

[MSIC]

And....relax.
No worries

[FatalSaviour]

For now....

[dancingmatt]

Check your connections internally - did you move it recently? Maybe something just came loose.

Can I explain why that would relate to your problem - no, not exactly... but it could explain why it works now

DM