The new hard drive is on order.

Just as an update, of which I'm not sure what to think now. I'm begining to think it may be a motherboard problem.

Last night I had some time to try and play with the thing, and I must say that I'm about ready to stick a boot right through the thing (I know it won't do any good and that is the only reason I haven't done it).

For some reason I can't get a DOS prompt at start up, it is usually an option after selecting F8, but no, I only get the options for normal, logged, safe and step by step. The computer is locked in some form of vicious cycle, windows has tried to install and has now got to the point where it is checking the onboard hardware (last step before completion and it gets to 15 minutes remaining and the system still locks (freezes) then it boots up and goes back into the checking for hardware stage of windows install. I've tried putting a boot disk in but that just gets to the same place. Safe mode is useless as the computer hasn't found all of my hardware yet and I've never really found it any use anyway.

During all of the attempts to install windows again I had removed a stick of memory which seemed to help, but then the problems continued, so I put it back in a different slot and there is no real change (the memory I bought from the same place that I bought the computer from and installed it back in December (PC2700, 256Mb). I removed my TV card as it doesn't get much use. Is it possible that the hard drive is still causing the problem? or is it seeming like some other component is at fault?

Does anyone know how I can get the DOS prompt? For the moment I'm following through with the hard drive and after that I hope it'll be fine, but any other thoughts for me to think about for the future? (Outside of changing to XP, reading up on the XP thread I can't really justify spending that sort of money on the full version over the OEM, maybe a future purchase though)

Cheers and thanks again for the continued help,

Regards,

J.

Jason,

When installing your OS, try with a Bare Bones System:

• Mobo
• CPU
• RAM
• HD
• Floppy
• Optical Drive
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Monitor

We can add any hardware later. Tell me about your AthlonXP 2100+. What heatsink and Thermal Grease did you use when you mounted it.

Also make sure your heatsink is on properly.

http://www.naples-air-center.com/DAoC/heatsink.jpg

Take Care,

Richard

I just had a computer yesterday which was a bitch. Similar symptoms to yours, got stuck in a re-boot cycle, the guy who owned it reported that the boot time had got longer and longer until it wouldn't boot at all. Tried repairing the MBR, the boot sector and everything. Windows reported the partition as "unknown", although I could still access some of the data by booting from a Read NTFS floppy (www.ntfs.com I think).

I tried to re-partition the hard drive, format and install winXP, but the install wouldn't complete. After 3 hrs of formatting the hd, it got to 17% and then gave up. FDISK failed on the "checking drive integrity" part......

Turned out to be the hard disk. A new one fixed it.

EA

EnglishAl that's encouraging to know, when I get home tonight hopefully I can get it sorted.

Richard, that sounds like good advice, I'll clean the machine up then try from scratch after checking the integrity inside the box. The motherboard was bought with the processor and heatsink and cooling fan pre installed, I bought them as a combo figuring I didn't know how best to match motherboard and processor and the company would know better. I'll give it a thorough check over tonight.

Thanks all, J.

Jason,

As the lid is off, go for the minimum system approach that Richard suggests. But before an reinstall try low level formatting the drive with tools from the drive manufacturer (I can't remember who your drive was from but post make and model for it and i'll have a look for the tools for you.) then going for a windows re install.

At least if you can get something up and running you will be confident that it is not a MoBo problem before unpacking the new drive.

With regards to doing that minum rebuild you could do it in stages, but it is a lot more work. Depends what you have to boot from e.g. cd / floppy but build a bit, boot a bit build a bit and so on would let you only add components to a known good base and lets you have more of a chance of spotting the problem.

Assuming you have a CD you can boot form start with just:

Mobo/CPU (Set the BIOS to boot from the optical drive)
RAM
Optical Drive
Keyboard
Monitor

If it boots e.g to a DOS prompt, run memory checks, check CPU temp. and performance.

Then add the HDD, check in the BIOS that the drive reports the right size etc.

Then see if the system boots and you can change to the HDD.

If that works i'd format the drive at that point but not put windows on it.

Then add everything else the floppy drive, mouse, tv-card etc. You could add them all one by one before the reinstall if you spot no problems at all before this stage, but i'd be surprised if any of them are causing the problem.

Then when your new drive arrives, pop it in and make that the main drive!

Memetic

coolhand
 

Check your PM's :)

Now,

I have installed the new hard drive, took a bit of time, but it all installed with no major dramas, except the occaisional crash during all of the detection cycles when windows has loaded and then proceeds to change and load drivers. The crashes were just immediate shut downs, then the machine would sometimes hang during the boot cycle or immediately switch off.

When using it last night (tentatively) the screen froze, and the system needed rebooting, it did this twice before I removed myself from the room. If I have time tonight I'll remove the other stick of memory (as per my post a couple of days ago, for some reason it never occurred to me that the original stick of memory could fail, blinded by frustration?) to see whether that is the problem, after that I only have my graphics card left before I can only blame the motherboard.

Thanks for all of your suggestions and help, if anyone has any other suggestions/guidance it will still be accepted gratefully.

Cheers,

J.

Jason,

It sounds as we feared. There is something wrong with some other hardware in your comp. I would start bare bones and add hardware back one piece at a time till your computer starts locking up.

Take Care,

Richard