If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
random reboot
I'v had an AMD 700MHz PC for several years now and yesterday night I started
having some problems with it. It started rebooting randomly. At first it rebooted in windows XP at 10 minutes interval and now I can barely access the bios (it reboots in the bios and even before accessing the bios it seems). The problem is obviously hardware, unless the bios is somehow corrupted on infected by a virus (if possible at all). Anyways, I am looking for suggestions as to where to start looking to solve my problem...power supply, memory, motherboard. Any insight is welcome. Thanx |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Most likely a bad power supply. Could also be a bad motherboard. Julien Rossignol wrote: I'v had an AMD 700MHz PC for several years now and yesterday night I started having some problems with it. It started rebooting randomly. At first it rebooted in windows XP at 10 minutes interval and now I can barely access the bios (it reboots in the bios and even before accessing the bios it seems). The problem is obviously hardware, unless the bios is somehow corrupted on infected by a virus (if possible at all). Anyways, I am looking for suggestions as to where to start looking to solve my problem...power supply, memory, motherboard. Any insight is welcome. Thanx -- Mike Walsh West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Julien Rossignol wrote:
I'v had an AMD 700MHz PC for several years now and yesterday night I started having some problems with it. It started rebooting randomly. At first it rebooted in windows XP at 10 minutes interval and now I can barely access the bios (it reboots in the bios and even before accessing the bios it seems). The problem is obviously hardware, unless the bios is somehow corrupted on infected by a virus (if possible at all). Anyways, I am looking for suggestions as to where to start looking to solve my problem...power supply, memory, motherboard. Any insight is welcome. Thanx Another thought might be that your thermal compund on the CPU has gone bad and is causing the self-preservation programming to kick in (aka overheating protection). My system did this a while back. It would randomly shut down, however, not reboot. So I'm not sure if that's it exactly. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
On Fri, 07 May 2004 15:31:02 GMT, Mike Walsh
wrote: Julien Rossignol wrote: I'v had an AMD 700MHz PC for several years now and yesterday night I started having some problems with it. It started rebooting randomly. At first it rebooted in windows XP at 10 minutes interval and now I can barely access the bios (it reboots in the bios and even before accessing the bios it seems). The problem is obviously hardware, unless the bios is somehow corrupted on infected by a virus (if possible at all). Anyways, I am looking for suggestions as to where to start looking to solve my problem...power supply, memory, motherboard. Any insight is welcome. Most likely a bad power supply. Could also be a bad motherboard. I'll second that. A visual inspection of the capacitors on the motherboard might reveal vented, domed (split top seal) with residue around them, or a foul smell. If a multimeter is available a measurement of power supply voltage might be taken at the ATX connector while the system is on. It could easily be either (motherboard OR power supply) but _IF_ the motherboard capacitors look ok then it's more likely the power supply, still a fair chance it's the motherboard but if you need to play the odds... |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
"Julien Rossignol" typed:
I'v had an AMD 700MHz PC for several years now and yesterday night I started having some problems with it. It started rebooting randomly. At first it rebooted in windows XP at 10 minutes interval and now I can barely access the bios (it reboots in the bios and even before accessing the bios it seems). The problem is obviously hardware, unless the bios is somehow corrupted on infected by a virus (if possible at all). Anyways, I am looking for suggestions as to where to start looking to solve my problem...power supply, memory, motherboard. Any insight is welcome. How old is your ROM battery? Is the monitor displaying anything? Clear the CMOS by swaping the appropriate jumper and, then, try to access BIOS. If I try to alter the `over-clock CPU' settings in the BIOS and reboot, I can't even access the BIOS. The LED on the montior starts flashing between dark and light yellow colour, and nothing appears on the screen. In other words, the system fails to perform POST. -- Ayaz Ahmed Khan - Powered by Mandrake Linux 9.0 http://fast-ce.org/ |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
The battery is as old as the system; 4 years old and the display works fine.
I doubt that this is the problem. "Ayaz Ahmed Khan" wrote in message newsan.2004.05.07.16.44.21.393903.2274@myrealbox .com... "Julien Rossignol" typed: I'v had an AMD 700MHz PC for several years now and yesterday night I started having some problems with it. It started rebooting randomly. At first it rebooted in windows XP at 10 minutes interval and now I can barely access the bios (it reboots in the bios and even before accessing the bios it seems). The problem is obviously hardware, unless the bios is somehow corrupted on infected by a virus (if possible at all). Anyways, I am looking for suggestions as to where to start looking to solve my problem...power supply, memory, motherboard. Any insight is welcome. How old is your ROM battery? Is the monitor displaying anything? Clear the CMOS by swaping the appropriate jumper and, then, try to access BIOS. If I try to alter the `over-clock CPU' settings in the BIOS and reboot, I can't even access the BIOS. The LED on the montior starts flashing between dark and light yellow colour, and nothing appears on the screen. In other words, the system fails to perform POST. -- Ayaz Ahmed Khan - Powered by Mandrake Linux 9.0 http://fast-ce.org/ |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Julien Rossignol wrote:
I'v had an AMD 700MHz PC for several years now and yesterday night I started having some problems with it. It started rebooting randomly. At first it rebooted in windows XP at 10 minutes interval and now I can barely access the bios (it reboots in the bios and even before accessing the bios it seems). The problem is obviously hardware, unless the bios is somehow corrupted on infected by a virus (if possible at all). Anyways, I am looking for suggestions as to where to start looking to solve my problem ...power supply, memory, motherboard. Any insight is welcome. Assuming nothing malignant such as a virus, check the cheap and easy things first. Start by taking off the covers. When anomalies show up, take appropriate action. 1. Measure voltages from PS with a multimeter. Do the rest with power off, disconnected from the wall. One test at a time. If the troubles go away at any stage, you have probably found it. 2. Pull and reconnect each cable end, possibly several times. 3. Pull and reseat each card, possibly multiple times. 4. Pull and reseat each memory module, possibly multiples If nothing happens, build the system up from an absolute minimum until something does go wrong. As far as memory is concerned, you should have bought ECC memory in the first place, and you wouldn't have to worry about it. If you didn't you didn't care about reliability, and any failures are just what you asked for. -- Chuck F ) ) Available for consulting/temporary embedded and systems. http://cbfalconer.home.att.net USE worldnet address! |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Julien Rossignol wrote:
I'v had an AMD 700MHz PC for several years now and yesterday night I started having some problems with it. It started rebooting randomly. At first it rebooted in windows XP at 10 minutes interval and now I can barely access the bios (it reboots in the bios and even before accessing the bios it seems). The problem is obviously hardware, unless the bios is somehow corrupted on infected by a virus (if possible at all). Anyways, I am looking for suggestions as to where to start looking to solve my problem...power supply, memory, motherboard. Any insight is welcome. Clean your CPU heatsink and fan, check the fan is running. -- ~misfit~ |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
"Julien Rossignol" typed:
"Ayaz Ahmed Khan" wrote in message newsan.2004.05.07.16.44.21.393903.2274@myrealbox .com... [...] How old is your ROM battery? Is the monitor displaying anything? Clear the CMOS by swaping the appropriate jumper and, then, try to access BIOS. If I try to alter the `over-clock CPU' settings in the BIOS and reboot, I can't even access the BIOS. The LED on the montior starts flashing between dark and light yellow colour, and nothing appears on the screen. In other words, the system fails to perform POST. The battery is as old as the system; 4 years old and the display works fine. I doubt that this is the problem. My PC's battery was just as old, too, when I replaced it earlier this week. You did say you couldn't access the BIOS. I took it to mean that the system wasn't performing POST at all. Search for "Sasser" worm, alternatively. It's similar to Blaster and reboots PCs it has infected without any warnings. -- Ayaz Ahmed Khan - Powered by Mandrake Linux 9.0 http://fast-ce.org/ |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Random reboots and errors Win XP Pro | Roscoe Pendoscoe | General | 8 | May 11th 04 04:28 AM |
Hard drive keeps going corrupt upon reboot | Jon Davis | General | 5 | March 27th 04 11:05 AM |
random restarts from cold boot | jf | General | 2 | October 10th 03 06:01 AM |
Random hangs on KT133 and KT333 with raid | kony | General | 5 | September 15th 03 09:46 AM |
Won't reboot warm | Amethyst | General | 0 | July 13th 03 12:39 PM |