[tiffgrooves]

So I had a computer built from scratch for me 6 weeks ago that has been running flawlessly until yesterday. I turned on my computer yesterday morning, went out the rest of the day, and when I returned home the computer had turned itself off. I thought that perhaps I had done it myself absent mindedly and thought nothing of it. Until this morning, I turn it on and it freezes just before the Vista startup. Now I'm desperately hoping someone here can offer some advice/insight into why or what I could do to help diagnose/fix the problem.

Right now the machine turns on, lights up, fans are running, and the first screen runs through my devices which appear normally. Then a second black screen reads ""Sil 3132 SATALink BIO Version 7.3.13, Copyright © 1997-2006 Silicon Image, Inc." Then it freezes, just sitting there...forever until I turn it off.

I've turned it off/on several times and tried to tap the Esc, F8, and Ctrl key at startup and nothing happens. I've totally stuck on what to do next? Any ideas?

Thanks!!

Edited by tiffgrooves, 02 December 2007 - 08:52 PM.

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Hi tiffgrooves...

Boot the machine using the Vista disk and choose the Startup Repair option. Let that run and see if Windows will start normally.

wannabe1

[wannabe1]

Hi tiffgrooves...

Boot the machine using the Vista disk and choose the Startup Repair option. Let that run and see if Windows will start normally.

wannabe1

[tiffgrooves]

Hi tiffgrooves...

Boot the machine using the Vista disk and choose the Startup Repair option. Let that run and see if Windows will start normally.

wannabe1

How do I get it to boot using the disk? I turned on the machine in order to access the CD drive. I put in the Windows Vista Home Premium disk, then did a hard reboot. I only get the same result, it doesn't seem to be reading anything from the drive.

[wannabe1]

Have you set the optical drive as first boot device in BIOS Setup?

[tiffgrooves]

Have you set the optical drive as first boot device in BIOS Setup?

No, I haven't changed anything. I'm unable to change any settings as I can't access the BIOS setup. I can't get to any menu before the freeze no matter how many times I pump the various shortcut keys. I've tried Esc, Del, and Ctrl but nothing interrupts the computer.

[wannabe1]

Try F1

[tiffgrooves]

That doesn't do anything either. I tried rebooting 3 times by pressing it repeatedly and/or just holding it down the whole time.

[wannabe1]

The next step would be to reset the CMOS. How are you with working inside the machine?

[tiffgrooves]

Intimidated! lol. Perhaps I should get an expert to make a house call. Man, what a bummer. Thanks so much for your help, though.

[wannabe1]

It's a fairly simple procedure which involves removing the motherboard battery and moving a jumper block for a few seconds. It does require working inside the case, though. If you are not comfortable doing that, then it would be better to have someone with more experience do it for you. It almost sounds like your motherboard may have some problems, but it's hard to say without being able to get to even the most basic settings.

Did the machine come with any kind of warranty?

[tiffgrooves]

I bought the individual components, then had the machine built to my specifications. Hence the unit doesn't have a warranty, though each component does. I could probably open it up. Are there any articles/procedures that you'd recommend that I google to learn specifically how??

[wannabe1]

Disconnect the machine from it's power source and open the case (or remove the left side panel as seen from the front).

To do this, you'll need to remove the CMOS battery. It's about the size of a quarter and is usually located in the lower right quarter of the Motherboard. Near the battery (either below or to the right on most) you should see 3 small pins with a jumper block on them. It should look like this, where the underscore represents the jumper . . . Move the jumper to the other pins . . . for about 30 seconds and then move it back to it's original position. Put the battery back in, making sure to put it in + side up. Try to boot your machine.

Note that this will clear the date, time, and restore all default settings to the BIOS. You will have to reset any settings you have changed such as Boot Priority. If you are not using a static strap, keep one hand or your arm touching the metal part of the case to prevent static discharge damage to the Motherboard and it's components.

Let me know how it goes...

[tiffgrooves]

Well, that was easy. Thanks for your help. All is well. I'm frantically moving all my data over to my external drive.

[wannabe1]

Glad that worked for you!