[edge2022]

I really hope that your video card was the problem here. Report back and tell us how everything is running. Until then, it looks like you are good to go.

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Negative, just hung again when i rebooted about 10 min ago... -sigh... ;[ Gotta be hardware right?

[l0stb0y760]

Negative, just hung again when i rebooted about 10 min ago... -sigh... ;[ Gotta be hardware right?

[l0stb0y760]

It's definitely hanging right after POST. Perhaps i need to thoroughly review the complete boot process to narrow this down. ugh, my patience is wearing thin, perhaps i should just punch a whole in my monitor, thatl fix it.

POST checks out okay, so after that i think the processor looks to the HD for a bootable OS and then core files are loaded into ram...Hmm, i may be wrong but i think the part where the core files are loaded into RAM is where you see the loading screen, therefor the part where im just seeing black for about 5 min the processor is looking to the HD for a valid OS to boot. So since thats the part that is hanging, maybe my raptor HDD is causing the problem..? Dam its hard to say. But it HAS to either be my processor, mobo, HD or RAM. Also note I do have a sound card as well...any ideas on a next step?

~l0st

[diabillic]

Unplug everything and the put it back in piece by piece until it hangs at POST again.

[edge2022]

Unplug everything and the put it back in piece by piece until it hangs at POST again.

Exactly what I was about to say.

Boot into a minimal system. Only use a PS/2 mouse and keyboard, remove all PCI, AGP, and PCI-E cards. Only use one stick of RAM. Remove all HDDs except the one you have to boot from. Also disconnect all sound related devices, like speakers (I know you don't have a sound card) Strip to the most minimal system you can and try recreating the problem.

[l0stb0y760]

Roger that! But aw crap, that means im gonna be moving like slug (compared to what im used to, atleast) haha. Hopefully we can get this faulty piece of hardware isolated. I'll update as soon as I can, thanks fellas.

~l0st

[edge2022]

Thank you for getting back so fast. I am looking forward to actually cracking this problem.

[l0stb0y760]

Okay, heres the latest;

disconnected samsung optical drive from mobo- after about 6 reboots, system hung again

disconnected my lite on optical drive from mobo- after about 4-5 reboots system hung again

Pulled out a ram module- after about 4-5 reboots system hung again

put the ram module back in and pulled out the other one- after about 4-5 reboots system hung again

(video card has already been replaced so i skipped that, not to mention i even tested with onboard video which didnt help)

Disconnected my 2ndary Western Digital HDD from mobo- after about 4-5 reboots, system hung again

(Already replaced old PSU, so skipped testing with another PSU)

disconnected sound card from Mobo- after about 4-5 reboots, system hung again

By this time i said wait a minute, I do have about 6 devices hooked up via USB to my mobo. This includes a mouse, a keyboard, a Midi control keyboard, two logitech cameras and a tablet. Perhaps there is an external device hooked in via USB that is causing this boot hang problem? Well, i disconnected my Midi keyboard and my two logitech cameras AND my tablet, rebooted about 5 times and what do you know the system hung again at the same spot ;]

Unbelievable, but what else is new. So to be technical here are the possibilities left on this hair pulling, punch a whole in your monitor ISSUE! I suppose BOTH Ram modules could be bad. So i can attempt to swap out the ram completely. My main HDD could be faulty which wouldnt make much sense since I already ran Western Digitals Data Life Guard utility (Extended Test) which came back CLEAN! I did not unplug ALL external USB devices to be technical, but I highly doubt its my keyboard and mouse but they are USB. Problem could be a faulty mobo or even the processor is still a possibility here. You know what im gonna go out on a limb here and rule out my HD's since the Data life guard is testing clean. Im gonna say my USB keyboard and Mouse should be okay so the only hardware left that could be causing the problem is:

-mobo
-Ram
-Processor

Is there still a possibility this could be a software issue btw? Maybe a problem with my bootini file? Or MBR? Let me know if i missed anything guyz , thanks.

Edited by l0stb0y760, 19 June 2009 - 01:44 AM.

[l0stb0y760]

Thinking back i did modify my bootini file a little bit ago but all i changed was the time out frm 30 seconds to 0:

[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin

/fastdetect

I have just changed it back to 30 seconds since im getting desperate here. Ill let you guyz know if that makes any difference.

[l0stb0y760]

Well, adjusting bootini file did nothing as suspected. Ironically now too, the problem is more consistent now then its ever been. It'll hang for sure almost every time after about 5 reboots/cold boots. It's almost as if the faulty hardware (or whatever the freak it is) is really starting to go out..?

Edited by l0stb0y760, 19 June 2009 - 10:22 AM.

[edge2022]

As of now, what is inside/connected to the bad computer. Software diagnostic tests can only catch 99.5% of errors. The only way of making sure is to disconnect everything, even drives that have been tested.

I can see how this problem is frustrating you as this problem doesn't happen every time.

Download UBCD: http://www.ultimateb...m/download.html from any of the mirrors, and burn the .iso file to a disc using BurnCDCC: http://www.terabyteu...ee-software.htm
Then boot your computer from the UBCD (only do this when you have the most minimal system you can run on)
The disc has 3 CPU stress utilities, including Prime 95. You will find these tools a little way down this page: http://www.ultimateb....com/index.html
Run each one for at least 24 hours, to make it more through even more.
This CD also has many other diagnostic utilities which you can try running on your hardware.

Are you sure that this is hardware related... have you tried a reformat and reinstall of Windows?

[l0stb0y760]

Okay i will try that. Im also gonna try just running the pc with the bare minimum since technically i didnt try that. I unplugged a piece of hardware one piece at a time and tested that way and then plugged it back in when the problem still occurred. Maybe there is a hardware conflict going on as in two pieces of hardware plugged in at the same time is causing the boot hang?

Thats why im gonna test my PC out with the BARE minimum hardware. I will also run the utilities you suggested, thanks Edge. Have not tried a fresh install since this problem started happening but i want to make that thee LAST resort. Taking off for the weekend btw? Great what am i supposed to do now? j/k Gues, ill just have to pester diabillic or something HAH!

Edited by l0stb0y760, 19 June 2009 - 11:58 AM.

[diabillic]

Great, pestering me now...

Another thing I would try, take the board completely out of the case and put it on a non conductive surface. Find the 2 pins that control the power switch. Plug in the PSU, video card and 1 stick of ram to the board. Hook up the power cord, VGA/DVI. Now, take a flat headscrewer and touch those 2 pins for the power switch. Hold it there for a few seconds and everything should power up. That will eliminate an ungrounded case as being the issue

[l0stb0y760]

Great, pestering me now...

Another thing I would try, take the board completely out of the case and put it on a non conductive surface. Find the 2 pins that control the power switch. Plug in the PSU, video card and 1 stick of ram to the board. Hook up the power cord, VGA/DVI. Now, take a flat headscrewer and touch those 2 pins for the power switch. Hold it there for a few seconds and everything should power up. That will eliminate an ungrounded case as being the issue

Copy that, thanks.

I got a feeling its gonna be a loong weekend, -sigh

Edited by l0stb0y760, 19 June 2009 - 12:54 PM.

[l0stb0y760]

hmm, i wonder if me playing around with overclocking in the past has anything to do with this problem? Dam, too many variables to weigh out here. I dont see how that could have caused any damage though considering my processor will shut down first before frying so it should be safe but who knows.