[billybobishere]

Hi all, im new here...was recommended by someone you guys were top stuff - and figured someone might have had this happen to them before...

well still dont know if this is where to stick this, or if this is even the right place/related...but i recently noticed this weird behaviour. my pc for the most part runs excellent. im up to date on the malware tools, ran a hi-jackthis a while back...everything seems to be good.

anyway, i noticed just recently this weird behaviour not sure what it has to do with hardware/software., i hope its nothing bad. whenever i try starting my machine...it just simply wont start. my light goes on...seems to be running but nothing shows up, my monitor blinks and waits for the response of the system i guess but nothing (just a black screen). most of the time i have to shutdown illegally or pull the power cords out the socket in order for it to boot up.

this thing has had me baffled as to what it is....i know you guys know your stuff, and might be able to help me or point me somewhere as to what you think this could be.

im guessing its my hard drive going out or something else serious..i hope not. i want to know what step i should take in fixing this, or what to expect next

thanks in advance for any advice

regards,

bob

[Advertisements]

Hi Bob
To me it sounds like a bad power supply. I say this because my server has a problem
pretty much the same. Are you sure your hard drive is running ? can you see the fan on the power supply running?

[peterm]

Hi Bob
To me it sounds like a bad power supply. I say this because my server has a problem
pretty much the same. Are you sure your hard drive is running ? can you see the fan on the power supply running?

[billybobishere]

hey peterm thanks for the reply

uh i think the fans running, im going to shut it/restart and check it in the back and see what happens. on the harddrive, not to sure i know the light blinks on the main face of the comp when it happens, makes a noise to as it's starting but just doesnt when it happens(?)

if its the power supply, what is it just the cord going from my comp to the wall ill have to replace.

also, what would be some ways preventing it, if i cant get to one immediately. would it just flop out? or would i lose anything i know i have a little speaker system hooked up to the comp, dont want anything extra taking up juice if not needed...not sure how that works though

well i'll get back on what the fan does, if its on
thanks again

bob

[peterm]

if you are not sure if the fan is running tear off a small piece of paper and poke the tip of it through the grill (hold on to it) it will make a noise and you will feel it if it is running. Did you add the speakers just before this started to happen?
I doubt that they are the problem unless you did add them then get the problem

[billybobishere]

if you are not sure if the fan is running tear off a small piece of paper and poke the tip of it through the grill (hold on to it) it will make a noise and you will feel it if it is running. Did you add the speakers just before this started to happen?
I doubt that they are the problem unless you did add them then get the problem

hey bud, checked it just now and it is on....did the paper thing

thats the thing though, right now it went on, booted up, but i need to check it out when its not starting right. to see if the fan simply just doesnt turn on? happens only once in a while - but still does happen

and on the speakers, ive had them on for a while - i dont think thats the problem. i was just wondering if there is anything that could be causing extra strain i should un-plug, in case i cant get to a power supply immediately(?)

i dont want to lose everything on here as far as the hd goes, would something like that happen in this case of a power supply

Edited by billybobishere, 30 September 2005 - 03:54 PM.

[peterm]

If you are not hearing any clicking noises from the hard disk then it should be fine
If you are worried then think about burning the imporant stuff to cd or if you have dvd. Nothing should need to unplug unless you added something then this happened.
Unfortunetaly with this kind of problem it can be hard to nail.
my server has what I think is a dicky power supply It will not boot I pull it apart take it out of the case put the power in and it works?

[billybobishere]

hello, me again....i see. well i looked at it - and everythin looks okay, the lights blink and all/keyboard ones to. its done it a couple more times....im thinking it might be my outlet, could something like that go out easily or be a cause of this. its really weird. (i know i dont have one of them big surge plugs, all i have is one of them little box shaped extensions that plug right into the 2 way outlet - allowing up to like 6 connections, AND im using four of them) i dont know if this could have anything to do with it

p.s: yes im going to back my stuff up asap

Edited by billybobishere, 04 October 2005 - 02:24 AM.

[peterm]

I wonder if it could be capasitors

[billybobishere]

I wonder if it could be capasitors

what would this be?

you hear where i was getting at in my other post, im not sure what else i should check for...or where to start on fixing it

also another thing that makes me think its (a cord/outlet or) something minor, is because it works fine if its on, like i can restart it, or shut it down for a while, and its kicks right back on okay. most of the times when it happens...its until overnight - the next day, having been on a few hrs or more the night before. but will be off all night - i dont get it. you would think itd just go out during when on for sometime, if it has to do with any bad wiring or stuff heating up, but it doesnt <img>

Edited by billybobishere, 04 October 2005 - 02:36 PM.

[peterm]

Hmmmmm
Can you run a power lead to another power point ?

[billybobishere]

Hmmmmm
Can you run a power lead to another power point ?

tried this, and its the same.

another thing i noticed and saw on a forum - even though mine has never shutdown, it just dont boot up right, i saw something along the lines of a random shutdown/boot problem after a sp2 install....AND now that i think about it, i recently uninstalled/installed sp2, becuase of some dll files i swiped by accident. you think this could be a result of it? im hoping its something minor as a upgrade/or something i did, before i take it in...

i also double checked everything again, as it did it this morning...i hear the beep, a kind of sweeping noise (from the tower) they make when starting. light goes on, lights on keyboard. only thing is my monitor, when it does this and im trying to kick it on....the light on it, sometimes blinks as if theres no signal to push out anything....as if the computer is not even on (you know when i have the machine shut - and say turn on the monitor thats what it should do, blink waiting for the signal...but it does it when on)

or other times the light will be fully lit up, like it is working, but nothing, a blank screen. not blank either as in a black screen, waiting to boot, blank like just nothing on it. and when the lights lit up like this, ill try turning the monitor off/ and back on...(you know to maybe get signal) but it dont let me. just stays lit, wont even let me shut it off when trying to

those are the weird bahaviours i was talking about, i took more note of it today....the darn thing didnt fully start-up until after a couple times pullin the plug out and back in

[Doby]

Read this and give it a try, I was going to suggest it yesterday but this is a random uccurence and I didn't think it applied but now that I see you had sp2 troubles it could work.

Rick

[billybobishere]

wow!! thanks on this sounds like it just might be it....only thing is wrapping my head around it. on this part, i dont get how we make this Boot.ini file 2.) says just to copy a few files from a 1386 folder onto a floppy - but now into this i dont get - it dont state on how to make it, or what to look for on my config:

3. Create a Boot.ini file (or copy one from a computer that is running Windows XP), and then modify it to match the computer that you are trying to access. The following example works for a single-partition IDE drive with Windows XP installed in the \Windows folder, but the exact value in the [operating systems] section depends on the configuration of the Windows XP computer that you are trying to access:

  [boot loader]
  timeout=30
  Default= multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows

  [operating systems]
  multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows="Windows XP"

and from a little reading....next i would assume, to try starting from this bootdisk, but how would this be?! slipping in the floppy when it doesnt start

p.s not sure if theres an easier workaround, would a system restore fix this, if this is the problem? also was wondering if its really bad that i unplug/plug it in to get it going, was wondering how dangerous it is, or how urgent i should take steps in fixing it...(like will it most likely just crap out - or leave me with a dead hard drive something of that sort) trying to see what to expect

regards

bob

Edited by billybobishere, 06 October 2005 - 01:05 AM.

[Doby]

Put in the floppy and start the computer then follow the instructions.

It maybe eaiser to do a repair install look here

I am assuming you can boot the computer from cd or floppy with out any problems so when you put in your xp cd and boot explain exactly what happens.

Rick

[billybobishere]

okay, yeah the repair install looks good, to save some stuff i have...but you know what, ive been wanting to do a fresh restore of everything...so i might as well go the retore route instead.

and i havent tried booting from a floppy or cd yet (or the steps mentioned in the previous link, as i got lost after 2) my machine just gets going every so often. by windows xp you mean my e machines restore discs right? so you think if i simply restored it, it would fix this problem mentioned in the microsoft article? (if that's the case)

im thinking that way would be easier

Edited by billybobishere, 08 October 2005 - 01:44 AM.