PC Reboots on ... Boot

R

Rayn

Here's the crap I'm working with:

ProcessOr: Celeron 533A
OS: Win 2k Pro
RAM: 512MB SDRAM 100Mhz Kingston
Mobo: Microstar A6309MS V1.9

On normal boot:
Text WINDOWS IS LOADING screen comes up, bar fills, computer soft reboots, repeat x infinity. Occasionally, see graphic for startup, get halfway through bar and soft reboot.

On safe mode boot:
List of drivers loading comes up, computer soft reboots, repeat x infinity.

Where do I even start here? I've swapped out memory... I really just have no idea what to troubleshoot...
 
I've had this happen to me once with a completely screwed up harddrive. Somehow part of Windows was installed, but partition magic errored looking at the drive, the linux distros didn't like it, and crazy things happened when I tried writing to it as a slave drive. :shrug:
 
are all of your fans working properly? if so, could be the psu? also, check all the connections for the psu, and check so see if every component is seated properly.
 
BlankEmail said:
are all of your fans working properly? if so, could be the psu? also, check all the connections for the psu, and check so see if every component is seated properly.
Click to expand...

If it was psu connection to the mobo the comp would not boot, if it was a connection to another device it would not power or would not function. I don't think it's the power supply.
 
From previous experience blankemail, this would either be a windows related error or in a more rare case, a hard drive problem. Not saying you are wrong, but in the 4+ years as a computer tech I have not seen a power supply be the cause of it partially booting and restarting.
 
-K-Crypt said:
From previous experience blankemail, this would either be a windows related error or in a more rare case, a hard drive problem. Not saying you are wrong, but in the 4+ years as a computer tech I have not seen a power supply be the cause of it partially booting and restarting.
Click to expand...


it could be either. im not saying, YOUR WRONG ITS THE PSU. i dont care if you have 4+ years as a computer tech. to me 4 years is not very long, as i am goin on ten. i was just saying, a bad rail on the psu could cause this.could be a windows error or a bad drive could be the issue as well.

if i were you rayn, i would try a repair install of XP, and if that doesnt fix the problem, i would look into your hard drive or psu.
 
A faulty IDE cable can make a computer reboot like that..

Check that cables.. Start taking stuff out elemenate the bad part if you have one.. disconnect the cd rety, disconnect the sound card rety, swap the ram retry, take the modem and nic out retry..
 
Zirconium said:
A faulty IDE cable can make a computer reboot like that..

Check that cables.. Start taking stuff out elemenate the bad part if you have one.. disconnect the cd rety, disconnect the sound card rety, swap the ram retry, take the modem and nic out retry..
Click to expand...


yep, that could be it too

BlankEmail said:
are all of your fans working properly? if so, could be the psu? also, check all the connections for the psu, and check so see if every component is seated properly.
Click to expand...
 
BlankEmail said:
are all of your fans working properly? if so, could be the psu? also, check all the connections for the psu, and check so see if every component is seated properly.
Click to expand...
So you're going on ten years of computer tech, and this is what you come up with?

Fans and PSU both would be much more intermittent if that were the problem. A computer would last longer on a cold boot with a non-operating fan (which was not suggested), and a PSU problem would be way more intermittent and not consistently repeatable (edit: it would also turn the fricken computer off). Unseated components would generally mean no boot at all, or something simply not working if it were not a required device (such as a soundcard). Therefore I say, "WHO YOU CRAPPIN'!"

My initial diagnostic in this situation would be to get the 2K CD in there, run the recovery console, and do a chkdsk C: /F.

If that doesn't work, respond back and I will dispense further advice. ;)
 
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Ixiterra said:
So you're going on ten years of computer tech, and this is what you come up with?

Fans and PSU both would be much more intermittent if that were the problem. A computer would last longer on a cold boot with a non-operating fan (which was not suggested), and a PSU problem would be way more intermittent and not consistently repeatable (edit: it would also turn the fricken computer off). Unseated components would generally mean no boot at all, or something simply not working if it were not a required device (such as a soundcard). Therefore I say, "WHO YOU CRAPPIN'!"

My initial diagnostic in this situation would be to get the 2K CD in there, run the recovery console, and do a chkdsk C: /F.

If that doesn't work, respond back and I will dispense further advice. ;)
Click to expand...

Ixiterra knows his stuff.
 
Suddenly_Dead said:
I've had this happen to me once with a completely screwed up harddrive. Somehow part of Windows was installed, but partition magic errored looking at the drive, the linux distros didn't like it, and crazy things happened when I tried writing to it as a slave drive. :shrug:
Click to expand...

^ What he said. HDD error of windows. Did you swap HDD from some other computer with different hardware? Windows rarely works then without reformat ..

Other possibilities:

- You changed something in BIOS that winblows must configure during installation of OS (ACPI to/off enhanced mode for example) and now windows fucks up.
- Anything else
 
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Had this same exact problem in a performance gaming rig I built for a customer. Abit board and an AMD 3000. Turns out that after the first boot the cmos scwagged out. Try a bios update.
 
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