Re: The Reboot Dilemma
davy
Have you tried going into Safe-mode and selecting 'Boot from last good
configuration that worked'?
Once you are able to get it to boot try doing a Check disc scan,
scanning first for File systems errors, and then do a second scan by
clicking 'Scan for bad sectors' just in case the hard drive is going
bad. You'll find this in C drive properties, you can do both scans at
the same time by clicking both boxes... note 'Scan for bad sectors' may
take ages, which is why I like to do them separate.
IF THIS 'IS' THE CASE OF THE HARD DRIVE GOING BAD THEN IT WOULD BE
WISE TO BACK UP ANY IMPORTANT FILES AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
Then a scan for Malware and Viruses won't do any harm, in Safe Mode if
possible would be better, some programs may not work in Safe-mode. You
could always try using the drive in another machine just to see if it
boot or not, but do remember to back up any important files ASAP just in
case.
Happy New Year Everyone.
davy
DaBigBuddha
System Specs:
New Built with Gigabyte EP43-UD3L mobo
E6300 CPU
GeForce 9800 GPU
Ultra 550W PS
1 IDE 80 GB HDD
2 GB DDR2 RAM
Here's the skinny. I've set it up, more than once, stripped it down
and started over. I'm stuck. No matter what I've tried, Here's what I
get.
Gigabyte LOGO screen, then to Windows Crashed screen. (You know, the
one that says "windows was not shut down properly...blah blah blah...)
No matter which option I pick (start normally, safe mode, etc) the
result is the same. Returns to the Gigabyte Logo screen and ....rinse
and repeat. I've been at this all day and no one's been able to help.
Don't make me go to the Geek Squad, please! I'm tired and at the point
of exasperation. A little help?
DaBigBuddha
Thank you, Davy, but yes. The problem is, that it won't boot into any
form of windows at all, no matter which prompt I select at that screen.
I have tried them all. Start windows normally, start in safe mode, safe
mode with prompt, all of them.
To me, this is a strange situation, because everything is pretty much
right out of the box. I inserted the hard drive into another machine,
and that machine recognized the hard drive just fine. I was able to
browse the files and open things from it. So, I don't think it's the
hard drive. I thought that might be the case at first, but I didn't
think a bad hard drive would cause and endless reboot sequence.
I am wondering if there is anything else I can do. I have heard tales
of "flashing the bios" or something like that and "resetting the cmos"
but I don't know if those would work in this situation.
Any more ideas?
SteveH
So the HDD already had Windows installed on it? (if not, ignore the rest of
this)
If so, there's no guarantee (unless it's just the same board being replaced)
that it will work, Windows may not have the correct drivers etc, for this
board and just not play. And the fact that the HDD works on another board
proves nothing, you may just have ben luckier with that board, or presumably
you wasn't booting from it, just looking at it, in which case of course it
should work.
I reckon you need to boot from a Windows CD and do a repair install, if not,
do the sensible thing and do a clean install.
--
SteveH
Dave C.
I'm betting you nailed it, steveh. The giveaway is the 80GB disk
size. Can you even buy a drive that small anymore? If so, why would
you? It would probably be more expensive than a disk several times
that size. -Dave
SteveH
Indeed, I've got a few spare drives knocking about, the /smallest/ of which
is an old 250Gb. I've got a 750 and 500 in the PC and a 1Tb in an external
box. Found a good way of easily using the spares actually - I bought an
Antec EasySATA drive caddy which lets me hot swap SATA drives at will (AHCI
enabled in XP) - dead useful, and cheap as well.
--
SteveH
DaBigBuddha
Actually, Steve, Thank you for putting that idea into my head. I hadn't
thought of a driver problem. I assumed that a bootable HDD would
instantly be recognized from a new mobo, but apparently, I am mistaken.
I'm not afraid to admit that, if it gets me what I need. hehe. So,
thanks again. The bigger problem is that both the DVD drive and the HDD
are IDE interfaces and the new board only has one IDE interface
connection. So, I will have to go out and get an IDE SATA converter,
then I will try this solution.
Quick follow-up question though: Do you think that by inserting the
mobo disk in the DVD drive and booting will solve this driver problem,
if in fact that is what the problem is? Just wondering if I can do
that, or if I have to boot from the Windows CD. Thanks again.
SteveH
> Actually, Steve, Thank you for putting that idea into my head. I
> hadn't thought of a driver problem. I assumed that a bootable HDD
> would instantly be recognized from a new mobo, but apparently, I am
> mistaken. I'm not afraid to admit that, if it gets me what I need.
> hehe. So, thanks again. The bigger problem is that both the DVD
> drive and the HDD are IDE interfaces and the new board only has one
> IDE interface connection. So, I will have to go out and get an IDE
> SATA converter, then I will try this solution.
The one IDE connector should support two devices, you just need an IDE cable
with three connectors on. Then just change the jumpers on the drives - the
device on the end to be set to master and the second device set to slave, or
just set both devicesto 'cable select (cs)'.
> Quick follow-up question though: Do you think that by inserting the
> mobo disk in the DVD drive and booting will solve this driver problem,
> if in fact that is what the problem is? Just wondering if I can do
> that, or if I have to boot from the Windows CD. Thanks again.
The mobo disk probably isn't even bootable, and you couldn't easliy fix the
problem that way anyway, if at all. You would need to set the BIOS to boot
from CD/DVD and insert a XP disk (I'm assuming you're using XP) and then
follow these instructions:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI
HTH
--
SteveH
Bug Dout
good idea before fiddling more with the HD and the Windows install. Put
one of the memtests (either 86 or +) on a CD and boot from the CD. Then
you can eliminate the memory as the problem...or find it there.
--
Nothing is more surprising than the easiness with which the many are
governed by the few.
~ David Hume
Jan Alter
"Bug Dout" <bug...@mailinator.com> wrote in message
news:87bphat...@mailinator.com...
It sounds more like a memory problem with it crashing and falling back to
the bios screen. From your specs I can't tell if it's one stick of memory or
two. If it's one stick try another memory chip, if two then remove one stick
and try starting with the other. Try memtest if you get pleasure out of any
of these procedures for confirmation.
--
Jan Alter
bea...@verizon.net
SteveH
He's got a drive with XP on from another system, almost certainly with the
wrong drivers etc. - there's a very good chance it's not going to work,
without at least a repair install. Yes, it could easily be the memory as
well, but considering its not a fresh install on a new system, I know where
my money is.
--
SteveH
Jan Alter
--
Jan Alter
bea...@verizon.net
"SteveH" <steve.ho...@THISblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:F%E0n.22175$Ym4....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
Hi Steve,
Reading what the OP said it seems that the problem of rebooting was
happening from the first system the HHD was in and continuing with the next
system he placed the HDD. If that's the case it could very well be the start
up files. I still wouldn't rule out the possiblility that it was memory in
the first system, and in the second it was driver issues.
--
Jan Alter
bea...@verizon.net
SteveH
>>
> Hi Steve,
>
> Reading what the OP said it seems that the problem of rebooting was
> happening from the first system the HHD was in and continuing with
> the next system he placed the HDD. If that's the case it could very
> well be the start up files.
I can't see where he said that, but never mind.
--
SteveH