Boot up sometimes seems slightly corrupt

  • Thread starter Thread starter Martin
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Martin

XP SP1, 256Mb RAM


Most times it boots up without a problem. However, occasionally and
without any obvious reason the boot up appears to be slightly corrupt in
that when I go to open the Start menu it might take a couple of seconds to
display, and when I open Cicero, a speech synthesis program that links to
the scanner, Cicero will stall ("not responding"). I am sure that
Cicero or the scanner is not the problem; I uninstalled it - manually
deleted entries - and reinstalled it several times. I've checked the
scanner entry in Device Manager and had it redetect the driver, which is the
most up to date version. Mostly, a reboot (or perhaps two) cures the
snag and Cicero performs perfectly.

I have stopped all programs starting up except Hal - a speech synthesis
program for people with sight impairment. I have done clean-up
maintenance but nothing seems to cure it. Normal clean-boot
troubleshooting is not convenient because of the intermittent nature of the
problem. The computer has a history of going through quite
temperamental phases. (I have had a go at interrogating the Event
Viewer and then doing a Google search but I haven't had much success.)

I feel that the problem is that something is occasionally not going entirely
smoothly in the boot up, and I'd be really grateful for any advice, as the
owner has reached the stage of thinking the computer is fit for the scrap
heap.
 
Martin said:
XP SP1, 256Mb RAM


Most times it boots up without a problem. However, occasionally and
without any obvious reason the boot up appears to be slightly corrupt
in that when I go to open the Start menu it might take a couple of
seconds to display, and when I open Cicero, a speech synthesis program
that links to
the scanner, Cicero will stall ("not responding"). I am sure
that Cicero or the scanner is not the problem; I uninstalled it -
manually
deleted entries - and reinstalled it several times. I've checked
the scanner entry in Device Manager and had it redetect the driver,
which is the
most up to date version. Mostly, a reboot (or perhaps two) cures
the snag and Cicero performs perfectly.

I have stopped all programs starting up except Hal - a speech
synthesis
program for people with sight impairment. I have done clean-up
maintenance but nothing seems to cure it. Normal clean-boot
troubleshooting is not convenient because of the intermittent nature
of the
problem. The computer has a history of going through quite
temperamental phases. (I have had a go at interrogating the Event
Viewer and then doing a Google search but I haven't had much success.)

I feel that the problem is that something is occasionally not going
entirely smoothly in the boot up, and I'd be really grateful for any
advice, as the owner has reached the stage of thinking the computer is
fit for the scrap heap.
Click to expand...

I would swap out the power supply for a known-good one and see if that
solves the issue.

Malke
 
Many thanks - I would never have thought of that - it could account for the
computer being temperamental over its life. With it not being my
computer, swapping the power supply is not something I fancy. However,
your advice will, I am sure, make the owner even more determined to replace
the computer, if not have it upgraded, but at least I will ensure that if
she goes down that route, that the power supply must be changed at the same
time. (I didn't mention that I even uninstalled the anti-virus program
(AVG) to check if that was the culprit.)

Nevertheless, I think I'll just check the connections and re-seat them to be
going on with.

Thanks very much for your help.
 
Martin said:
Many thanks - I would never have thought of that - it could account for the
computer being temperamental over its life. With it not being my
computer, swapping the power supply is not something I fancy. However,
your advice will, I am sure, make the owner even more determined to replace
the computer, if not have it upgraded, but at least I will ensure that if
she goes down that route, that the power supply must be changed at the same
time. (I didn't mention that I even uninstalled the anti-virus program
(AVG) to check if that was the culprit.)

Nevertheless, I think I'll just check the connections and re-seat them to be
going on with.

Thanks very much for your help.
Click to expand...

You could also try updating the drivers for the PCs components - video,
sound, scanner, printer, modem, NIC, whatever. Intermittent problems are
extremely difficult to isolate and troubleshoot, but I wouldn't blame
the PC - bad drivers and software are often the cause of problems.

It's quite possible that the problem is with Cicero - you might check
their web site for updates.


--
The reader should exercise normal caution and backup the Registry and
data files regularly, and especially before making any changes to their
PC, as well as performing regular virus and spyware scans. I am not
liable for problems or mishaps that occur from the reader using advice
posted here. No warranty, express or implied, is given with the posting
of this message.
 
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