Windows XP PC - Bizarre Behaviour

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dan
  • Start date Start date
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Dan

Hi Guys,

I've got a problem with an XP box that has me stumped.

The PC was set-up for a friend and was working fine, however it was then
taken to a PC shop to have a network card installed and now the machine
refuses to boot.

It completes the POST no problems and then begins to load windows and
freezes on the splash screen. I've tried booting in safe mode and the PC
either freezes when it finishes listing the files on the DOS screen, or I
get a black screen with 'safe mode' in each corner and the build number at
the top of the screen and then the machine freezes.

I have removed all cards, replaced the RAM, IDE cables and tried another
hard disk with Windows 2000 installed, but the machine still boots to the
same point and then freezes. I've also tried booting from a bootable CD and
the machine either freezes part way through loading the CD-ROM drivers or
gets me through to the DOS prompt. However when I 'cd' C:\ I get an 'invalid
drive specification' error.

So my question is, do you guys have any ideas what could be wrong as I'm
stumped?

Many Thanks

Dan
 
Try removing the network card and then starting the PC is safe mode without
network support - this should avoid the network card driver loading. Then
uninstall the NIC, re-boot and see if the machine will now start up.
 
Bloater said:
Try removing the network card and then starting the PC is safe mode
without network support - this should avoid the network card driver
loading. Then uninstall the NIC, re-boot and see if the machine will now
start up.
Click to expand...

Thanks but I've already tried that to no avail, the machine still locks up
at the same point (I've even tried leaving it for a good 45-60 minutes to
see if it would eventually boot into Windows but no such luck!)
 
Network cards are pretty easy, IMO the risk of a shop doing
*something* wrong outweighs the perceived benefit of having
them install a nic. The problem is that there is a great
variability in the quality and competence of different shop
techs, you probably wouldn't get a senior tech allocated to
installing network cards.

You might now inspect the system to be sure no cards,
cables, connectors, etc are disturbed.

Test the memory for a few hours (memtest86+).
Try booting it to the last known good configuration (menu
option): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307852


What exactly does this mean? The Win2k OS was installed on
the drive while the drive was in that system or another?
You can't just move a drive from one system to another and
expect it to finish booting when it's WinNT (incl. 2K or
XP), as hardware differences between the different systems
often matter.

Run the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostics, available
from their respective website.


Thanks but I've already tried that to no avail, the machine still locks up
at the same point (I've even tried leaving it for a good 45-60 minutes to
see if it would eventually boot into Windows but no such luck!)
Click to expand...

Leave the network card out for the time being. You didn't
tell us much at all about the hardware, which is fairly
important if you want a (hardware) newsgroup to
troubleshoot. If you want troubleshooting a WinXP boot
problem then a WinXP oriented newsgroup might have more
experience.

A couple more things to try include clearing cmos, and
trying a fresh WinXP installation. When you were changing
the hard drives are you certain you had/have them jumpered
correctly?
 
kony said:
Network cards are pretty easy, IMO the risk of a shop doing
*something* wrong outweighs the perceived benefit of having
them install a nic. The problem is that there is a great
variability in the quality and competence of different shop
techs, you probably wouldn't get a senior tech allocated to
installing network cards.

You might now inspect the system to be sure no cards,
cables, connectors, etc are disturbed.
Click to expand...

I've now pulled everything out of the system and reconnected only the basics
(and gone into the BIOS to ensure the settings reflect the hardware that's
connected) so I'm confident that everything is connected OK.
Test the memory for a few hours (memtest86+).
Try booting it to the last known good configuration (menu
option): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307852



What exactly does this mean? The Win2k OS was installed on
the drive while the drive was in that system or another?
You can't just move a drive from one system to another and
expect it to finish booting when it's WinNT (incl. 2K or
XP), as hardware differences between the different systems
often matter.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried testing the RAM but it has come out of a known good system,
and again if I try to boot to the last known good configuration the system
freezes on the splash screen.

Yeah, I thought the Windows 2000 idea was a bit of a long shot but was at
least hoping for some error messages or something to show that the machine
hadn't frozen, but alas nothing!
Run the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostics, available
from their respective website.
Click to expand...

I've had a crack at running Seagate's tools on the drive in question but it
begins to scan and then the system freezes, so I've formatted another HDD in
my system and installed that one in the PC in question but I'm still having
problems. I did try to install Windows 2000 from scratch on the formatted
drive (in the PC I'm having problems with) but again it begins setup and
then freezes up.
Leave the network card out for the time being. You didn't
tell us much at all about the hardware, which is fairly
important if you want a (hardware) newsgroup to
troubleshoot. If you want troubleshooting a WinXP boot
problem then a WinXP oriented newsgroup might have more
experience.

A couple more things to try include clearing cmos, and
trying a fresh WinXP installation. When you were changing
the hard drives are you certain you had/have them jumpered
correctly?
Click to expand...

Tbh I totally forgot about including details of the hardware;

Microstar MS6378 (Version 3) Motherboard
Athlon XP 1800+ Processor
256Mb RAM
Seagate U Series 7 ST340012A 40Gb HDD
Onboard Graphics

The fact that the machine is freezing between POSTing and loading the OS
makes me think that this is a hardware issue as the problems seem to be
occuring independant of the operating system, but the only common links I
have left are the motherboard, or the power supply.

I've also tried clearing the CMOS but again no luck and the HDD is
definatley jumpered correctly.

Thanks for bearing with me on this one :-)

Dan
 
I've had a crack at running Seagate's tools on the drive in question but it
begins to scan and then the system freezes, so I've formatted another HDD in
my system and installed that one in the PC in question but I'm still having
problems. I did try to install Windows 2000 from scratch on the formatted
drive (in the PC I'm having problems with) but again it begins setup and
then freezes up.
Click to expand...

So it's freezing with the questionable drive completely
removed? If you have another system handy you might see how
it responds to the drive, but otherwise I'd begin inspecting
capacitors and PSU. Who knows what might've happened,
something like an ESD event or the card was installed while
the system was soft-off (still partially powered).

HOWEVER, I feel the shop should address these problems, at
least return your PC to it's former working state without
the network card in it, if you're sure this all came about
as a result of their installing the NIC. I mean insist they
fix the problem at no cost to you or at least a bench
diagnostic determination of the problem for free and then
you can decide whether to spend $ at the shop for parts or
take the system home for another (shop or DIY) repairer.

Tbh I totally forgot about including details of the hardware;

Microstar MS6378 (Version 3) Motherboard
Athlon XP 1800+ Processor
256Mb RAM
Seagate U Series 7 ST340012A 40Gb HDD
Onboard Graphics
Click to expand...

I'll again suggest checking the motherboard capacitors,
especially the larger ones around the CPU socket area. I
have had a similar MSI board from the same era succumb to
capacitor failure, forget the brand of caps it had on it but
they were definitely gold and green (Teapo or Hermai or GC
or something like that) before their next generation of
boards had started using (? think it was Rubycon caps). If
it is the capacitors, you might even ask them if they will
replace it, though it's no consolution if they would if you
need it operational ASAP.
The fact that the machine is freezing between POSTing and loading the OS
makes me think that this is a hardware issue as the problems seem to be
occuring independant of the operating system, but the only common links I
have left are the motherboard, or the power supply.
Click to expand...

That will be true so long as it happens with the drives
disconnected. If you had not ran memtest86+ yet, leave a
floppy drive connected to run it or if it'll boot to USB, a
thumbdrive/etc made bootable with the DOS executible version
of memtest86+ on it.

I've also tried clearing the CMOS but again no luck and the HDD is
definatley jumpered correctly.
Click to expand...

If you have a multimeter you might take voltage readings of
PSU. There are a lot more things that can potentially go
wrong when a system is being moved around (like a case
flexing and breaking some surface mount solder joints or
cracking a PCB) or subject to someone else working on it so
can't directly observe the details of the operation.

Yes, after the things mentioned it would be time to try to
isolate between PSU and motherboard. Beyond inspecting the
motherboard capacitors, you might also (unplugging PSU from
AC for at least several minutes first) take the PSU out,
open and inspect it for anything burnt, a failed fan, vented
capacitors... anything that looks wrong.



I've had rare cases where an Athlon XP was installed using
poor silicone heatsink grease which dryed up leaving
isolated islands of component, allowing the CPU to overheat,
but this is typically after it ran for quite a few minutes.
Regardless after it's been transported you might also gently
wiggle the heatisnk slightly to see if it feels firmly in
place.

You didn't mention the details of your PSU. If it is a
decent name-brand spec'd for at least 180W on the 3V+5V rail
(see it's label), I would suspect the board more than the
PSU but really it could be either. If it is something like
capacitors we can't blame the shop, but if it were the board
it is a bit suspicious unless the case is badly flexing or
some other unforseeable event.
 
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