www.tcpclan.net

Hey everyone. First off, I would like to apologizes for my absents, new day, new problems with me right now.

Jochen, (Krabbelricher) is having trouble with his computer. It keeps restarting. I know how to fix things like tis, but I have tried everything, except for removing the "blaster" bug. I do not believe it is the "blaster".

I have another computer that is doing the same thing. I think it is in the BIOS somewhere. I have done all kinds of readjusting, and it still keeps happening.

I am now "DBANing" the other computer, to see if this will work, and will post here if it does.

The symptoms are that the computer does not go into the windows load, all of the time. It keeps restarting.

Jochens computer DOES go into windows, but then restarts. Could this be a Video card problem?

Thanks for the thoughts on this. Frank

No blue screen, then? Just a reset?

If it's XP, have you tried starting it from the F8 menu. That is, the basic text menu right before the loading screen (hitting F8 repeatedly before you see the loading screen would bring it up).

You can then request that XP does not reset automatically on blue screen errors, that way you may get some clues in the form of a STOP error, and then you can search support.microsoft.com or google it for ideas.. I guess those are my suggestions for now if you haven't tried them already.. gl

Hi Frank!

Well, it's always hard to tell the reason when the PC just resets. Especially in your case, it seems to be clear that Windows can't be it, because your computer doesn't even boot. And I guess that also counts for Krabbelricher, although his Windows is being loaded.

Spontaneous resets usually point towards some hardware issue. It could be an overheating problem (although in your case it would arise very fast). But it can as well mean that the power from the PSU is insufficient. I remember I once had the same problem and it turned out that the PSU was too weak for my graphics card.

However, despite all that, various other hardware problems could be the reason. In your place, if possible, I would try to remove or exchange one component after the other and see when the problems stop. In that case, the last component you exchanged is likely to be the reason (but probably also just in conjunction with some other component you have removed or exchanged before). It's a little tricky and requires some testing.

Coco.

Thx reject, and Coco. The "blue screen" does not come up. I stopped that, like always, when I reinstall a system.

The system starts normal, and just as the MBR (Master boot record) is being loaded, the computer starts new. I am thinking about MS.

What ever it is, I just finished the "DBAN" and I am installing XP again. I am thinking about win 98, and if I could at least use it for a server. Linux comes in mind, but I am a new schooler on that. Frank

Hi!

Hmm, maybe you got some virus in the MBR that makes your PC crash? Or your harddrive/hd cable has a defect? Did you try fixmbr yet (Microsoft command that can be issued from the shell of the Windows XP installation CD)?

Well, in case you're really going for Linux, I strongly recommend Ubuntu or Kubuntu (Ubuntu with the KDE desktop). It's the most widely used distribution and most easy to install / robust to use. I tried several others before and this one really is the best so far. It brings a basic installation, suitable for most common users and can be expanded to whatever needs by using the included packet installer.

Coco.

Well, I just had the XP running, and it looked like the DBAN worked, but after 10 minutes of testing, it started to reboot. This can not be a hardware problem. If it was, it would give me trouble from the start, on. I did the DBAN quick, which means that it takes only an hour to format. If I do the whole thing, it takes a day.

I think I will do the 1 day process, and then install something lower, like Win 98.

I did not register with MS because this is my copy of windows, and I do not want trouble with the peeps at MS.

I am a bit lost here, and if I can fix this system, than I will be able to help Jochen with his.

@ Coco, thanks man. Yes I did the fix mbr, and everything else that is in my power. I would like to take this thing apart, one bit after another, and find out what is wrong with it. I have never been this lost in awhile. Frank

If you didnt install anything new recently or update anything (hardware or software) my first guess would be hardware failing somewhere like Coco said ... could be a virus I suppose but I've no experience with them.

Hmm, looks to me like a hardware failure, too. Does windows shut down and reboot or is the comp just starting again without windows shutting down? There is no known case that MS just lets comps reboot, even on a system not registered. They'd always let u know, that u have to buy a legal licence, at least as a system tray popup. IF the HDD and the MBR are ok, then it will be ur Motherboard or PSU or the combo of MoBo & RAM.
Virus is unlikely, too, because the intention of modern viruses is to hide and work as a bot-computer sending Spam-Mails without being noticed or doing some DoS-attacks.
I'd suggest not to go back to 98 instead of XP. It wouldn't be any better. XP is 1st choice - at least as long as Windows 7 isnt released
OK, Linux would be fine, too, of course. But needs some practice
Just a guess...
gl, heinz

Hi!

I just had another idea. You didn't set up any overclocking, did you? Or probably your BIOS settings got messed up by an error? I know wrong timings for the RAMs or FSB or voltages for RAM/CPU can render the system instable. The best to do usually is to set all these timings to AUTO (automatic recognition). Or did you probably add new RAMs lately? Could be faulty or incompatible with the ones you already had. Just try to run your PC with just one RAM bar (also try different ones).

Checking all BIOS settings might be a good idea. It might also be possible that your graphics driver has some overclocking configured for the graphic chip or graphic RAM. You should check this as well!

And in case you want to be sure about whether it's a hardware or software failure, the best would be to boot another OS and see if it causes the same problems. For example, you can get a Linux that's entirely bootable from CD (or DVD) without the need to install anything. Your Windows installation won't be affected in any way. In case you want to give it a try, I recommend Knoppix. Just download it, burn it on CD/DVD and boot that media.

Coco.

}TCP{Coco wrote:. For example, you can get a Linux that's entirely bootable from CD (or DVD) without the need to install anything. Your Windows installation won't be affected in any way. In case you want to give it a try, I recommend Knoppix. Just download it, burn it on CD/DVD and boot that media.

Coco.

I second what Coco said.
Other alternative, would be trying, after a cold reboot (turn the computer off and unplug it for a few seconds so that the RAM is completely cleaned) one of the windows boot CD such as Hiren's bootCD or Ultimate Boot CD (ubcd4win).

This way, you would have access to a windows environment which is not dependent on what is installed on your hard drive.

They include some diagnosis tools and even if you don't want to use them, you can try to only have them run the desktop environment. If it reboots, it is very likely an hardware issue.

UBCD4win is more complete, but needs building and is slower to start.
You can grab Hiren's bootCD-ready-to-be-burnt ISOs here:
http://www.hirensbootcd.net/

My coworker's computer started doing that last week....would work fine then all of a sudden it felt like it needed to restart.....The tech guy came out and installed some BIO stuff and it worked ok for about an hour then RESTART.....she had to get a new hard drive.....the computer is a DELL and was only about 6 months old.

Normally I never comment on computer stuff because I am computer stupid but this sounds so much like her issue.

Hi everyone, thanks for the quick replies.

This is a system that I bought for a guy about 3 years ago. It has no overheating problems as I can see, but,
he did have it in a small computer desk, and I told him he needed to at least take the side cover off, but never did.
It could be that the thing overheated, and something got destroyed, and again I have to say, but....

When I first checked the system out, at his house, I decided to do somethings with BIOS. The adjustments did nothing,
so I decided to reset BIOS by use of the jumper. It worked once, and about 5 minutes later, it restarted again.
I then replaced the battery. Once again, it worked for about 10 minutes, and since then, it just restarts.

The overclocking was also a thought. I overclocked Jochens computer, and it seemed to restart more often, so I set it
back to the normal position.

He bought a new computer, and I got his old one. Now, I want to get it fixed and use it as a server.

I am thinking of the BIOS. Van hit my thought right on the head.
Jochen has the same BIOS, and it is now doing the same thing. I want to try to update both
Jochens Bios, and this one. I do not have much hope there. And then I want to try a "different" operateing
system. That is why I said Win 98 b-4. I would like to go to Linux, but I was confused the last time I tried it out.

I think I will download the linux versions from Coco, and try lilalurl's "Hirensbotcd"

Thanks again guys and girls for the info. I will give this another try in the next few weeks, and
tell ya how it came out. Frank

I have tried and tried, but it really looks like a hardware breakdown.

It even crashes in Bios.

I will get a new motherboard, and get this up and running as a server for us.

I will run linux on it, and use it for what ever we need it for.

Do u have some other memory that fits to this MoBo? Sometimes both MoBo and memory are ok but not working together. Greetz, heinz

Yeah, I know this problem also. I would change it out, but have none here right now. It worked about 4 years long, and it still goes through the start up check ok. I am going to try to change some things out, and see what comes up. Frank