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My computer is reluctant to start
squeaky
Posts: 14,129 Forumite
in Techie Stuff
Hi all,
This an odd one. When switching my computer it just hangs on start up. These are the things I know...
So it seems fairly clear (though I can certainly be wrong) that the system has trouble accessing my drive C.
What I'm not sure of is whether it's a bios problem; processor, or an honest to goodness problem with drive C.
Any ideas on which software I should use to try and diagnose this one? Especially given that it is so early in the start up routine and, clearly, everything is currently operating as it should.
I'm stuck. Can anyone help please?
This an odd one. When switching my computer it just hangs on start up. These are the things I know...
- I see the bios check my CD drive and my DVD drive
- I can hear the power supply fan and the processor fan.
- The front LED indicating hard drive access flickers a couple of times and then stays soilidly on.
- I can hear my drive D (which is normally a little noisier) accessing read/write
- I cannot hear the (admittedly much quiter) drive C accessing read/write
- My monitor does not light up (which it usuallly does to briefly display the bios report of graphics and drives etc).
- Hitting "del" doesn't get me into the bios pages
- Holding F8 doesn't get me to safe start
- The monitor lit up but there were no bios reports, it just went straight into the windowsXP welcome
So it seems fairly clear (though I can certainly be wrong) that the system has trouble accessing my drive C.
What I'm not sure of is whether it's a bios problem; processor, or an honest to goodness problem with drive C.
Any ideas on which software I should use to try and diagnose this one? Especially given that it is so early in the start up routine and, clearly, everything is currently operating as it should.
I'm stuck. Can anyone help please?
Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.
DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.500
Comments
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When the BIOS displays your CPU speed, total installed RAM and usually drive information - this is called POSTing. Power On Self Test.
Are you saying you can power the machine up and you'll see the POST, then nothing else afterwards? But you can hear drives being acessed?
If so, it could be your monitor that's faulty. Some old monitors refuse to go into certain resoloutions because of the power draw on it's old components. All of a sudden the monitor might decide it's warmed up enough to allow it go into a particular resoloution.
It could also be a faulty graphic card or power supply.
Any chance of the make and model of the following:- Processor
- Motherboard
- Machine (ie: Dell Latitude 123)
- Monitor
- Power supply
Everybody is equal; However some are more equal than others.0 -
Erm... no I don't see the POST.When the BIOS displays your CPU speed, total installed RAM and usually drive information - this is called POSTing. Power On Self Test.
Are you saying you can power the machine up and you'll see the POST, then nothing else afterwards? But you can hear drives being acessed?
Any chance of the make and model of the following:- Processor
- Motherboard
- Machine (ie: Dell Latitude 123)
- Monitor
- Power supply
I can hear one drive (D) being accessed; but not my primary (C).
Processor: AMD duron
Motherboard: MSI micro-atx
Machine: a build
Monitor: S3 Graphics ProSavage DDR
Power: Pass
ALL of the items on board are at least two years old and have been well behaved with no clashes or incompatibilities.Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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Are the graphics onboard or not? Are you able to try another monitor and/or graphic card?Everybody is equal; However some are more equal than others.0
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I had near enough the same problem and I was told static electricity was the cause. (It was sitting on a relatively thick carpet.) Occasionally I would touch it, and then it would start but not always!Northern Ireland club member No 382 :j0
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Yes, the graphics are on board and I don't have another monitor or card that I can use.Are the graphics onboard or not? Are you able to try another monitor and/or graphic card?
I'm not convinced that it's graphics related so what's making you think that it is?Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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I trid a "touch test"Money_Grabber13579 wrote: »I had near enough the same problem and I was told static electricity was the cause. (It was sitting on a relatively thick carpet.) Occasionally I would touch it, and then it would start but not always!
But as I've said, nothing has been changed on this machine for two years. It's all tried and tested, well soaked and well behaved.Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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Have you tried booting from your start-up disk?Marching On Together
I've upped my standards...so up yours!0 -
I'd have to get into my bios to change which drive I boot from. The only way I know how to do this is during start up and, as I've said, it doesn't work.
Is there a way to edit the bios now that I'm running?
Everything appears to be running normally. My device manager reports no problems, all my drivers are current and I haven't had to update any for the best part of a year.
So my problem very much seems to be orientated around the start up and probably, as has been mentioned above, during the POST checks.
I didn't turn the computer off last night in order to avoid the start up problem, but I can't leave the poor beastie running forever.
One thing I'm going to try is to switch the monitor off at the power switch and try a restart. That should side step at least some of the graphics POST (he sez hopefully) and perhaps give me a better idea of what is(n't) going on.
<Captain Oates> I may be gone for some time </Captain Oates>Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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Welll, there ya go!
With my monitor powered off, all external indications as to drive access during post were normal, though with the monitor OFF I couldn't ee the POST report on screen.
Once the windows welcome chime sounded I switched the monitor on to find everything proceding in the usual manner at this stage.
So the likeliest culprit, I guess, is the monitor - unless there's still a (small?) possibility that the problem is elsewhere?Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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It's not uncommon for graphic cards to fail, onboard or not.Yes, the graphics are on board and I don't have another monitor or card that I can use.
I'm not convinced that it's graphics related so what's making you think that it is?
It could be just a simple driver issue, but I personally don't think so.Everybody is equal; However some are more equal than others.0
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