Boot Freezes
I turned on my computer today when i got home. and it booted up fine, i shut it down, then came back a little while after and it doesnt boot. It posts and everything but when it gets to the windows XP loading bar, the bar becomes all curropt and it freezes. I restarted and tryed again and now it doesnt even post the windows boot screen. just a blank screen and sits there. It also takes forever to post.
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Comments
Maybe your HDD or memory bit the dust..
www.memtest86.com
RAM loose or RAM dying due to heat (no RAM share no post)-- on mainboard.
Video card dying (a video card with bad RAM on card, or card RAM Oc'd too much, can cause a no-post or a no-boot. Avideo card that has come loose in socket can also do this.
The third is unfortunate, but it could be a virus responsible for the earlier symptoms if not for the no-post. Only a CMOS virus will cause a no-post typically, among the VIRUS possibilities.
Less likely:
The fourth is an oddball and should not cause the first problems, but a loosely connected IDE cable can cause this eventually also, especially if the BIOS safeties the machine.
The fifth is DUST adn junk in computer, as DUST can migrate into RAM sockets and cause problems. Since you have had progressive problems, could be heat-caused damage from layers of dust on components inside computer, dust in heatsink in between fins causing the cPU to overheat, dust down in a RAM socket keeping scoket from connecting.
Fix:
This FEELS like a multiple-cause issue set, but step one is to make sure you use anti-static precautions and also that you have an air can to blow out all dust. Lay case on its side after taking off the door that gives you a look at all parts inside computer-- if you see a big metal plate, OTHER side needs to be the one you take off.
You should not need to take out the HD connections to cables, ditto not the floppy connector on mobo, but power has to be off for what you do next and I would have an anti-stat strap on if it were me also before I did ANY of the following:
You need to carefully pull the video card, after releasing it and making sure it is not held in with a holddown clamp or screw on riser (chrome metal vertical piece) and that the clip for the AGP 4x or 8x on socket end away from edge of case is disengaged. Then you need to pull the RAM out, making sure the small swinging brackets at each end are swung AWAY from middle of stick of RAM.
Take the fan off the heatsink if you can, leaving heatsink. Push down evenly on fan (say left and right edges, not on blades) just enough to kepp fan from wobbling on heatsink as you loosen all four screws holding fan on.
Blow out fan with air can, then stand case upright and blow out all sockets you emptied and then blow out bottom of case, and if fans for case itself look dusty then blow them out also.
Get all dust you can out of case.
Then carefully reassemble. Lay case back on closed side, open side up. With RAM sticks, they are keyed, in the sense that they can only go in one way-- if you look with a small flashlight you will see that the sockets have a raised small tang across them (across narrow way), or possibly TWO such. There are notches in bottom of RAM sticks to match, and putting them in backwards will result normally in one end higher than the other adn stick not in all the way-- in this case, turn RAM stick end for end, then stick ends of RAM stick into notches in end holddown brackets, position thumb on middle of stick once RAM stick is set right, and press down until levers (swing hold-down brackets) swing straight up against ends of RAM stick by themselves. One clue to a mispostioned or turned-end-for-end RAM stick is that it only locks on one end (only one bracket swings up).
Do the video card, then any ohter cards you pulled. Close up case. Try to post, see if computer will even show you the BIOS white on black hardware summary screen talking about how much RAM, etc-- if it DOES, it is Power On Self Testing and hardware is not majorly damaged in way that prevents POST-- and you resolved any gross heat issues that would keep it from starting up as far as POST is concerned.
Windows is another story, that could be a virus still, but if box boots and starts Windows then you are part of the way to having a fix-- then virus scan the computer with the newest virus defs you can get for your AV software. There are two new ones, they are somehting to keep off your box-- one is called Swen, other I forget name of but it hit about same time as Swen.
Cleaning box should be a once-every-three months thing if not monthly, and is a basic maintainance thing (you folks over the water might want maintenance instead, here in US it is spelled the way I spell it), and can help keep killing heat down and damage from longterm overheating minimized. Remember the antistat strap please, all the things you touch inside box can be static-FRIED.
Personally, I use an anti-stat MAT AND a strap in the field, kit from Radio Shack, about $25.00-- this keeps box off of static holding CARPET adn has me static grounded. You can use just a strap, put box on a clean piece of plywood on floor, or on a wood table on top of spread out newspaper, also.
John.
John.