Computer Hangs on Boot Screen 2

[dcloud]

I have Windows XP Home running on an ASUS P4P800 mobo. For some reason a couple days ago I started the computer and I got the P4P800 splash screen, but then it just stayed there for a while (maybe three minutes or more). Finally it booted to the desktop. It kept doing this every time I started the computer, until today I decided to reformat thinking this may resolve whatever the issue was.

Unfortunately reformatting did not resolve anything. Now I can't get passed the screen with the P4P800 logo. I am wondering if anyone here might have some ideas or suggestions on this?

Thanks.

- dc

 

[electronicsfreak]

Check your jumpers on your hardware like hard drive and cdrom. Also go into your bios and disable company logo image. Another thing you might want to do is ajdust it to fast boot. Definitly check your jumpers though and make sure there set right.

 

[BadBigBen]

I agree with E-Freak about disabling the Mobo Logo Screen... then and only then can you see where the mobo hangs in the POST (not the BOOT)...

then it could almost be anything at this stage... bad drives, a CD or Floppy in the DRIVES, bad RAM, wrong jumper settings of the Drives, a PCI card not configured correctly etc....


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[dcloud]

Thanks for the replies. I posted this thread last night at work and this morning when I got home the computer started just fine. Go figure.

Anyway, I checked the jumper plugs on the back of my Lite-On and the Maxtor HD. Both are where they are supposed to be. I disabled the logo screen in BIOs and "Quick Boot" was already enabled.

I had purchased EVEREST Home Ultimate Edition last night (I've been a long time fan of their previous Home Edition and couldn't pass up the deal to buy the Ultimate at $20) just check out my system and see what's going on, and this morning everything checks out fine.

I have no idea why it wasn't booting yesterday, but thanks for the great tips and advice.

- dc

 

[BadBigBen]

Could have well be a case of DIRTY POWER SOURCE...

Monitor this anyways... just to be sure...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[dcloud]

Just an update .... was on the computer for a few hours last night and rebooted several times and not once did it hang. In fact it seemed to boot faster than usual. Weird. I have no idea why it stopped booting, but thanks for all your great tips.

- dc

 

[dcloud]

Ok, new problem ... I just reformatted the other day (after the boot problem), and this morning I went to the Windows Update site. I clicked to go visit the new Microsoft Update site and then clicked the Start Now button. While it was checking to see if I had update software (or whatever it does) my computer shut down, and then rebooted itself back to the desktop.

When I got back on the desktop I got the Send Error Report screen and sent it. It took me to a Microsoft support page which said the following:

-----------------
Corrupted error report. Thank you for submitting an error report.

Problem description

Unfortunately, the error report you submitted is corrupted and cannot be analyzed. Corrupted error reports are rare. They can be caused by hardware or software problems, and they usually indicate a serious problem with your computer.
-----------------

Now I am getting a little worried. You all had mentioned hardware/software issues concerning the boot problem, and now I'm wondering if this is just another warning sign of the same problem?

I haven't installed any new software recently. What I have on the PC I have had for some months now without any issues whatsoever. The only thing I have had issues with is the Maxtor HD. A few months ago I got the blue screen of death and an error message telling me my HD had bad sectors. I downloaded a HD checking utility from the Maxtor site and ran it. It recognized some bad sectors and then the utility cached them off to the side so the drive could run normally. This is the only thing odd that has happened to my PC in quite a while.

Any ideas or suggestions from you pros would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

- dc

 

[dcloud]

Well, I went back to Microsoft Update and it installed whatever it needed to run without shutting down the computer this time. I installed some updates and then I opened EVEREST Home and started checking devices and drivers.

I noticed there's a lot of links to a place called DriverAgent.com I went there and checked the place out and did a free scan. It said I had a few drivers that needed updating, but then when I clicked the link it took me to a "Join Now" page ($29.95 to join).

Does anyone here have any experience with DriverAgent.com? It looks useful, but I'm not sure at $30.

- dc

 

[BadBigBen]

why bother, most DRIVERS can be had for FREE...

I am thinking that you may have had or are infected with a MALware of some sort... best to DL EWIDO (

http://www.ewido.net)

do a full system scan... then go to TrendMicro Online Viral Scan (

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/)

and have your PC checked there...

Drivers should be DL from the Manufacturers Website, ie. INTEL from INTEL, ATI graphics cards from ATI, etc...

Everest helps on Identifying those Hardware pieces... and should have a direct link to the Manufacturer and the Drivers...





Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[firewolfrl]

dcloud,
Ok the first thing to do is to get a new battery for the MB. that is the simple step.
You quoted:
The only thing I have had issues with is the Maxtor HD. A few months ago I got the blue screen of death and an error message telling me my HD had bad sectors. I downloaded a HD checking utility from the Maxtor site and ran it. It recognized some bad sectors and then the utility cached them off to the side so the drive could run normally.

Run chkdsk /r (this takes awhile)
The long boot initially was a search issue of the MB controller trying to read the MBR/MFT after the reformat you may have fixed that issue only temporary.

Harddrives are cheap these days. Go get a new one.


Call Maxtor and see if the drive is still in warranty? If it is RMA it. Use Powermax to test the drive.

http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/M...tware Downloads/ATA Hard Drives&downloadID=22

I work on a lot of computers and hands down I see a lot of Maxtor failures. Usually once the HD starts giving errors. it creates a cascade effect with more and more errors.

Also you may have secondary issue with bad ram.

Get a battery UPS backup and that will help in future HD problems. Sounds to me like you have multiple components starting to fail (smack myself on the head...it can never just be one)


Good luck

 

[dcloud]

BigBen, firewolf, thanks for your replies. I have ewido suite (I use it as often as SpyBot/Adaware), and none of those have reported any issues. I ran a chkdsk after the reformat, which I normally do anyway. No issues there, either. I also install and run AVG antivirus and update/scan often. No viruses reported.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that the boot would hang more often than not on the BIOS post screen. It would sit there for a good three minutes or more with these words showing: Checking NVRAM ... (1024MB OK)

Now I'm not sure but isn't that nvidia RAM (NVRAM)? I am wondering because I have a GeForce FX5200 and I downloaded the super huge driver file two days ago from the nvidia site and installed it. It was only after installing that file that I started getting the hang at boot, with the message "Checking NVRAM ... (1024MB OK)".

Sorry I didn't think to mention this with my first post. It just occurred to me today.

firewolf, those are some great ideas. I'll look into getting that new battery. Can it be any battery or do I have to get it someplace special? I just upgraded a lot of components in my PC this summer - new Ultra Connect 500W power supply, Kingston PC3200 dual channel 2x512MB RAM, replaced all my cables with sheilded/rounded ones (to cut down on case clutter), new chassis fans and CPU heatsink/fan. I bought all of this from off Newegg. I had planned on buying a new HD until the money got tight. I was looking at a Seagate 250MB Serial ATA drive for $110 (I was hoping to do a RAID array, but all the P4P800 can offer is RAID 0).

- dc

 

[BadBigBen]

with the added information...

yes, definately change the battery, it is a normal button battery marked (2032) and should be had at any good store, PC shop, or watch repair... in Germany, I get those even at Gas Stations...

sounds good that you system is checked often... but there are still nasties out there that change your LSPs and other stuff that may not get recognized easily, by the progs in use... I suggest for one to reset those LSPs (netsh winsock reset catalog) copy that into the RUN box, make sure that you are not on the internet... issue that command, and XP resets it's lsps... you may also wish to check your system with HiJackThis aswell...

about the corruption: Change back to the original cables... the cables in use can cause that problem...

about the NVRAM, no it is not nVidia RAM... it is actuall NON VOLATILE READ AND WRITE MEMORY...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[firewolfrl]

kingston is very stable ram...good choice

the hang on "Checking NVRAM" still indicates a MBR or MFT issue...chkdsk doesn't always correct those issues. the only sure fix is copying the data to a new drive and zeroing that HD...
just so you know...Format is not good enough to fix a MFT error...though it may fix a MBR error

sometimes the optical drives create errors on boot...try unplugging the cables to the drives and see if one of the drives is making your computer hang.

you will be very happy with a SATA drive

 

[dcloud]

firewolfrl, I got a new HD today. My income tax came and I just ordered this drive:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148065

I think this should help the problems I've been having. I'm pretty excited to get this and see what happens.

Thanks again for all your help everyone.

- dc

 

[firewolfrl]

Very COOL

 

[dcloud]

firewolfrl, my new Seagate SATA drive came today, w00t! As I figured I could not install it right away because the SATA drive has a different connectors on the back than the old Maxtor. Thankfully there's a computer store in town and the guy there was able to get me set up with a serial adapter and SATA cables.

Now I'm trying to save all my files before formatting the new drive and while trying to burn with my Lite-On using Nero 7 ROM the following happened:

#29 Phase 37 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1832 Burn process completed successfully at 4x (5,540 KB/s)

#30 Phase 78 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1832 Data verification started

#31 SectorVerify 11 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 9998 Sector 4735 on disc has different content to source

#32 SectorVerify 11 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 9998 Sector 4749 on disc has different content to source

#33 SectorVerify 10 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 9998 Sectors from 5299 to 5301 on disc are different to source

#34 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 228 all writers idle, stopping conversion

#35 SectorVerify 11 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 9998 Sector 5372 on disc has different content to source

#36 Phase 81 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1832 Data verification failed

I'm wondering if its the DVDs I'm using or the Lite-On drive. This has been happening for a while now. This is a brand new DVD-RW right out of the box. Very odd.

Ok, going to try another disc and see what happens......


- dc

 

[dcloud]

Ok, tried another disc and this time a message keeps popping up: The disc is not empty, writing to this disc well erase everything on it. Proceed anyway?

I click OK yet this message keeps coming back. This is a brand new disc right out of the box.

If anyone has any suggestions I would be glad to hear them. Thanks.

- dc

 

[dcloud]

Ok, tried another disc ... this time I got the following error message: A non critical error has been detected on the disc. Cannot continue.

I guess maybe go buy a different type of disc? This seems really weird. These are brand new discs.

- dc

 

[BadBigBen]

1.) it could indicate that the DVD does not recognize the medium in use...

2.) try another burn software, ie. use Nero 6 instead of 7...

3.) replace the IDE cable...

4.) maybe you just don't have enough power to supply everything you have installed... what is the PSU size?


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[dcloud]

Hi Ben. I upgraded my PSU this past summer to an Ultra X-Connect 500W. The IDE cable is brand new (rounded, shielded). I think it may just be the medium. I do not have a single issue using my old Verbatim discs that I burned like ages ago. Now after trying to burn those discs above I tried the last two discs on the bottom of the stack and they burned just fine. I did only one thing differently; I check marked the "Verify Data After Burn" box (or something like that).

I'm not sure if that did it or not, but I burned both discs and there were no errors or anything. Go figure. I think I will get some Verbatim discs next.

- dc